Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Energetics of nestling growth and parental effort in Antarctic fulmarine petrels

SUMMARY Antarctic fulmarine petrels breed in some of the coldest conditions encountered by any bird and their young grow twice as fast as predicted allometrically. To examine the energetic consequences of fast growth in a cold environment, we used the doubly labeled water technique to measure field metabolic rates of adults (three species) and different-aged nestlings (four species) of Antarctic fulmarine petrels in the Rauer Islands, East Antarctica: Antarctic fulmar Fulmarus glacialoides, Antarctic petrel Thalassoica antarctica, Cape petrel Daption capense and snow petrel Pagodroma nivea. We used our data to assess parental effort and, together with literature values on nestling growth and resting metabolic rate, to construct and partition nestling energy budgets. Nestling total energy expenditure and peak daily metabolic rate were significantly higher than predicted allometrically (33–73% and 17–66% higher, respectively), and the relative cost of growth in nestling petrels was among the highest reported for birds (54–72 kJ g-1). Parental effort during the nestling-feeding period was identical in adult Cape and Antarctic petrels (3.5 times basal metabolic rate, BMR), and was somewhat (but not significantly) higher in snow petrels (4.6 times BMR). These values are comparable to those of other high-latitude procellariiform birds. Thus, despite the constraints of a compressed breeding season, cold temperatures and fast-growing nestlings, adult Antarctic fulmarine petrels do not work harder than procellariid adults whose chicks grow much more slowly. Our findings suggest that obtaining sufficient food is generally not a constraint for adult fulmarine petrels and that factors operating at the tissue level limit nestling growth rate.
Origin and Migration of the Alpine Iceman

The Alpine Iceman provides a unique window into the Neolithic-Copper Age of Europe. We compared the radiogenic (strontium and lead) and stable (oxygen and carbon) isotope composition of the Iceman's teeth and bones, as well as 40Ar/39Ar mica ages from his intestine, to local geology and hydrology, and we inferred his habitat and range from childhood to adult life. The Iceman's origin can be restricted to a few valleys within ∼60 kilometers south(east) of the discovery site. His migration during adulthood is indicated by contrasting isotopic compositions of enamel, bones, and intestinal content. This demonstrates that the Alpine valleys of central Europe were permanently inhabited during the terminal Neolithic.
Is Heart Rate Variability Related to Memory Performance in Middle-Aged Men?

Objective: Heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of autonomic function, has been associated with cognitive function, but studies are conflicting. Previous studies have also not controlled for familial and genetic influences. Methods: We performed power spectral analysis on 24-hour ambulatory ECGs in 416 middle-aged male twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. Memory and learning were measured by verbal and visual Selective Reminding Tests (SRTs). Mixed-effect regression models were used to calculate associations between and within twin pairs, while adjusting for covariates. Results: The mean age (standard deviation) was 55 (2.9) years. A statistically significant positive association was found between measures of HRV and verbal, but not visual, SRT scores. The most statistically significant unadjusted association was found between very low frequency HRV and verbal total recall SRT, such that each logarithm of increase in very low frequency was associated with an increased verbal SRT score of 4.85 points (p =.002). The association persisted despite the adjustment for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors, and after accounting for familial and genetic factors by comparing twins within pairs. A significant interaction was found between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and HRV, such that total power and ultra low frequency were associated with SRT in twins (n = 362) without PTSD, but not in those with PTSD. Conclusions: Lower frequency spectra of HRV are associated with verbal, but not visual, learning and memory, particularly in subjects without PTSD. This association may indicate that autonomic c decline.ECG = electrocardiogram; HRV = heart rate variability; SD = standard deviation; SRT = selective reminding test
TUA1 at the NTCIR-13 Actionable Knowledge Graph Task: Sampling Related Actions from Online Searching

This paper details our partition in the Action Mining (AM) subtask of NTCIR-13 Actionable Knowledge Graph (AKG) Task. Our work focuses on sequentially sampling the most related actions for any named entity based on online search results. We propose three criteria, i.e. significance, representativeness, and diverseness, for evaluating the relatedness of candidate actions in the search results. We analyze the quality of sampled actions from different online search strategies. The experiment results suggest that our method is effective for generating a sequence of related actions for named entities.
Switched-Mode Operational Amplifiers and Their Application to Continuous-Time Filters in Nanoscale CMOS

We introduce a new class of feedback amplifiers, called switched-mode operational amplifiers (SMOAs) that address voltage-swing limitations of classical feedback amplifiers in scaled CMOS technologies. By exploiting the increased timing resolution available in scaled CMOS, SMOAs encode analog signal information in the time domain and provide near-rail-to-rail output-signal swing, high output-stage efficiency and better linearity. A 4th-order, 70 MHz continuous-time active-RC Butterworth filter is presented in 65 nm CMOS to demonstrate the advantages of SMOAs. The filter consumes 25.4 mW from a 0.6 V supply and achieves 55.8 dB peak SNDR while operating at a full-scale of 873 mV ppd. Thanks to SMOAs, the full-scale (73% of the 0.6 V supply voltage) and the bandwidth are respectively, a 2.5 × and 6.2 × improvement over other state-of-the-art low-voltage filters.
Re-thinking the theory-practice relationship in nursing: An alternative perspective

Abstract The alleged gap between theory and practice in nursing is usually understood as dissonance between what is taught in educational institutions and that which is performed in the every day world of nursing practice. Historically strategies devised to enhance the relationship between theory and practice have focused upon manipulating factors in the environment in which learning takes place.Thus far, this has at best proved to be only partially successful. To increase understanding of the relationship this paper proposes the emerging and complementary theory of enactivism. Enactivism is a theory that enfolds the student, the context for learning and the learned as intimate components.
An Inducible Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Vector Which Effectively Suppresses HIV-1 Replication

ABSTRACT Recently, gene therapy vectors based upon the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genome have been developed. Here, we create an HIV-1 vector which is defective for all HIV-1 genes, but which maintains cis-acting elements required for efficient packaging, infection, and expression. In T cells transduced by this vector, vector expression is low but efficiently induced following HIV-1 infection. Remarkably, although the HIV-1 vector does not contain specific anti-HIV-1 therapeutic genes, the presence of the vector alone is sufficient to inhibit the spread of HIV-1 infection. The mechanism of inhibition is likely to be at the level of competition for limiting substrates required for either efficient packaging or reverse transcription, thereby selecting against propagation of wild-type HIV-1. These results provide proof of a concept for potential application of a novel HIV-1 vector in HIV-1 disease.
Performance investigation of barometer aided GPS/MEMS-IMU integration

The integration of inertial sensors is a widely-adopted method for covering GPS outages. However, the position accuracy in vertical direction is often challenged in comparison with the one in the horizontal plane. This paper explores the possibility of using MEMS barometer as an augmentation in the GPS/INS integration in land application. A prototype system, composed of a commercial GPS receiver with low-cost MEMS IMU and barometer on a DSP platform, is implemented and described. In addition, the initial investigation of the MEMS barometer is addressed. With the field experiment data collected from a car-driving test in a hilly region, the benefit of barometer aiding is demonstrated.
Covalent labelling of the NADPH: protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase from etioplast membranes with [3H]N-phenylmaleimide.

[3H]N-Phenylmaleimide has been used to covalently label in a specific manner the substrate-protected thiol groups of the enzyme protochlorophyllide reductase. In membrane preparations from oat (Avena sativa) and runner-bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seedlings, two related peptides of mol.wts. 35000/37000 and 34000/35000 respectively and showing properties expected of the reductase have been identified, whereas the same technique with barley (Hordeum vulgare) extracts resulted in labelling a single peptide of mol.wt. 38000. Evidence is presented that both NADPH and protochlorophyllide are required for protection of the essential thiol groups on the reductase in oat extracts, a situation favouring a ternary complex as the structure for the photoactive enzyme--substrates intermediate.
A General Scheme for the Boundary Conditions in Convective and Diffusive Heat Transfer With Immersed Boundary Methods

We describe the implementation of an interpolation technique, which allows the accurate imposition of the Dirichlet, Neumann, and mixed (Robin) boundary conditions on complex geometries using the immersed-boundary technique on Cartesian grids, where the interface effects are transmitted through forcing functions. The scheme is general in that it does not involve any special treatment to handle either one of the three types of boundary conditions. The accuracy of the interpolation algorithm on the boundary is assessed using several two- and three-dimensional heat transfer problems: (1) forced convection over cylinders placed in an unbounded flow, (2) natural convection on a cylinder placed inside a cavity, (3) heat diffusion inside an annulus, and (4) forced convection around a stationary sphere. The results show that the scheme preserves the second-order accuracy of the equations solver and are in agreement with analytical and/or numerical data.
Revisiting Purine-Histidine Cross-Pathway Regulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Because some metabolic intermediates are involved in more than one pathway, crosstalk between pathways is crucial to maintaining homeostasis. AMP and histidine biosynthesis pathways are coregulated at the transcriptional level in response to adenine availability. 5′-Phosphoribosyl-4-carboxamide-5-aminoimidazole (AICAR), a metabolic intermediate at the crossroads between these two pathways, is shown here to be critical for activation of the transcriptional response in the absence of adenine. In this study, we show that both AMP and histidine pathways significantly contribute to AICAR synthesis. Furthermore, we show that upregulation of the histidine pathway clearly interferes with regulation of the AMP pathway, thus providing an explanation for the regulatory crosstalk between these pathways. Finally, we revisit the histidine auxotrophy of ade3 or ade16 ade17 mutants. Interestingly, overexpression of PMU1, encoding a potential phosphomutase, partially suppresses the histidine requirement of an ade3 ade16 ade17 triple mutant, most probably by reducing the level of AICAR in this mutant. Together our data clearly establish that AICAR is not just a metabolic intermediate but also acts as a true regulatory molecule.
The Protein Structure Prediction Problem Approached by a Cascade Differential Evolution Algorithm Using ROSETTA

The Protein Structure Prediction (PSP) is one of the most challenging problems in Bioinformatics. In computationally terms, the PSP is classified as a NP-complete problem. In this way, metaheuristics became very interesting to find good solutions in a plausible processing time. In this work we propose a distinct Differential Evolution approach that mix different mutation mechanisms (DEcascade) to solve the PSP using the backbone side chain torsion angles representation with the ROSETTA energy function. Four proteins are used in the experiments: 1ZDD, 1CRN, 1ENH and 1AIL. To evaluate the proposed approach, two variations of DEcascade are used and compared with singlemutation mechanisms DE and literature work. Both variations showed competitive results when compared with the literature and better energy values than other DE approaches. Also, the population diversity is monitored during the optimization process showing that the diversity balance is a key feature for good solutions.
CHANGE IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

2 "Nicolae Bălcescu" Land Forces Academy, Sibiu Abstract: Organizational culture has a number of effects on the socio-economic results of the organization as an open system on its employees and the management practiced in the organization. Research on organizational culture change are reduced. Therefore, creating a new corporate culture through an important change brought existing organizational culture is a complex and lengthy process.
On stabilization over a Gaussian interference channel

The problem of feedback stabilization of LTI plants over a Gaussian interference channel is considered. Two plants with arbitrary distributed initial states are monitored by two separate sensors which communicate their measurements to two separate controllers over a Gaussian interference channel under average transmit power constraints. The necessary conditions for mean square-stabilization over a memoryless symmetric Gaussian interference channel are derived. These conditions are shown to be tight for some system parameters. Further it is shown that linear memoryless sensing and control schemes are optimal for stabilization in some special cases.
Heavy Tails and Copulas:Topics in Dependence Modelling in Economics and Finance

This book offers a unified approach to the study of crises, large fluctuations, dependence and contagion effects in economics and finance. It covers important topics in statistical modeling and estimation, which combine the notions of copulas and heavy tails — two particularly valuable tools of today's research in economics, finance, econometrics and other fields — in order to provide a new way of thinking about such vital problems as diversification of risk and propagation of crises through financial markets due to contagion phenomena, among others. The aim is to arm today's economists with a toolbox suited for analyzing multivariate data with many outliers and with arbitrary dependence patterns. The methods and topics discussed and used in the book include, in particular, majorization theory, heavy-tailed distributions and copula functions — all applied to study robustness of economic, financial and statistical models, and estimation methods to heavy tails and dependence.
Transcutaneous teflon injection of the paralyzed vocal cord: A new technique

Because of anatomical deformity, trismus, or for other reasons, it may on occasion be impossible to visualize a larynx by the usual laryngoscopy methods. Such difficulties in patients who have paralytic dysphonia may also make it impossible to effect improved vocal cord closure by the usual techniques of Teflon® injection. We have applied a new technique, detailed in this report, to these problem cases.
Risk-Based Coordination of Generation Rescheduling and Load Shedding for Transient Stability Enhancement

This paper presents a risk-based method for coordinating generation rescheduling and load shedding to enhance overall transient stability of power systems. Firstly, a generation rescheduling model that can consider the risk-based dynamic security constraint is proposed, in which some acceptable risk level should be respected and can be adjusted by a risk coordination parameter. For the purpose of considering the potential corrective control costs at the stage of preventive control design, a bi-level coordination optimization model is developed, in which on the upper level the total coordination cost is minimized by the risk coordination parameter adjustment; and on the lower level the generation rescheduling and the load shedding are performed successively to enhance the risk-based dynamic security and the transient stability performance, respectively. Finally, a hybrid method that can combine the Golden Section Search and the Successive Linear Programming is developed to solve the bi-level optimization model. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by using the New England test system and a real power system.
An adaptive method for network delay modification

This paper proposes an adaptive method to modify network delay caused by clock skew. First, we introduce the concept of end-to-end network delay, and then we propose a method which aims at eliminate the effect cause by the difference clock frequency. The method first denoises the data set to remove error points, and then uses Least Square Method to estimate the clock skew in distributed network. Finally, the method modifies the network delay by a modification term according to the clock skew. Our algorithm calculates the the clock skew and updates the data set currently, which adaptively adjusts the modification term. The experimental results show that the method can effectively eliminate the influence of clock skew on network delay, and has good accuracy and robustness.
Types of Bacteria associated with Neonatal Sepsis in Al-Thawra University Hospital, Sana'a, Yemen, and their Antimicrobial Profile.

OBJECTIVES This study was undertaken to investigate the organisms causing sepsis in the Neonatal Unit at Al-Thawra Hospital, Sana'a, Yemen, determine their resistance to antibiotics, and recommend policy for empirical treatment. METHODS A total of 158 neonates having one or more signs of sepsis, and aged from 0 to 28 days, were enrolled in this study. A blood sample was taken from each subject, cultured, and then antibacterial susceptibility tests were performed for isolates. RESULTS 90 (57%) cases yielded positive cultures. Early-onset sepsis showed higher positive culture results (61.7%) than late-onset sepsis (32%). Significant positive culture results were found among the group with birth weight 0.9-2 Kg (78.6%). Gram negative bacteria constituted 97.8% of the total isolates, of which Klebsiella pneumoniae was the predominant pathogen (36.7%), followed by Pseudomonas species (30.0%). The commonest symptoms among the cases were respiratory distress (72.2%), jaundice (62.2%), cyanosis (51.1%), and lethargy (47.8%); the mortality rate was 27.8%. All Gram negative bacterial isolates were sensitive to imipenem and some isolates were sensitive to fourth-generation cephalosporins, but most isolates were highly resistant to the majority of other antibiotics tested. CONCLUSION Gram negative organisms were the most frequent causative agents of bacterial sepsis, which is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in the newborn, and particularly in those of very low birth weight. It can also be concluded that imipenem and fourth-generation cephalosporins can be used for empirical treatment of bacterial sepsis.
Pressure Drops in a Distensible Model of End-to-side Anastomosis in Systemic-to-pulmonary Shunts

The modified Blalock-Taussig shunt is a surgical procedure used as a palliation to treat complex congenital heart defects. It consists of an interposing prosthetic tube between the innominate/subclavian artery and the right pulmonary artery. Previous experience indicates that the pressure drop across the shunt is affected by the pulmonary pressure at the distal anastomosis combined with the distensibility of the anastomosis. In this study, a computational fluid-structure interaction approach is presented to investigate the haemodynamic behaviour. Steady-state fluid dynamics and structural analyses were carried out using commercial codes based on the finite element method (FIDAP and ABAQUS) coupled by means of a purposely-developed procedure to transfer boundary conditions. Both prosthetic tube and artery walls were characterised by non-linear material properties. Three different pulmonary pressures (2, 5 and 15 mmHg) and two volume flow rates (0.4 and 0.8 l/min) were investigated. Results indicate that the effects of distensibility at the distal anastomosis on the shunt pressure drop are relevant only when the distal anastomosis on the shunt pressure drop are relevant only when the distal anastomosis is not fully distended, which occurs when the pulmonary pressure is lower than 5 mmHg.
A wideband fractional-N ring PLL with fractional-spur suppression using spectrally shaped segmentation

Fractional-N PLLs play an important role in both wireless and wireline circuits. Finer timing resolution is needed to reduce the quantization noise in the phase domain. In conventional designs, a phase interpolator (PI) is used to suppress the quantization noise due to its simplicity, but at a cost of gain error and non-linearity. These sub-phase non-idealities result in large fractional spurs [2-5]. Techniques for reducing these spurs include using a PI mismatch and spur-cancellation scheme [2], digital correlation and cancellation [3], use of a successive requantizer with switched loop filter and offset charge-pump [4], and foreground calibration [5]. This paper presents a ring-oscillator based 2MHz bandwidth fractional-N PLL that uses a spectrally shaped segmented-feedback approach to alleviate fractional spurs induced by the PI non-idealities. This approach results in a compact design and, in contrast to previous work, achieves a 26dB spur reduction without need of correlation, cancellation, or calibration methods.
Development of a novel UWB planar antenna using a genetic algorithm

This paper introduces a new design and optimization method of ultra wide band (UWB) printed antenna using a genetic algorithm (GA). The proposed antenna consists of a radiating patch element with an area divided into 2 mm square cells where each cell is allocated by either conducting or nonconducting property. The presented antenna is designed to operate from 2.4 GHz to 9.8 GHz. Numerical results for the return loss, radiation pattern and gain of the antenna are presented and discussed. The introduced antenna was fabricated, and the measured results are in good agreement with the full-wave simulated ones.
Feature Preprocessing with Restricted Boltzmann Machines for Music Similarity Learning

Computational modelling of music similarity constitutes a key element for music information retrieval and recommendation systems. Similarity models and their analysis are also important for research in musicology and music perception. In this study, we test feature preprocessing with Restricted Boltzmann Machines in combination with established methods for learning distance measures. Our experiments show that this preprocessing improves the overall generalisation results of the trained models. We compare the eects of feature preprocessing on distance function learning using gradient ascent and support vector machines. The evaluation is performed using similarity data from the MagnaTagATune dataset, which allows a comparison of our results with previous studies.