Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Diversity and Structure of Natural Quercus variabilis Population in China as Revealed by Microsatellites Markers

Quercus variabilis is a tree species of ecological and economic value that is widely distributed in China. To effectively evaluate, use, and conserve resources, we applied 25 pairs of simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers to study its genetic diversity and genetic structure in 19 natural forest or natural secondary forest populations of Q. variabilis (a total of 879 samples). A total of 277 alleles were detected. Overall, the average expected heterozygosity (He) was 0.707 and average allelic richness (AR) was 7.79. Q. variabilis manifested a loss of heterozygosity, and the mean of inbreeding coefficient (FIS) was 0.044. Less differentiation among populations was observed, and the genetic differentiation coefficient (FST) was 0.063. Bayesian clustering analysis indicated that the 19 studied populations could be divided into three groups based on their genetic makeup, namely, the Southwest group, Central group, and Northeastern group. The Central group, compared to the populations of the Southwest and Northeast group, showed higher genetic diversities and lower genetic differentiations. As a widely distributed species, the historical migration of Q. variabilis contributed to its genetic differentiation.
Low-cost RF and microwave source design using substrate integrated waveguide technique

This work presents a novel approach to designing low-cost RF and microwave power source using substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) components. The proposed example involves two oscillators and a power combiner. The oscillators are designed and constructed on the basis of an SIW resonant cavity to obtain a high Q factor. An inter-injection-locked topology is used to interconnect the oscillators and provide an in-phase that can improve the overall performance. The power combiner is constructed with the SIW scheme, thus allowing the system to reduce loss inherent to the transition between components, and also decrease the manufacturing cost. Design considerations and experimental results are presented.
EXACT DISTRIBUTION OF COOK S DISTANCE AND IDENTIFICATION OF INFLUENTIAL OBSERVATIONS

Dr. G.S. David Sam Jayakumar, Assistant Professor, Jamal Institute of Management, Tiruchirappalli 620 020, India, E-mail:samjaya77@gmail.com A.Sulthan, Research scholar, Jamal Institute of Management, Tiruchirappalli 620 020, India, E-mail: Sulthan90@gmail.com Abstract: This paper proposed the exact distribution of Cook’s distance used to evaluate the influential observations in multiple linear regression analysis. The authors adopted the relationship proposed by Weisberg (1980), Belsey et al. (1980) and showed the derived density function of the cook’s distance in terms of the series expression form. Moreover, the first two moments of the distribution are derived and the authors computed the critical points of Cook’s distance at 5 % and 1 % significance level for different sample sizes based on no.of predictors. Finally, the numerical example shows the identification of the influential observations and the results extracted from the proposed approach is more scientific, systematic and it’s exactness outperforms the traditional rule of thumb approach.
Visual motion response properties of neurons in dorsolateral pontine nucleus of alert monkey.

1. In this study we sought to characterize the visual motion processing that exists in the dorsolateral pontine nucleus (DLPN) and make a comparison with the reported visual responses of the middle temporal (MT) and medial superior temporal (MST) areas of the monkey cerebral cortex. The DLPN is implicated as a component of the visuomotor interface involved with the regulation of smooth-pursuit eye movements, because it is a major terminus for afferents from MT and MST and also the source of efferents to cerebellar regions involved with eye-movement control. 2. Some DLPN cells were preferentially responsive to discrete (spot and bar) visual stimuli, or to large-field, random-dot pattern motion, or to both discrete and large-field visual motion. The results suggest differential input from localized regions of MT and MST. 3. The visual-motion responses of DLPN neurons were direction selective for 86% of the discrete visual responses and 95% of the large-field responses. Direction tuning bandwidths (full-width at 50% maximum response amplitude) averaged 107 degrees and 120 degrees for discrete and large-field visual motion responses, respectively. For the two visual response types, the direction index averaged 0.95 and 1.02, indicating that responses to stimuli moving in preferred directions were, on average, 20 and 50 times greater than responses to discrete or large-field stimulus movement in the opposite directions, respectively. 4. Most of the DLPN visual responses to movements of discrete visual stimuli exhibited increases in amplitude up to preferred retinal image speeds between 20 and 80 degrees/s, with an average preferred speed of 39 degrees/s. At higher speeds, the response amplitude of most units decreased, although a few units exhibited a broad saturation in response amplitude that was maintained up to at least 150 degrees/s before the response decreased. Over the range of speeds up to the preferred speeds, the sensitivity of DLPN neurons to discrete stimulus-related, retinal-image speed averaged 3.0 spikes/s per deg/s. The responses to large-field visual motion were less sensitive to retinal image speed and exhibited an average sensitivity of 1.4 spikes/s per deg/s before the visual response saturated. 5. DLPN and MT were quantitatively comparable with respect to degree of direction selectivity, retinal image speed tuning, and distribution of preferred speeds. Many DLPN receptive fields contained the fovea and were larger than those of MT and more like MST receptive fields in size. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Analog computer analysis of dispersion of indicator in the circulation.

The dispersion of indicator in flowing liquids has been observed to occur in a more or less random fashion; there is, for the indicator, some frequency distribution of tranversal times about the mean time of traversal between any two points. In oil pipe lines1 and in aqueous solutions in tubes of various sizes2 the frequency distributions were found to be distinctly different from what would be expected for laminar flow. In general they were very similar to normal density functions (Gaussian distribution). Sheppard3 used a one-dimensional random walk equation to describe the dispersion of indicator in artificial systems but found that this model did not predict the dispersion that occurs in the circulation. The mathematical model presented here describes circulatory dispersion as two probability processes: 1) a random distribution of transit times about some average value (tc); and 2) a single washout process with a time constant, τ. This is expressed as: C(t)=mi∕Qσ2πe−1∕2(t−tc∕σ)2−τdC(t)dt (1) where C(t) is the concentration of the indicator at time t and σ is the standard deviation of the randomizing process. The boundary condition is C(0) = 0. mi = amount of indicator injected (mg.); Q = flow (liter/sec); therefor, mi/Q is the area of the curve. The randomizing process might be considered to represent the effects of turbulence and of the pulsations in flow velocity which may range from forward velocities of approximately 10 to 60 cm. per second during each cardiac cycle in the aorta. The exponential process can represent washout from a ventricular mixing chamber and, perhaps, similar phenomena in eddies at branches in the arterial tree. There are two approaches that can be used to test the applicabiliy of the model. In the first approach, it is assumed that the injection of indicator is instantaneous, that the indicator labels a thin cross-section of the stream at the site of injection, and that the distortion caused by the sampling system can be ignored. With this approach, the parameters of the model are successively modified until an optimal match is obtained between the recorded curve and the model solution. This approach is more meaningful if the recorder curve is first corrected for distortion due to the sampling system. Recording indicator dilution curves, via identical sampling systems at the input and output of the segment under study, is the best approach. It is then possible to determine the dispersion process which distorts the upstream curve to the form of the downstream curve.
Marked stimulation of cell adhesion and motility by ladsin, a laminin-like scatter factor.

Ladsin is a large cell-adhesive protein with potent cell-scattering activity, which was recently identified in the culture of a malignant human gastric carcinoma cell line [Miyazaki, K. et al. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 11767-11771]. It is a heterotrimeric protein, containing a 140-kDa subunit similar or identical to the laminin B2t chain. Ladsin is similar to the keratinocyte-derived matrix proteins, "epiligrin" and "kalinin. " In the present study, the cell-adhesion and cell-migration activities of ladsin were examined in comparison with those of three cell adhesion proteins, laminin, fibronectin, and vitronectin. Ladsin showed high cell-adhesion activity toward rat liver cell line BRL at concentrations 4-20-times lower than in the case of the other three proteins. In a monolayer culture, ladsin stimulated the migration of BRL cells about 2-times more strongly than the others, as compared at the minimal concentrations required for the maximal cell-adhesion activity. In Boyden chambers, ladsin stimulated both the chemotactic and chemokinetic migration of BRL cells. When the effect of anti-integrin antibodies on the adhesion of human fibrosarcoma cell line HT1080 was examined, the adhesion to ladsin was effectively inhibited by both the anti-integrin alpha 3 and beta 1 antibodies, but not the anti-integrin alpha 6 antibody, indicating that the primary receptor of ladsin is integrin alpha 3 beta 1. These results demonstrate that ladsin is a unique extracellular matrix component which may play a major role in cell migration.
Quantitative structure–activity relationship analysis of 2,3-diaryl indoles as selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors

Quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) studies have been performed on a combined series of 2-sulfonylphenyl-3-phenyl-indoles and 2-phenyl-3-sulfonylphenyl-indoles with a common 2,3 vicinal diaryl indole scaffold, recently reported as selective COX-2 inhibitors. This study is aimed to throw light on this, special class of diaryl heterocyclic family of selective COX-2 inhibitors. A preliminary Fujita-Ban analysis on 32 compounds provided valuable insights about the role of different substituents R1 and R2 around the 2,3 vicinal diaryl rings and R3, at position-5 of the central indole moiety in explaining their in vitro COX-2 inhibitory activity. The contribution of R1, R2, R3 towards COX-2 inhibitory activity resulted in statistically significant linear multiple regression equation with r = 0.942, r2 = 0.888, s = 0.532 and F = 7.92, q2 = 0.516 for 29 compounds. Fujita-Ban model shows a negative contribution of SO2NH2 and SO2CH3 at the R1 position; a negative contribution of 4-Cl, 2-Cl, 3-Cl, 3-CH3, 4-SO2CH3, 4-Br and a positive contribution of 4-OCH3, 4-CH3 substituents at the R2 position. At the R3 position a negative contribution of F, Br and a positive contribution of Cl, CH3 is encountered. In the light of our preliminary investigation that electron donating groups at the para position of R2 are conducive for COX-2 inhibitory activity from the Fujita-Ban model, we attempted to correlate the COX-2 inhibitory activity with quantum chemical descriptors of semi-empirical AM1 optimized geometries of the title compounds. Correlation analysis showed the molecular electronic descriptor, MOPAC total energy as crucial in governing COX-2 inhibitory activity of all the reported 41 compounds.
Growth Hormone Normalizes Renal 1,25‐Dihydroxyvitamin D3‐24‐Hydroxylase Gene Expression but Not Na+‐Phosphate Cotransporter (Npt2) mRNA in Phosphate‐Deprived Hyp Mice

The murine X‐linked Hyp mutation is characterized by decreased renal expression of type II Na+‐phosphate (Pi) cotransporter (Npt2) mRNA and an abnormal vitamin D response to Pi deprivation. The latter is manifest by an aberrant fall in serum 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D) levels that is associated with an increase in renal 1,25(OH)2D‐24‐hydroxylase (24‐hydroxylase), the first enzyme in the C‐24 oxidation pathway. Because growth hormone (GH) enhances renal Na+‐Pi cotransport and permits the adaptive 1,25(OH)2D response in Pi‐deprived hypophysectomized rats, we examined the effects of GH on vitamin D metabolism and renal Npt2 mRNA abundance in Hyp mice fed control and low Pi diets. GH significantly decreased renal 24‐hydroxylase activity (0.202 ± 0.020 to 0.098 ± 0.008 pmol/mg of protein/minute, p < 0.05) and mRNA abundance, relative to β‐actin mRNA (299 ± 13 to 78 ± 14, p < 0.05), in Hyp mice fed the low Pi diet but had no effect on either parameter in mutants fed the control diet. Moreover, after GH treatment, renal 24‐hydroxylase gene expression was no longer elevated in Pi‐deprived Hyp mice relative to mutants fed control diet. In contrast, GH did not correct the serum concentration of 1,25(OH)2D in Pi‐deprived Hyp mice. We also demonstrate that GH did not normalize renal Npt2 mRNA expression, relative to β‐actin mRNA, in Hyp mice fed either control or low Pi diets. The present data demonstrate that normalization of renal 24‐hydroxylase gene expression in Pi‐deprived Hyp mice by GH is not sufficient to correct the serum concentration of 1,25(OH)2D and is not associated with an alteration in renal Npt2 mRNA expression.
Phenotypic and cytogenetic characteristics of a new epstein‐barr virus negative cell line (SKW 4) derived from A B‐Cell lymphoma

A new Epstein‐Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA) negative cell line SKW 4 has been established in vitro from a patient with diffuse histiocytic lymphoma. The SKW 4 seems to be an authentic human tumour cell line as evidenced by its EBV negativity, monoclonality and aneuploidy tested during early in vitro passage. The cell line expresses surface μ and kk‐chains, HLA‐DR antigen, C3 and Fc receptors and B‐cell lineage antigens. The karyotypic analyses demonstrated many numerical and structural aberrations. No Burkitt lymphoma associated translocations (t8;14, t2;8, t;22) were detected, but most of the markers found are those commonly associated with various types of human cancer. The SKW 4 thus represents the most common type of ‘histiocytic lymphoma’, that with a B‐lymphoid cell phenotype, but is unique among HL derived lymphoma lines in its strong expression of a Helix pomatia A agglutinin binding surface glycoprotein of an apparent molecular weight of 75 000 daltons.
Contiguous organization of nitrogenase genes in a heterocystous cyanobacterium.

The organization of the three structural nitrogen fixation (nif) genes that encode nitrogenase (nif K and nif D) and nitrogenase reductase (nif H) have been examined in a number of cyanobacteria. Hybridization of Anabaena 7120 nif gene probes to restriction endonuclease-digested genomic DNA has shown (a) that cyanobacteria incapable of N(2) fixation have no regions of DNA with significant homology to the three nif probes, (b) that Pseudanabaena sp. , a nonheterocystous cyanobacterium, has a contiguous nif KDH gene cluster, and (c) that in contrast with other heterocystous cyanobacteria, Fischerella sp. has a contiguous nif KDH gene cluster.
Feasibility of dual-frequency conductivity imaging using MREIT and MREPT

Magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) and magnetic resonance electrical property tomography (MREPT) are new medical imaging modalities capable of visualizing distributions of electrical properties inside an electrically conducting object such as the human body. MREIT provides conductivity images at frequencies below a few kHz by processing MR phase images subject to externally injected currents, while MREPT provides both conductivity and permittivity images at the Larmor frequency (128 MHz at 3 T) by processing B1 maps. In this paper, we present experimental results of both MREIT and MREPT and highlight their distinct features in probing and visualizing the same object.
Marketization in Long-Term Care: A Cross-Country Comparison of Large For-Profit Nursing Home Chains

This article presents cross-country comparisons of trends in for-profit nursing home chains in Canada, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States. Using public and private industry reports, the study describes ownership, corporate strategies, costs, and quality of the 5 largest for-profit chains in each country. The findings show that large for-profit nursing home chains are increasingly owned by private equity investors, have had many ownership changes over time, and have complex organizational structures. Large for-profit nursing home chains increasingly dominate the market and their strategies include the separation of property from operations, diversification, the expansion to many locations, and the use of tax havens. Generally, the chains have large revenues with high profit margins with some documented quality problems. The lack of adequate public information about the ownership, costs, and quality of services provided by nursing home chains is problematic in all the countries. The marketization of nursing home care poses new challenges to governments in collecting and reporting information to control costs as well as to ensure quality and public accountability.
Cerebral Source Localization Paradigms - Spatiotemporal Source Modeling

Spatiotemporal source modeling (STSM) attempts to interpret multichannel scalp recordings in terms of their contributing brain areas. Localization accuracy is generally limited by spatially correlated residual noise and by modeling simplifications. For signals emanating simultaneously from several sources, however, correct interpretation of the source structure is the prime concern. The discussion of various STSM methods emphasizes this validity issue. Methods are proposed for systematic search of alternate source models also consistent with the data, in order to prevent unwarranted conclusions, and for combining information from different montages and from data variability across trials to impose severe objective criteria for consistency of a source model with the data.
Fractionated Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Large Brain Metastases

Objectives:Large brain metastases (>3 cm) present a therapeutic dilemma, as the dose delivered by stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in a single fraction is limited by toxicity to adjacent tissues, resulting in suboptimal local control. This study assessed the efficacy and safety of fractionated SRS for the treatment of large brain metastases. Materials and Methods:We identified 36 patients with 37 brain metastases treated with fractionated SRS. The median SRS dose was 24 Gy (range, 12 to 27 Gy) in 2 to 5 fractions and the median treatment volume was 15.6 mL (range, 10 to 82.7 mL). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate local control and overall survival rates. Results:Of the 21 lesions with available radiographic follow-up, 6 lesions (29%) had a documented local failure, yielding an actuarial progression-free survival at 6 and 12 months of 73% and 63%, respectively. The actuarial 6-month and 1-year overall survival rates were 22% and 13%, respectively. No patients in this cohort experienced acute or late complications secondary to SRS. Conclusions:Fractionated SRS is feasible and safe in patients with large brain metastases. Local control rates appear to be improved when compared with that of single fraction SRS with a relative paucity of treatment-related toxicity.
Characteristics of the Boundary Model in the 2-D NS-FDTD Method

This paper investigates the representation of the dielectric boundary and the absorbing boundary conditions (ABC) that are major concerns in the nonstandard FDTD (NS-FDTD) method. The effective permittivity model of the dielectric boundary is examined and it is found that its accuracy decreases when the boundary coincides with a node. To overcome this difficulty, we propose an alternative, highly accurate boundary model based on an analytic boundary condition. The accuracy of Berenger's split-field perfectly matched layer (PML) as an ABC is also demonstrated for the NS-FDTD algorithm.
Z-MAC: A Hybrid MAC for Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper presents the design, implementation and performance evaluation of a hybrid MAC protocol, called Z-MAC, for wireless sensor networks that combines the strengths of TDMA and CSMA while offsetting their weaknesses. Like CSMA, Z-MAC achieves high channel utilization and low latency under low contention and like TDMA, achieves high channel utilization under high contention and reduces collision among two-hop neighbors at a low cost. A distinctive feature of Z-MAC is that its performance is robust to synchronization errors, slot assignment failures, and time-varying channel conditions; in the worst case, its performance always falls back to that of CSMA. Z-MAC is implemented in TinyOS.
Dual-circular polarised patch antenna array on LCP for 60 GHz millimetre-wave identification

This paper presents a design of a dual-beam circular polarised patch antenna array operating at the 60 GHz frequency band. The circular polarisation is achieved by using circular-polarised patch antenna elements and sequential rotation technique to construct a four-element array. Two separate feed networks are implemented to excite the left- and right-handed circular polarisations. One of the feed networks produces a normal beam whereas the other excites a beam with a notch in the broadside direction. The two beams can be used for direction finding of tags in millimetre-wave identification applications. The antenna array is designed and manufactured on a multilayered liquid crystal polymer substrate and the design is validated through S-parameter and radiation pattern measurements.
Robust Design of Mixing Static and Dynamic Multiple Quality Characteristics

Increased market competition means that quality, cost and delivery time are crucial elements of modern production techniques. Taguchi’s robust design is the most powerful method available for reducing product cost, improving quality, and simultaneously reducing development time. Robust design aims to reduce the impact of noise on the product or process quality and leads to greater customer satisfaction and higher operational performance. The objective of robust design is to minimize the total quality loss in products or processes. The PQL model proposed by this paper simultaneously optimizes the static and dynamic problems by minimizing the total quality loss. Using the proposed PQL model and steps for optimization, the method addresses complex parameter design, which varies with the properties and objectives of the experimental data, to improve the product quality. The example of an electron beam surface hardening process is provided to demonstrate the implementation and usefulness of the proposed method.
Genome Analysis Regulatory Network Identification by Genetical Genomics : Signaling Downstream of the Arabidopsis Receptor-Like Kinase ERECTA 1 [ W ] [ OA ]

Plant-Microbe Interactions (I.R.T., G.V.d.A.) and Plant Ecophysiology (L.B.S., A.J.M.P.), Institute of Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands; Laboratory of Genetics and Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands (J.J.B.K.); and Centre for Biosystems Genomics, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands (J.J.B.K.)