Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Field study and source attribution for PM2.5 and PM10 with resulting reduction in concentrations in the neighborhood north of the Houston Ship Channel based on voluntary efforts

When annual average PM2.5 (fine particulate matter sized 2.5 microns and less) data for 2005 became available in April 2006 and the 3-yr average PM2.5 concentration in an area just north of the Houston Ship Channel reached 15.0 µg/m3, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) initiated daily collection of quartz fiber as well as Teflon PM2.5 filter samples for chemical speciation analysis. The purpose of the chemical speciation analysis was to use the speciation data, together with meteorological data and hourly TEOM (tapered element oscillating microbalance) PM2.5 mass data, to identify the causes of the high PM2.5 concentrations affecting the monitoring site and the neighborhood. The ultimate purpose was to target emission reduction efforts to sources contributing to the high measured PM2.5 concentrations. After a year of data collection, it was recognized that a specific source, unpaved driveways and loading areas along the Ship Channel and dirt tracked onto Clinton Drive, the main artery running east-west north of the Ship Channel, were the primary cause for the Clinton Drive site's measuring PM2.5 concentrations significantly higher than other sites in Houston. The source characterization and remediation steps that have led to sustained reduced concentrations are described in this paper. Implications: With PM2.5 exceedances it can be essential to have or develop chemical speciation data as part of the process of identifying the source types causing exceedances of an annual standard. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis proved to be a powerful tool that identified the two locally emitted species contributing to exceedances, which did not occur at other sites in the region. They were calcium sulfate (gypsum), an industrial by-product, and soil minerals. Other data analysis approaches were necessary to distinguish North African dust events, which PMF failed to identify.
Politics of Active Representation: The Trade-off Between Organizational Role and Active Representation

The translation of passive into active representation assumes that bureaucrats are willing to serve the interest of their social group when developing and implementing policies. However, the assumption does not account for organizational socialization—the process of being taught what is important in an organization. In addition, there is a comparative paucity of theoretical and conceptual frameworks to explain why and how bureaucrats decide to become active representatives. In this study, I develop a framework for analyzing the decision to engage in active representation. The framework recognizes that active representation conflicts with organizational role and is based on the assumption of public choice theory that humans are utility maximizers. Bureaucrats are not totally devoted to active representation, but instead find an optimal point at which their self-interest is maximized in interrole conflict.
Taxonomy and Evaluations of Low-Power Listening Protocols for Machine-to-Machine Networks

Even though a lot of research has made significant contributions to advances in sensor networks, sensor network protocols, which have different characteristics according to the target application, might confuse machine-to-machine (M2M) network designers when they choose the protocol most suitable for their specific applications. Therefore, this paper provides a well-defined taxonomy of low-power listening protocols by examining in detail the existing low-power sensor network protocols and evaluation results. It will also be very useful for helping M2M designers understand specific features of low-power media access control protocols as they design new M2M networks.
The role of authenticity in mainstream ethnic restaurants: Evidence from an independent full-service Italian restaurant

This paper aims to examine the effects of perceived authenticity at an independent, full-service mainstream ethnic restaurant and the moderating effects of diners’ cultural familiarity and cultural motivation on the influence of perceived authenticity on perceived value and behavioral intention. ,A total of 417 self-administered questionnaires were collected from customers of an independent, full-service Italian restaurant in southeastern USA. The data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling. ,Restaurant authenticity has a positive influence on perceived value. Respondents who are more familiar with and interested in Italian culture and food tend to attach more value to the restaurant authenticity. Respondents tend to use authenticity to convey quality judgment of the restaurant. ,First, this study advances previous literature on dining authenticity by incorporating cultural familiarity and cultural motivation. Second, this study extends the theoretical framework of perceived quality of ethnic restaurants by connecting authenticity perceptions and quality assessment. ,Results suggest that the managers at independent, full-service mainstream ethnic restaurants should focus on the restaurants’ environment and atmospheric authenticity, especially for customers who possess cultural familiarity and cultural motivation, while also ensuring the quality of food and service. ,This study makes an initial attempt at studying the role of authenticity in a mainstream ethnic restaurant context and adds to the knowledge of restaurant authenticity from the perspectives of cultural familiarity, cultural motivation and perceived quality.
Calcium Binding Protein in Squid Brain: Biochemical Similarity to the 28,000‐Mr Vitamin D‐Dependent Calcium Binding Protein (Calbindin‐D28k)

Abstract: A calcium binding protein that is biochemically similar to vertebrate 28,000‐Mr vitamin D‐dependent calcium binding protein (calbindin‐D28k) has been purified from squid brain. Squid brain calbindin was found to have an isoelectric point of 5.0, was heat stable up to 60°C, and showed increased electrophoretic mobility in the presence of chelator Amino acid analysis revealed a high content of glutamic and aspartic acids and a low level of methionine, histidine, and tyrosine, a finding similar but not identical to the composition of vertebrate calbindin‐D28k. The molecular weight of the squid protein, determined by Ferguson plot analysis of data obtained from sodium dodecyl sulfategel electrophoresis, was calculated to be 25,700, as compared with 27,800 for rat renal calbindin. Immunocyto‐chemical analysis demonstrated immunoreactive protein in a selected population of neurons and fibers in several areas of the molluscan nervous system. This study represents the first purification from an invertebrate of a calcium binding protein that is biochemically similar to vitamin D‐dependent calcium binding protein. These results demonstrate that calbindin, although not identical in vertebrates and cephalopods, may be phylogenetically conserved in structure. The restricted distribution of immunoreactive calbindin in both the cephalopod and mammalian brain suggests that the function of neuronal calbindin may also be conserved in evolution. ).
New insights: A role for O-GlcNAcylation in diabetic complications

Abstract Diabetes is a debilitating metabolic disease that is riddled with complications that can cause blindness, renal failure, nerve damage, and cardiovascular disease. Poor glycemic control is thought to be a key initiator in the progression of diabetic complications. Hyperglycemia has been shown to increase flux through the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) to initiate many of the toxic effects of glucose. The major endpoint of the HBP is the formation of uridine diphosphate β-D-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc), the donor for protein O-GlcNAcylation, and complex extracellular glycosylation. O-GlcNAcylation is a dynamic nutrient sensitive post-translational modification that is characterized by the addition of single β-D-N-acetylglucosamine to the serine and/or threonine residues of almost every functional class of protein. O-GlcNAc is extremely abundant and cycles on and off proteins by the concerted action of a transferase and a hydrolase. O-GlcNAc serves as a nutrient/stress sensor regulating several processes, such as signaling, transcription, cytoskeletal dynamics, and cell division. Altered O-GlcNAc signaling is directly involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes and new insights are revealing the importance of O-GlcNAc in diabetic complications. The goal of this review is to summarize O-GlcNAcylation, to present the current evidence for the role of O-GlcNAc in diabetic complications, and discuss conclusions and future directions for research on O-GlcNAc in the progression of diabetic complications.
Acoustical cues and grammatical units in speech to two preverbal infants*

ABSTRACT The current study examines the syntactic and prosodic characteristics of the maternal speech to two infants between six and ten months. Consistent with previous work, we find infant-directed speech to be characterized by generally short utterances, isolated words and phrases, and large numbers of questions, but longer utterances are also found. Prosodic information provides cues to grammatical units not only at utterance boundaries, but also at utterance-internal clause boundaries. Subject–verb phrase boundaries in questions also show reliable prosodic cues, although those of declaratives do not. Prosodic information may thus play an important role in providing preverbal infants with information about the grammatically relevant word groupings. Furthermore, questions may play an important role in infants' discovery of verb phrases in English.
Dietary omega-3 fatty acids modulate the eicosanoid profile in man primarily via the CYP-epoxygenase pathway[S]

Cytochrome P450 (CYP)-dependent metabolites of arachidonic acid (AA) contribute to the regulation of cardiovascular function. CYP enzymes also accept EPA and DHA to yield more potent vasodilatory and potentially anti-arrhythmic metabolites, suggesting that the endogenous CYP-eicosanoid profile can be favorably shifted by dietary omega-3 fatty acids. To test this hypothesis, 20 healthy volunteers were treated with an EPA/DHA supplement and analyzed for concomitant changes in the circulatory and urinary levels of AA-, EPA-, and DHA-derived metabolites produced by the cyclooxygenase-, lipoxygenase (LOX)-, and CYP-dependent pathways. Raising the Omega-3 Index from about four to eight primarily resulted in a large increase of EPA-derived CYP-dependent epoxy-metabolites followed by increases of EPA- and DHA-derived LOX-dependent monohydroxy-metabolites including the precursors of the resolvin E and D families; resolvins themselves were not detected. The metabolite/precursor fatty acid ratios indicated that CYP epoxygenases metabolized EPA with an 8.6-fold higher efficiency and DHA with a 2.2-fold higher efficiency than AA. Effects on leukotriene, prostaglandin E, prostacyclin, and thromboxane formation remained rather weak. We propose that CYP-dependent epoxy-metabolites of EPA and DHA may function as mediators of the vasodilatory and cardioprotective effects of omega-3 fatty acids and could serve as biomarkers in clinical studies investigating the cardiovascular effects of EPA/DHA supplementation.
Antiviral activity of Brucella abortus preparations; separation of active components

Injection into mice of heat-killed Brucella abortus or aqueous ether-extracted B. abortus (Bru-pel) induced a "virus-type" interferon response, with peak titers at 6.5 h. The animals also were protected against challenge with otherwise lethal doses of Semliki forest virus. Extraction of either heated B. abortus or BRU-PEL with a mixture of chloroform-methanol (2:1, vol/vol) (C-M( yielded an insoluble residue (extracted cells) and a C-M extract. Neither extracted cells nor C-M extract alone induced interferon or afforded protection against Semliki forest virus infection in mice. Full interferon-inducing and protective activity was restored when extracted cells were recombined with C-M extract. C-M extract from heat-killed Escherichia coli also was effective in restoring activity to extracted Brucella cells. Neither heat-killed E. coli nor its C-M extract was active, nor was C-M estracted E. coli recombined with the C-M extract from B. abortus. These results suggest that the interferon-inducing and antiviral protective properties of B. abortus are constituted of a C-M-extractable component that is common to B. abortus and E. coli and an unextractable component that is unique to B. abortus.
Altered T cell differentiation and Notch signaling induced by the ectopic expression of keratin K10 in the epithelial cells of the thymus

Transgenic mice expressing hK10 under the keratin K5 promoter display several alterations in the epidermis including decreased cell proliferation, and reduced susceptibility to tumor development. Given that K5 promoter is also active in the epithelial cells of the thymus, we explored the possible alterations of the thymus because of K10 transgene expression. We found severe thymic alterations, which affect not only the thymic epithelial cells (TEC), but also thymocytes. We observed altered architecture and premature thymus involution in the transgenic mice associated with increased apoptosis and reduced proliferation of the thymocytes. Interestingly, prior to the development of this detrimental phenotype, thymocytes of the transgenic mice also displayed altered differentiation, which is aggravated later on. Molecular characterization of this phenotype indicated that Akt activity is reduced in TEC, but not in thymocytes. In addition, we also observed altered expression of Notch family members and some of their ligands both in TEC and T cells. This produces reduced Notch activity in TEC but increased Notch activity in thymocytes, which is detectable prior to the disruption of the thymic architecture. In addition, we also detect altered Notch expression in the epidermis of bK5hK10 transgenic mice. Collectively the present data indicate that keratin K10 may induce severe alterations not only in a cell autonomous manner, but also in neighboring cells by the modulation of signals involved in cell–cell interactions. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
RFI Suppression Based on Phase-Coded Stepped-Frequency Waveform in Through-Wall Radar

Radio frequency interference (RFI) usually makes a great impact on through-wall radar (TWR) using ultrawideband signal to achieve high range resolution. In this paper, a phase-coded stepped-frequency (PCSF) waveform is designed to improve the anti-RFI performance of TWR, based on the fact that the different initial phase of the transmitted signals will have no effect on the receiver response to the target echoes, and the RFI is uncorrelated with the transmitted signals. We present the methodology and results of a comparative study on TWR using the PCSF waveform and the conventional stepped-frequency waveform. Comparisons with simulation data and experimental measurements are given to demonstrate the suitability and efficacy of our analysis for the anti-RFI performance of PCSF waveform. The results show that the TWR using PCSF waveform is immune to RFI, and better detection performance is achieved.
Metabolic and Genotypic Fingerprinting of Fluorescent Pseudomonads Associated with the Douglas Fir-Laccaria bicolor Mycorrhizosphere

A collection of 300 isolates of fluorescent pseudomonads was established from Douglas fir-Laccaria bicolor mycorrhizas and mycorrhizosphere and from adjacent bulk soil. These isolates were first phenotypically characterized with the Biolog method. Taxonomic identification assigned 90% of the isolates to the different biovars of Pseudomonas fluorescens, with inverted frequencies of biovars V and I from the bulk soil to the mycorrhizas, suggesting that the mycorrhizas exert a selective stimulation of the P. fluorescens bv. I and a counterselection of the P. fluorescens bv. V present in the soil. Multivariate analyses of the carbon source utilization data led to the definition of homogenous metabolic groups and to the identification of the most discriminating substrates for each group. The isolates from the mycorrhizosphere and from the mycorrhizas seem to preferentially utilize carbohydrates, in particular trehalose, which is the most abundant carbohydrate accumulated in the mycelium of L. bicolor. The results suggest that L. bicolor exerts a trehalose-mediated selection on the fluorescent pseudomonads present in the vicinity of the mycorrhizas. Isolates of P. fluorescens from the mycorrhizosphere and mycorrhizas were then genotypically characterized by restriction fragment length polymorphism of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR DNA fingerprinting. Both methods revealed a high genetic polymorphism within the population studied, which was well correlated with the phenotypic characterization.
Invasion of the central nervous system by Treponema pallidum: implications for diagnosis and treatment.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence of Treponema pallidum in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with syphilis, to determine the effect of concurrent HIV infection on central nervous system involvement by T. pallidum, and to examine the efficacy of conventional therapy for asymptomatic neurologic involvement. PATIENTS Fifty-eight patients with untreated syphilis who consented to lumbar puncture, representing approximately 10% of new cases of syphilis during the study period. INTERVENTIONS Lumbar puncture was done on all patients. Rabbit inoculation was used to test cerebrospinal fluid for viable T. pallidum. Patients with normal fluid received recommended benzathine penicillin therapy according to the stage of syphilis; patients with CSF abnormalities were offered 10-day therapy for neurosyphilis. RESULTS Treponema pallidum was isolated from the CSF of 12 (30%) of 40 patients (95% CI, 17 to 46) with untreated primary and secondary syphilis; isolation of T. pallidum was significantly associated (P = 0.008) with the presence of two or more abnormal laboratory variables (among leukocyte count, protein concentration, and CSF-Venereal Disease Research Laboratory [VDRL] test). Two (67%) of 3 early latent (CI, 13 to 100) and 3 (20%) of 15 late latent syphilis patients (CI, 5 to 47) also had reactive CSF-VDRL tests and elevated cell and protein levels, although T. pallidum was not isolated. Concurrent infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was not associated with isolation of T. pallidum, increased number of CSF abnormalities, or reactive CSF serologic tests for syphilis, although CSF pleocytosis was commoner in subjects infected with HIV. Treatment with conventional benzathine penicillin G (2.4 mIU) failed to cure 3 of 4 patients with secondary syphilis from whom T. pallidum was isolated before therapy; all 3 patients in whom treatment failed were HIV seropositive when treated or seroconverted during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Central nervous system invasion by T. pallidum is common in early syphilis, and is apparently independent of HIV infection. Examination of the CSF may be beneficial in patients with early syphilis, and therapy should be guided by knowledge of central nervous system involvement. Conventional benzathine penicillin G therapy may have reduced efficacy in patients with early syphilis who are also infected with HIV.
Premature termination codon readthrough in human cells occurs in novel cytoplasmic foci and requires UPF proteins

ABSTRACT Nonsense-mutation-containing messenger ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNPs) transit through cytoplasmic foci called P-bodies before undergoing nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), a cytoplasmic mRNA surveillance mechanism. This study shows that the cytoskeleton modulates transport of nonsense-mutation-containing mRNPs to and from P-bodies. Impairing the integrity of cytoskeleton causes inhibition of NMD. The cytoskeleton thus plays a crucial role in NMD. Interestingly, disruption of actin filaments results in both inhibition of NMD and activation of premature termination codon (PTC) readthrough, while disruption of microtubules causes only NMD inhibition. Activation of PTC readthrough occurs concomitantly with the appearance of cytoplasmic foci containing UPF proteins and mRNAs with nonsense mutations but lacking the P-body marker DCP1a. These findings demonstrate that in human cells, PTC readthrough occurs in novel ‘readthrough bodies’ and requires the presence of UPF proteins. Summary: The cytoskeleton transports premature termination codon-containing mRNAs to be degraded by nonsense-mediated decay or to be read through in specific cytoplasmic foci called readthrough bodies.
Theory and applications of diffusion MRI

Boosted by the tremendous success of diffusion tensor MRI, which led to the first in vivo and non-invasive characterization of microstructural tissue properties, many advancements in diffusion MRI have been made during the last decade. With new methodological developments in data acquisition, modeling, pre-processing, analysis, and visualization, diffusion MRI is rapidly becoming a standard addition to clinical MRI, especially, for investigating brain white matter architecture. In this work, an overview of methods and applications in diffusion MRI is presented. In particular, concepts underlying diffusion tensor MRI are discussed, techniques for reconstructing fiber pathways (both deterministically and probabilistically) are described, and the “crossing fibers” issue is explained.
Application of Kalman Filter to Estimate Junction Temperature in IGBT Power Modules

Knowledge of instantaneous junction temperature is essential for effective health management of power converters, enabling safe operation of the power semiconductors under all operating conditions. Methods based on fixed thermal models are typically unable to compensate for degradation of the thermal path resulting from aging and the effect of variable cooling conditions. Thermosensitive electrical parameters (TSEPs), on the other hand, can give an estimate of junction temperature TJ, but measurement inaccuracies and the masking effect of varying operating conditions can corrupt the estimate. This paper presents a robust and noninvasive real-time estimate of junction temperature that can provide enhanced accuracy under all operating and cooling conditions when compared to model-based or TSEP-based methods alone. The proposed method uses a Kalman filter to fuse the advantages of model-based estimates and an online measurement of TSEPs. Junction temperature measurements are obtained from an online measurement of the on-state voltage, VCE (ON), at high current and processed by a Kalman filter, which implements a predict-correct mechanism to generate an adaptive estimate of TJ. It is shown that the residual signal from the Kalman filter may be used to detect changes in thermal model parameters, thus allowing the assessment of thermal path degradation. The algorithm is implemented on a full-bridge inverter and the results verified with an IR camera.
Relationships between Eco-Leadership and Problem-Solving Styles of Gifted and Talented Youth.

Our understanding of leadership has undergone a significant shift in the early part of the 21st century. An emerging perspective, dubbed Eco-Leadership, suggests leadership is a collective process involving both leaders and followers co-creating leadership. Because our beliefs and attitudes toward leadership affect how we lead, it becomes crucial to better understand the views youth have towards leadership, as they develop into our future leaders, to improve curricula and instruction. In this study, no relationship was found between youth attitudes and beliefs towards systemic and hierarchical thinking with respect to their preferred problem-solving style. These findings indicate youth may adaptively or innovatively associate leadership equally through systemic and hierarchical thinking. Further, neither being more adaptive nor more innovative implies one to be better at leading.