Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dislocation-mediated growth of bacterial cell walls

Recent experiments have illuminated a remarkable growth mechanism of rod-shaped bacteria: proteins associated with cell wall extension move at constant velocity in circles oriented approximately along the cell circumference [Garner EC, et al., (2011) Science 333:222–225], [Domínguez-Escobar J, et al. (2011) Science 333:225–228], [van Teeffelen S, et al. (2011) PNAS 108:15822–15827]. We view these as dislocations in the partially ordered peptidoglycan structure, activated by glycan strand extension machinery, and study theoretically the dynamics of these interacting defects on the surface of a cylinder. Generation and motion of these interacting defects lead to surprising effects arising from the cylindrical geometry, with important implications for growth. We also discuss how long range elastic interactions and turgor pressure affect the dynamics of the fraction of actively moving dislocations in the bacterial cell wall.
A Clinical Assessment of Wilson Disease in Patients With Concurrent Liver Disease

Goals To investigate variations in clinical epidemiology of Wilson disease in patients with concurrent liver disease and the effect of coexisting disease on current diagnostic algorithms. Background Wilson disease is a rare disorder and few studies exist on diagnosis and natural history. Currently available tools have limited efficacy in complex patients, and the presence of coexisting diseases may further limit their use. More in-depth analyses of Wilson disease among complex patients with concurrent diseases will help improve algorithms for earlier diagnosis and treatment. Study A retrospective cohort study using data from a large tertiary-care center to carry out a clinical assessment of Wilson disease among patients with coexisting liver disease. Results Forty-two Wilson disease patients were identified; 9 had comorbid liver diseases. The average age of diagnosis was significantly older in patients with concurrent liver disease compared with those without underlying disease (49.1 y vs. 26.8 y, P<0.0001). Patients with concurrent liver disease had more evidence of cirrhosis at presentation (9/9, 100% vs. 15/33, 45.5%), and showed greater mortality (4/8, 50% vs. 4/29, 13.8%, P=0.0222). Without mutation analysis data, a definitive diagnosis of Wilson disease using Leipzig criteria was made in 44% of patients with concurrent liver diseases. Conclusions Patients with concurrent liver diseases were diagnosed with Wilson disease at significantly older ages, presented with more liver cirrhosis, and showed greater mortality. Mutation analysis is crucial for definitive diagnosis among complex cohorts and those with intermediate Leipzig scores.
An on-line coordination algorithm for multi-robot systems

This paper proposes a solution to the problem of coordinating multi-robot systems, which execute individually planned tasks in a shared workspace. The presented approach is a decoupled method that can coordinate the participants robots in on-line mode. The coordination is achieved through the adjustment of the time evolution of each robot along its original planned path according to the movements of the other robots to assure a collision free execution of their tasks. To assess the proposed approach a two robot system was used, and different tests were performed in graphical simulations as well as in real executions. Some examples are presented in the paper.
A case for grid computing on virtual machines

We advocate a novel approach to grid computing that is based on a combination of "classic" operating system level virtual machines (VMs) and middleware mechanisms to manage VMs in a distributed environment. The abstraction is that of dynamically instantiated and mobile VMs that are a combination of traditional OS processes (the VM monitors) and files (the VM state). We give qualitative arguments that justify our approach in terms of security, isolation, customization, legacy support and resource control, and we show quantitative results that demonstrate the feasibility of our approach front a performance perspective. Finally, we describe the middleware challenges implied by the approach and an architecture for grid computing using virtual machines.
Efficacy of rimonabant in obese patients with binge eating disorder

Abstract In obesity, a dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system has been shown. The endocannabinoid receptor blockage by rimonabant demonstrated interesting metabolic effects. However, the role of rimonabant in weight loss of patients with binge eating disorder has not been investigated. Thus, our aim was to evaluate the effects of rimonabant on body weight in obese patients with binge eating disorders. This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 289 obese subjects (age 18–70 years, body mass index 30–45 kg/m2) with binge eating disorders. Subjects were randomized (1:1) to receive rimonabant 20 mg/day or placebo for 6 months. In total, 289 participants (age: 43.2±10.5 yrs, 91% of women) were randomized. The completer rate was similar (71%) in both treatment and placebo groups. Participants treated with rimonabant lost 4.7±5.2% of their initial body weight, vs. 0.4±4.5% in the placebo group (difference between both groups: 4.4±0.6 kg, p<0.0001). The rimonabant group showed a greater reduction on the binge eating scale total score (mean±SD − 40.9±35.2%) vs. placebo ( − 29.9±34.6%, p=0.02). The incidence of treatment emergent adverse events was comparable in both the rimonabant (82.5%) and placebo (76.0%) group. Discontinuations due to treatment emergent adverse events occurred in 13.3% rimonabant-treated vs. 6.2% placebo-treated participants. In conclusion, this is the only randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial having assessed the effect of rimonabant in patients with binge eating disorders. The rimonabant treatment reduced body weight significantly more than placebo in obese subjects with binge eating. Trial registration number (clinicaltrials.gov): NCT00481975
Self-control and alcohol consumption among university students in Botswana

The study explored the relationship between self-control and alcohol consumption among students at the University of Botswana, and was entrenched within the socialcognitive theory of self-regulation. Data were collected from 135 undergraduate students (42.2% female, 57.8% male) with a mean age of 21.22 years (SD = 2.16). Self-control was measured by the Brief Self-control Scale. Self-reported alcohol consumption on weekdays and in specific situations was converted into alcohol units. Participants who reported not drinking alcohol at all (55.6%) scored significantly higher in self-control. For those participants who reported drinking alcohol (44.4%), total self-control scores correlated moderately and inversely with alcohol consumption per week, in situations of stress, happiness, and when with friends. Standard multiple regression analysis revealed that self-control was a stronger predictor of the amount of alcohol consumed than were age and gender. The results are discussed with regard to the role of self-regulatory behaviour in the consumption of alcohol. Key words : Alcohol consumption, Botswana, self-control, self-regulation, undergraduate students
Improving Fast Paxos: being optimistic with no overhead

The paper addresses the cost of consensus algorithms. It has been shown that in the best case, consensus can be solved in two communication steps with f<n/2, and in one communication step with f<n/3 (f is the maximum number of faulty processes). This leads to a dilemma when choosing a consensus algorithm: greater efficiency or higher resiliency degree. Recently Lamport has proposed a solution called Fast Paxos, for partly escaping from this dilemma. The idea is to combine two types of rounds in a single consensus algorithm: fast rounds and rounds of the ordinary Paxos algorithm. In the best case, Fast Paxos solves consensus in one fast round, that is it requires only one communication step. Unfortunately, the combination induces some time overhead, and so Fast Paxos becomes more expensive than ordinary Paxos when fast rounds do not succeed. In this paper we go one step further: we show that it is possible to tentatively execute a fast round before a classical round without any time overhead if the fast round does not succeed
Participation of neural crest-derived cells in the genesis of the skull in birds

The differentiation of cephalic neural crest cells into skeletal tissue in birds has been observed using the quail —chick nuclear marking system, which is based on specific differences in the distribution of the nuclear DNA. Chimaeras were formed by replacing a fragment of cephalic neural primordium of a 2- to 12-somite chicken embryo by the corresponding fragment isolated from an equivalent quail embryo. The participation of the graft-derived cells in the formation of the skull of these embryos was studied on histological sections after Feulgen and Rossenbeck staining. Cells from the pirosencephalic neural crest migrate into the frontal nasal process and mix with the mesencephalic neural crest cells in the lateral nasal processes, around the optic cupule and beneath the diencephalon. In addition, the mesencephalic neural crest cells form the bulk of the mesenchyme of the maxillary processes and mandibular arch, whereas the rhombencephalic neural crest cells become located in the branchial arches. The origin of cartilages of the chondrocranium and bones of the neurocranium and viscerocranium has been shown in the chimaeric embryos: the basal plate cartilages, occipital bones, sphenoid bones and the cranial vault are mainly of mesodermal origin. However some parts have a dual origin: rhombo-mesencephalic neural crest cells are found in the otic capsule, and the frontal bone, the rostrum of parasphenoid and the orbital cartilages contain diverse amounts of prosencephalo-mesencephalic neural crest cells. The squamosals and the columella auris are formed from mesectodermic cells as are the nasal skeleton, the palatines and the maxillar bones. The mesectodermal origin of mandibular and hyoid bones and cartilages was already known. From these results it appears that the cephalic neural crest is particularly important in the formation of the facial part of the skull, while the vault and dorsal part are mesodermal and cartilages and bones found in the intermediary region are of mixed origin. The presence of mixed structures implies that the mesoderm and the mesectoderm are equally competent towards the specific inducers of these bones and cartilages. This correlates with the equivalence in differentiation capacities already shown for cephalic mesodeimal and mesectodermal mesenchymes.
The effects of conflict asymmetry on mediation outcomes: Satisfaction, work motivation and absenteeism

Purpose – This paper seeks to link conflict and mediation theory to practice using an asymmetry framework. Past conflict research often assumes that conflict parties perceive the same amount of conflict, neglecting that members may have different perceptions.Design/methodology/approach – This study conducted surveys and interviews with 30 conflict parties involved in mediation and examined the effects of asymmetry of parties' perceptions of task and relationship conflict on absenteeism, motivation, and satisfaction with the mediation. In addition, mediator bias was considered as another asymmetry variable that influences mediation success.Findings – Using quantitative and qualitative data it was found that these perceived asymmetries were negatively associated with work motivation and satisfaction, and positively associated with absenteeism.Originality/value – Recommendations for mediators and organizations are provided.
Adaptively local I-dimensional subproblems

We provide a new insight of the difficulty of nonparametric estimation of a whole function. A new method is invented for finding a minimax lower bound of globally estimating a function. The idea is to adjust automatically the direction to the nearly hardest I-dimensional subproblem at each location, and to use locally the difficulty of I-dimensional subproblem. In a variety of contexts, our method can give not only attainable global rates, but also constant factors. Comparing with the existing techniques, our method has the advantages of being easily implemented and understood, and can give constant factors as well. We illustrate the lower bound by using examples of nonparametric density estimation as well as nonparametric regression. Concise proofs of the lower rates are given. Applying our lower bound to deconvolution setting, we obtain the best attainable global rates of convergence. With the existing techniques, it would be extremely difficult to solve such a problem. oAbbreviated title. Local I-d subproblems. AMS 1980 subject classification. Primary 62G20. Secondary 62G05.
Humoral Immunity in Mice Antibody Responses but Spares Existing Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Impairs Primary

E. Lane and Michael P. CancroSifat A. Ahmad, Patrick J. O'Neill, Oswald Steward, ThomasMichael A. Oropallo, Katherine S. Held, Radhika Goenka,http://www.jimmunol.org/content/188/11/5257doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1101934April 2012;J Immunol€2012; 188:5257-5266; Prepublished online 20MaterialSupplementary4.DC1. htmlhttp://www.jimmunol.org/content/suppl/2012/04/20/jimmunol.110193Referenceshttp://www.jimmunol.org/content/188/11/5257.full#ref-list-1This article cites 51 articles, 20 of which you can access for free at: Subscriptionshttp://jimmunol.org/subscriptionsInformation about subscribing to The Journal of Immunology is online at: Permissionshttp://www.aai. org/ji/copyright.htmlSubmit copyright permission requests at: Email Alertshttp://jimmunol.org/cgi/alerts/etocReceive free email-alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up at:
Delay-Based Reservoir Computing: Noise Effects in a Combined Analog and Digital Implementation

Reservoir computing is a paradigm in machine learning whose processing capabilities rely on the dynamical behavior of recurrent neural networks. We present a mixed analog and digital implementation of this concept with a nonlinear analog electronic circuit as a main computational unit. In our approach, the reservoir network can be replaced by a single nonlinear element with delay via time-multiplexing. We analyze the influence of noise on the performance of the system for two benchmark tasks: 1) a classification problem and 2) a chaotic time-series prediction task. Special attention is given to the role of quantization noise, which is studied by varying the resolution in the conversion interface between the analog and digital worlds.
Distributed Containment Control for Multiple Unknown Second-Order Nonlinear Systems With Application to Networked Lagrangian Systems

In this paper, we consider the distributed containment control problem for multiagent systems with unknown nonlinear dynamics. More specifically, we focus on multiple second-order nonlinear systems and networked Lagrangian systems. We first study the distributed containment control problem for multiple second-order nonlinear systems with multiple dynamic leaders in the presence of unknown nonlinearities and external disturbances under a general directed graph that characterizes the interaction among the leaders and the followers. A distributed adaptive control algorithm with an adaptive gain design based on the approximation capability of neural networks is proposed. We present a necessary and sufficient condition on the directed graph such that the containment error can be reduced as small as desired. As a byproduct, the leaderless consensus problem is solved with asymptotical convergence. Because relative velocity measurements between neighbors are generally more difficult to obtain than relative position measurements, we then propose a distributed containment control algorithm without using neighbors' velocity information. A two-step Lyapunov-based method is used to study the convergence of the closed-loop system. Next, we apply the ideas to deal with the containment control problem for networked unknown Lagrangian systems under a general directed graph. All the proposed algorithms are distributed and can be implemented using only local measurements in the absence of communication. Finally, simulation examples are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithms.
The influence of cigarette smoking on the development of experimental gingivitis.

The aim of this investigation was to study the influence of cigarette smoking on the development of gingivitis. Experimental gingivitis was induced in the mandibular anterior region by abstention from oral hygiene for 28 days. The study group consisted of 20 healthy dental students, 10 of whom were regular smokers. The clinical parameters studied were gingival bleeding on probing (60 g), gingival redness and gingival exudate. The results showed that the plaque formation rate was similar in both groups. However, smokers displayed a less pronounced gingival inflammatory reaction as compared with non-smokers. Concerning gingival bleeding and gingival redness, the reaction in smokers was significantly less elevated from d 14 through d 28 and concerning the amount of gingival exudate it was significantly less elevated from d 21 through d 28. The differences between groups tended to increase with time. These results suggest that the inflammatory gingival response to accumulating plaque may be suppressed under the influence of cigarette smoking.
Search-Based Refactoring Detection from Source Code Revisions

This paper proposes a technique for detecting the occurrences of refactoring from source code revisions. In a real software development process, a refactoring operation may sometimes be performed together with other modifications at the same revision. This means that detecting refactorings from the differences between two versions stored in a software version archive is not usually an easy process. In order to detect these impure refactorings, we model the detection within a graph search. Our technique considers a version of a program as a state and a refactoring as a transition between two states. It then searches for the path that approaches from the initial to the final state. To improve the efficiency of the search, we use the source code differences between the current and the final state for choosing the candidates of refactoring to be applied next and estimating the heuristic distance to the final state. Through case studies, we show that our approach is feasible to detect combinations of refactorings.
Stop the Chase: Short Contribution

The chase procedure, an algorithm proposed 25+ years ago to fix constraint violations in database instances, has been successfully applied in a variety of contexts, such as query optimization, data exchange, and data integration. Its practicability, however, is limited by the fact that - for an arbitrary set of constraints - it might not terminate; even worse, chase termination is an undecidable problem in general. In response, the database community has proposed sufficient restrictions on top of the constraints that guarantee chase termination on any database instance. In this paper, we propose a novel sufficient termination condition, called inductive restriction, which strictly generalizes previous conditions, but can be checked as efficiently. Furthermore, we motivate and study the problem of data-dependent chase termination and, as a key result, present sufficient termination conditions w.r. t. fixed instances. They are strictly more general than inductive restriction and might guarantee termination although the chase does not terminate in the general case.
Maximum Balanced 3-Partitions of graphs

A k-partition V1, V2, …, Vk of a graph G is said to be balanced if -1 ≤ |Vi| - |Vj| ≤ 1 for 1 ≤ i, j ≤ k. The maximum balanced k-partition problem asks for a balanced k-partition V1, V2, …, Vk of a graph that maximizes e(V1, V2, …, Vk) which is the total number of edges with ends in distinct ones of V1, V2, …, Vk. Let G be a graph with m edges, and let r be the maximum number of vertex-disjoint 2-paths, where a 2-path stands for a path of length 2. We show that G admits a balanced 3-partition V1, V2, V3 such that . We also present, for each real number 3 ≤ p < 6, a sufficient condition that G admits a maximum balanced 3-partition V1, V2, V3 with , where e(Vi) denotes the number of edges of G with both ends in Vi.
A new Schmitt trigger circuit in a 0.13-/spl mu/m 1/2.5-V CMOS process to receive 3.3-V input signals

A new Schmitt trigger circuit, which is implemented by low-voltage devices to receive the high-voltage input signals without gate-oxide reliability problem, is proposed. The new proposed circuit, which can be operated in a 3.3-V signal environment without suffering high-voltage gate-oxide overstress, has been fabricated in a 0.13-/spl mu/m 1/2.5-V 1P8M CMOS process. The experimental results have confirmed that the measured transition threshold voltages of the new proposed Schmitt trigger circuit are about 1 and 2.5 V, respectively. The new proposed Schmitt trigger circuit is suitable for mixed-voltage input-output interfaces to receive input signals and reject input noise.
Learning and Memory: From Brain to Behavior

PART I: INTRODUCTION MODULE The Psychology of Learning and Memory The Neuroscience of Learning and Memory PART II: LEARNING MODULE Habituation, Sensitization, and Familiarization: Learning about Repeated Events Classical Conditioning: Learning to Predict Important Events Operant Conditioning: Learning the Outcome of Behaviors Generalization and Discrimination Learning PART III: MEMORY MODULE Episodic and Semantic Memory: Memory for Facts and Events Skill Memory: Learning by Doing Working Memory and Cognitive Control PART IV: INTEGRATIVE TOPICS MODULE Emotional Influences on Learning and Memory Social Learning and Memory: Observing, Interacting, and Reenacting Development and Aging: Learning and Memory across the Lifespan
A Simulation Study of Multiplication Factor in Cylindrical Diode

Multiplication factor in a cylindrical diode has been studied using a 1d3v particle in cell simulation code for both inner cathode and outer cathode polarities. The simulation results are compared with a simple theoretical model. Simulations that are based on realistic cross sections are in qualitative agreement with the theoretical model. The disagreement between theoretical model and simulations is explained in view of the fact that in the simulation, realistic cross section is employed; however, the theoretical model is based on a simple ionization factor concept.