Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relation between Source and Temperature Fluctuations in Photoionized Nebulae

The magnitude of the temperature uctuations (t 2 ) required to explain the observed inconsistencies between metallicities inferred from recombination lines and from forbidden lines cannot be attained by steady-state equilibrium photoionization models. If, on the other hand, the nebular ionizing source were variable, the temperature uctuations t 2 would be signican tly larger. We investigate the time-dependent response of the nebular ionization and temperature structure when photoionized by a periodically varying source. We study how the asymptotic mean value, t 2 , behaves as a function of the period or amplitude of the source variability. We nd that the temperature uctuations occur only in the outer section of the nebula, close to the ionization front, within a zone corresponding to 8{20% of the ionized layer’s thickness. We conclude that the amplitude of the exciting star variations required to achieve a t 2 = 0:025 (as in the Orion nebula) is unacceptably large. Source variability is therefore not a viable mechanism to explain the observed values of t 2 . We reach a similar conclusion from studies of the temporal variability resulting from intermittent shadows behind opaque condensations. We nd that photoionized nebulae are on average less massive but somewhat hotter in the case of cyclically variable ionizing sources.
Cationic Liposomes Enhance the Rate of Transduction by a Recombinant Retroviral Vector In Vitro and In Vivo

ABSTRACT Cationic liposomes enhanced the rate of transduction of target cells with retroviral vectors. The greatest effect was seen with the formulation DC-Chol/DOPE, which gave a 20-fold increase in initial transduction rate. This allowed an efficiency of transduction after brief exposure of target cells to virus plus liposome that could be achieved only after extensive exposure to virus alone. Enhancement with DC-Chol/DOPE was optimal when stable virion-liposome complexes were preformed. The transduction rate for complexed virus, as for virus used alone or with the polycation Polybrene, showed first-order dependence on virus concentration. Cationic liposomes, but not Polybrene, were able to mediate envelope-independent transduction, but optimal efficiency required envelope-receptor interaction. When virus complexed with DC-Chol/DOPE was used to transduce human mesothelioma xenografts, transduction was enhanced four- to fivefold compared to that for virus alone. Since the efficacy of gene therapy is dependent on the number of cells modified, which is in turn dependent upon the balance between transduction and biological clearance of the vector, the ability of cationic liposomes to form stable complexes with retroviral vectors and enhance their rate of infection is likely to be important for in vivo application.
Ile-Leu substitution (I415L) in germline E-cadherin gene (CDH1) in Japanese familial gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND Germline mutation in the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin is known to be associated with the development of undifferentiated or diffuse-type familial gastric cancers, but the prevalence of this contribution seems to be low in Japanese familial cases, so far. METHODS We screened all exons of the E-cadherin gene for mutations in 101 Japanese patients having an intense family history of gastric cancers. RESULTS An abnormal band pattern was found in exon 9 in three patients (Y6, B21, B37) from two families by PCR-SSCP. DNA sequencing analysis of these three patients revealed isoleucine-leucine substitution at codon 415 in exon 9. B21 and B37 are siblings and the other three brothers died of gastric cancer and another brother (B36) has not been affected by gastric cancer to date. This case (B36) did not have this alteration in the exon 9 of E-cadherin. CONCLUSION Although the mechanistic basis is not clear, our findings may provide a possibility that this additional missense mutation in germline E-cadherin gene may contribute to gastric cancer predisposition.
Closed form fuzzy interpolation with interval type-2 fuzzy sets

Fuzzy rule interpolation enables fuzzy inference with sparse rule bases by interpolating inference results, and may help to reduce system complexity by removing similar (often redundant) neighbouring rules. In particular, the recently proposed closed form fuzzy interpolation offers a unique approach which guarantees convex interpolated results in a closed form. However, the difficulty in defining the required precise-valued membership functions still poses significant restrictions over the applicability of this approach. Such limitations can be alleviated by employing type-2 fuzzy sets as their membership functions are themselves fuzzy. This paper extends the closed form fuzzy rule interpolation using interval type-2 fuzzy sets. In this way, as illustrated in the experiments, closed form fuzzy interpolation is able to deal with uncertainty in data and knowledge with more flexibility.
Finite state machine based arbiter for on chip communication architecture

Advanced Microcontroller Bus Architecture (AMBA) is an on-chip bus for SOC design. The role of the arbiter of AMBA system is to control which master has access to the bus. Arbiter is an authority to use the shared resource effectively, so performance also depends on arbitration techniques. This research proposes FSM (finite state machine) for bus arbiter. Proposed FSM is for time based priority arbiter. Bus arbiter ensures that only one bus master will get the grant at a time to initiate data transfers. In priority based arbiter, master has the highest priority will grant to access the bus again and again. Other masters with lower priority will never get the grant to the bus. Time based priority arbiter solves the problem of granting the signal for a bus and avoids the grant of bus to the highest priority all the time if it is always requesting. It also removes of bus starvation problem. Proposed arbiter can be used in any kind of AMBA protocol whenever the arbitration is required. Time based priority arbiter is modelled in Verilog HDL. Various simulation results of arbitration schemes are presented here and validated on Xilinx 13.4, Spartan 6 FPGA platform.
A Bee Colony based Multi-Objective Load Balancing Technique for Cloud Computing Environment

With the recent development of open cloud systems a surge in outsourcing assignments from an internal server to a cloud supplier has been seen. The Cloud can facilitate its clients enormous resources hence even during heavy load conditions. Since the cloud needed to be handle multiple clients workload at same time and each client may have different resource requirements hence choosing proper resources for given workload in such a system, in any case, is a difficult problem. This paper addresses this streamlining issue in a cloud system with different client’s priority groups and resource requirements and proposes a bee colony based MultiObjective load balancing technique, to attain efficient load scheduling over virtual machines under cloud. The proposed algorithm assigns the workload on the virtual machines in such a way that it minimizes the total processing cost in cloud without sacrificing priority of tasks and load management performance. General Terms Cloud Computing, Load Balancing.
A Cascade Hash Design of Bloom Filter for Signature Detection

In this paper, we propose an efficient data structure called Cascade Hash Bloom Filter (CHBF) and the corresponding algorithms. In the programming stage of CHBF, the hash results of the first clusters of hash functions in primary Bloom Filter (PBF) will be connected as a mirror image of the inserted signature. This mirror image will be hashed into another bloom filter like array. And in CHBF, it is not necessary to store all the actual signatures. Thus, with the mirror image information we get from the PBF, we are then able to reduce the false positive rate dramatically. We can also reduce the total consumption of memory involved in the membership query. Through theoretical analysis and experiments we show that the Cascade Hash Bloom Filter is significantly efficient for practical purposes than the Extended Bloom Filter and improved Extended Bloom Filter.
Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of metastasis-associated protein 1 expression and its correlation with angiogenesis in lung invasive adenocarcinomas, based on the 2011 IASLC/ATS/ERS classification

Based on previous findings regarding the angiogenic activities and prognostic roles of metastasis-associated protein 1 (MTA1) in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of MTA1 protein expression, and its correlation with angiogenesis in lung invasive adenocarcinoma, were further assessed in the present study, according to the 2011 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society classification. High protein expression levels of MTA1 were commonly observed in patients with lung invasive adenocarcinoma, and were significantly correlated with tumor size (P=0.030), lymph node metastasis (P=0.021) and microvessel density (P=0.015). Survival analysis demonstrated that patients with high protein expression levels of MTA1 exhibited significantly shorter five-year disease-free and overall survival than those patients whose protein expression levels of MTA1 were low (24.5% vs. 48.7%, P=0.001, and 34.7% vs. 59.2%, P=0.005, respectively). In addition, Cox regression multivariate analysis demonstrated that high protein expression levels of MTA1 significantly correlated with unfavorable five-year disease-free survival (P=0.024). These findings indicate that MTA1 protein expression may possess clinical potential as an indicator of progressive phenotype. Therefore, MTA1 is a promising prognostic predictor to identify subgroups of patients with high risk of relapse, and a potentially novel therapeutic target for antiangiogenesis in patients with lung invasive adenocarcinoma.
Evolution of the space-charge layer during electrochemical deposition with convection.

We study the effect of convection on the concentration profiles in electrolytic cells during electrochemical deposition without a supporting electrolyte. We give theoretical evidence that convection decreases the size of the space charge on the cathodic side during fast electrochemical deposition. This effect may provide a limiting amplitude of the convective motion.
The Social Sources of the Health Gradient: A Cross-National Analysis

The relationship between health and social class is firmly established but theoretical understanding of its determinants is not well advanced. Existing approaches have limitations and their propositions are rarely tested against each other. We outline a new approach to the problem that links class-based inequalities in health to imbalances between life challenges and people’s capabilities for coping with them and locates the sources of those capabilities in multiple dimensions of the social and economic relations constitutive of class. We assess the support for this approach and the relative impact of material, social and cultural factors in a statistical analysis of individual-level data from nineteen developed democracies.
Psychosocial work environment and ambulatory blood pressure: independent and combined effect of demand-control and effort-reward imbalance models

Background Two main theoretical models have been used to assess the impact of psychosocial work factors on blood pressure (BP): the demand-control model (DC) and the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model. Little is known about their independent and combined effect. Objective To examine the independent and combined effect of the DC and ERI models on ambulatory BP (ABP). Method Data were collected three times over 7 years from 3395 white-collar women and men using a repeated cross-sectional design. On each occasion, psychosocial work factors were measured using validated scales. ABP was measured every 15 min during a working day. Systolic and diastolic ABP means were examined in relation to contemporaneous and past exposure. Both models were mutually adjusted. A combined exposure variable was computed. Results In men, high strain, and active, passive and ERI exposure were associated with ABP using contemporaneous exposure. However, the high strain/ABP association was not significant after adjustment for ERI. In women, no association was found with the DC model, while women exposed to ERI had higher ABP. Use of past exposure showed a stronger association between ABP and active exposure in men, while ERI associations were attenuated. Combined exposure to active jobs and to ERI was associated with ABP in both genders. Conclusions In men, associations with the DC model were mixed. Associations between high job strain and ABP were not independent of ERI exposure while both DC intermediate groups were independently associated with ABP. In women, no association was found with the DC model. ERI exposure was independently associated with ABP using contemporaneous exposure, but not using past exposure. Combined active and ERI exposure was also associated with ABP.
Formal Verification of SystemC Designs using the BLAST Software Model Checker

SystemC is widely used in hardware/software codesign. Although it is also used for the design of safety-critical applications, existing formal verification techniques for SystemC are still hardly used in industrial practice. The main reasons for this are scalability issues, the lacking support for many practically relevant SystemC language constructs, and that counter-examples are not always easy to use for debugging. In this paper, we present an approach for the formal verification of SystemC designs using the BLAST model checker. The main advantages of our approach are: First, we enable a fully automatic verification of SystemC designs that makes use of counter-example guided abstraction refinement. Second, we support a large subset of SystemC, including pointers, arrays, and structs. Third, we ease debugging by keeping the structure of the design transparent to the designer. We demonstrate the applicability of our approach with experimental results from an Anti-Slip Regulation and Anti-Lock Braking system.
A Systematic Review of Literature on Clinical Legal Education: A Tool for Researchers in Responding to an Explosion of Clinical Scholarship

Identifying where my research, on influential factors to consider in the establishment and sustainability of clinical legal education programmes, fitted within the existing clinical scholarship was by no means an easy task hence the decision to undertake a systematic review of literature. The current explosion of clinical scholarship seem to have been influenced by Jerome Frank’s call for reform in legal education when in 1933, he asked “Why not a Clinical-Lawyer School? ” (Frank, 1933) A constant construction of clinical scholarship is critical in understanding many of the facets of clinical legal education so as to sustain clinical programmes and foster new ones. Yet a ‘boom’ in literature scares the life out of many a scholar and novice researchers when attempting to find articles that specifically answer research questions. This paper therefore offers guidance in conducting a systematic literature review on clinical legal education through the use of a Grounded Theory methodology. Through a five- stage process that involved the formulation of a research question and protocol; the use of systematic methods to identify, select and critically appraise relevant journal articles, this paper outlines each formal methodological step in identifying and selecting journal articles for inclusion in answering the following research question: [What factors are influential in the establishment and sustainability of clinical legal education programmes in Zimbabwe? ] . The numbers of selected articles were presented in a PRISMA flow diagram. A final selection of 91 journal articles was juxtaposed; integrated and tabulated to produce an overarching explanation which attempts to account for the range of findings (Mays et al., 2005a) of the review. Through the process of synthesis, I endeavoured to contribute significant added value to my review through an examination of the composite evidence base for similarities of the articles, whether related to the homogeneity or indeed their relatedness of findings. The type of epistemology I favour for my research has also been influenced (Carter and Little, 2007) partly by the methods and findings undertaken in this review. The paper concludes by suggesting that a systematic review method, rather than a narrative review, should be a researcher’s tool in responding to an explosion of clinical scholarship. Keywords – Boolean logic; Boolean operators; database selection; record keeping; clinical legal education; systematic review of literature; narrative review; Zimbabwe
Short-Term Load Forecasting with Neural Network Ensembles: A Comparative Study [Application Notes]

Load Forecasting plays a critical role in the management, scheduling and dispatching operations in power systems, and it concerns the prediction of energy demand in different time spans. In future electric grids, to achieve a greater control and flexibility than in actual electric grids, a reliable forecasting of load demand could help to avoid dispatch problems given by unexpected loads, and give vital information to make decisions on energy generation and purchase, especially market-based dynamic pricing strategies. Furthermore, accurate prediction would have a significant impact on operation management, e.g. preventing overloading and allowing an efficient energy storage.
Sequence and transmembrane topology of MEC-4, an ion channel subunit required for mechanotransduction in Caenorhabditis elegans

The process by which mechanical stimuli are converted into cellular responses is poorly understood, in part because key molecules in this mode of signal transduction, the mechanically gated ion channels, have eluded cloning efforts. The Caenorhabditis elegans mec-4 gene encodes a subunit of a candidate mechanosensitive ion channel that plays a critical role in touch reception. Comparative sequence analysis of C. elegans and Caenorhabditis briggsae mec-4 genes was used to initiate molecular studies that establish MEC-4 as a 768-amino acid protein that includes two hydrophobic domains theoretically capable of spanning a lipid bilayer. Immunoprecipitation of in vitro translated mec-4 protein with domain-specific anti-MEC-4 antibodies and in vivo characterization of a series of mec-4lacZ fusion proteins both support the hypothesis that MEC-4 crosses the membrane twice. The MEC-4 amino- and carboxy- terminal domains are situated in the cytoplasm and a large domain, which includes three Cys-rich regions, is extracellular. Definition of transmembrane topology defines regions that might interact with the extracellular matrix or cytoskeleton to mediate mechanical signaling.
Increased free malondialdehyde concentrations in smokers normalise with a mixed fruit and vegetable juice concentrate: a pilot study

Abstract Background: Cigarette smoking, a cardiovascular risk factor leading to oxygen free radical formation, is involved in the development of serious pathological conditions. On the other hand, a healthy diet and adequate supplementation can help prevent many diseases. The aim of our study was to evaluate in healthy light smokers the effects of supplementation with mixed fruit and vegetable juice powder concentrate on homocysteine metabolism and oxidative status. Methods: In this pilot study, 32 healthy volunteers, 16 light smokers and 16 non-smokers, on twice daily supplementation were monitored at time zero and after 30days. Plasma homocysteine, and serum vitamin B12 and folate concentrations were measured by immunoenzymatic assays; reactive oxygen species, total antioxidant capacity and thiol groups by spectrophotometric methods; and total and free malondialdehyde concentrations by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with isotopic dilution. Results: Baseline free malondialdehyde concentrations were significantly higher in smokers than in non-smokers and normalised after 30-day supplementation. Baseline results for all the other parameters remained unchanged after supplementation, with no significant differences between smokers and non-smokers. Conclusion: This is the first study showing a significant decrease in free malondialdehyde levels in light smokers after 1-month phytonutrient supplementation.
Adaptive Output Feedback Control for Nonlinear Time-Delay Systems by Fuzzy Approximation Approach

In this paper, the problem of adaptive fuzzy tracking control via output feedback for a class of uncertain single-input single-output (SISO) strict-feedback nonlinear systems with unknown time-delay functions is investigated. Dynamic surface control technique is used to avoid the problem of “explosion of complexity,” which is caused by repeated differentiation of certain nonlinear functions in the backstepping design process. In addition, the fuzzy logic systems are utilized to approximate the unknown and desired control input signals directly instead of the unknown nonlinear functions. The designed controller can guarantee all the signals in the closed-loop system to be semiglobally uniformly ultimately bounded and the tracking error to converge to a small neighborhood of the origin. Simulations results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Interactive Visualization for Linguistic Structure

We provide a visualization library and web interface for interactively exploring a parse tree or a forest of parses. The library is not tied to any particular linguistic representation, but provides a general-purpose API for the interactive exploration of hierarchical linguistic structure. To facilitate rapid understanding of a complex structure, the API offers several important features, including expand/collapse functionality, positional and color cues, explicit visual support for sequential structure, and dynamic highlighting to convey node-to-text correspondence.
WNT5A promotes stemness characteristics in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells leading to metastasis and tumorigenesis

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has the highest metastasis rate among head and neck cancers with unclear mechanism. WNT5A belongs to the WNT family of cysteine-rich secreted glycoproteins. Our previous high-throughput gene expression profiling revealed that WNT5A was up-regulated in highly metastatic cells. In the present study, we first confirmed the elevated expression of WNT5A in metastatic NPC tissues at both the mRNA and protein levels. We then found that WNT5A promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in NPC cells, induced the accumulation of CD24-CD44+ cells and side population, which are believed to be cancer stem cell characteristics. Moreover, WNT5A promoted the migration and invasion of NPC cells in vitro, while in vivo treatment with recombinant WNT5A promoted lung metastasis. Knocking down WNT5A diminished NPC tumorigenesis in vivo. When elevated expression of WNT5A coincided with the elevated expression of vimentin in the primary NPC, the patients had a poorer prognosis. Among major signaling pathways, protein kinase C (PKC) signaling was activated by WNT5A in NPC cells. A positive feedback loop between WNT5A and phospho-PKC to promote EMT was also revealed. Taken together, these data suggest that WNT5A is an important molecule in promoting stem cell characteristics in NPC, leading to tumorigenesis and metastasis.