Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Confocal laser scanning microscopy of calcium dynamics in living cells

Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) is widely used to monitor intracellular calcium levels in living cells loaded with calcium‐sensitive fluorophores. This review examines the basic advantages and limitations of CLSM in in vivo imaging analyses of calcium dynamics. The benefits of utilizing ratioed images and dextran‐conjugated fluorophores are addressed, and practical aspects of handling confocal datasets are outlined. After considering some relatively new microscopical methods that can be used in conjunction with conventional CLSM, possible future applications of confocal techniques in analyses of intracellular calcium dynamics are discussed. Microsc. Res. Tech. 46:356–369, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Isolation of black creek canal virus, a new hantavirus from Sigmodon hispidus in Florida

Numerous rodents were trapped for serologic and virologic studies following the identification of a hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) case in Dade County, Florida. Cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) were the most frequently captured rodent and displayed the highest seroprevalence to a variety of hantavirus antigens. Hantavirus genome RNA was detected in all the seropositive cotton rats tested, using a reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) assay. A virus was isolated from tissues of two seropositive cotton rats by cultivation of lung and spleen homogenates on Vero E6 cells. Nucleotide sequence information obtained by direct RT‐PCR and the serologic relationships of this virus with the other hantaviruses indicate that this virus, Black Creek Canal virus, represents a new hantavirus distinct from the previously known serotypes. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament of the Spine

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine (OPLL) is a newly recognized entity. As the incidence of this disease was exceptionally high in Japan, the Japanese Ministry of Public Health and Welfare instituted a special commission for the investigation of this perplexing disease; since 1975 this committee has performed an intensive study of 2100 patients with OPLL in Japan. An epidemiologic study was conducted by this group in Japan and in eastern Asiatic countries. Symptoms and disabilities caused by the disease were described. Roentgenographic findings were classified as continuous, segmental, mixed, or localized. OPLL at the thoracic and lumbar levels combined with ossification of the yellow ligament was described, and the risk of spinal cord damage as well as the importance of tomography and computerized tomographic scanning were stressed. No conclusions were reached concerning etiology, but common findings included a generalized hyperostotic tendency, a tendency for abnormal glucose metabolism, and low enteral calcium absorption. A relatively high hereditary occurrence was noted. Conservative and surgical treatment methods were described, with particular reference to spinal canal-widening operations.
AN INTERLABORATORY COMPARISON OF THRUST MEASUREMENTS FOR A 200 W QUAD CONFINEMENT

We present an inter-laboratory comparison of the performance and plasma plume measurements of the 200W Quad Confinement Thruster (QCT-200) between the Surrey Space Centre (SSC) electric propulsion laboratory and the ESA Propulsion Laboratory (EPL) at ESA-ESTEC. The test campaign involves thrust balance measurements of the QCT-200 device over a range of operating conditions, and plasma plume measurements using Faraday probes. A matching set of test conditions following a common test procedure is conducted in both facilities and the results critically compared.
Source Current Harmonics and Motor Copper Loss Reduction Control of Electrolytic Capacitor-less Inverter for IPMSM Drive

To reduce the cost of an AC–DC–AC system, a single-phase-to-three-phase electrolytic capacitor-less inverter has been proposed. In particular, to satisfy the requirements of a harmonic source current, it is necessary to control the source current under sinusoidal waveform conditions. However, the DC-link voltage becomes an absolute value of the source voltage, and the output voltage is almost zero near the zero-crossing region of the source voltage. In the zero-output-voltage region, the motor current response deteriorates while controlling the sinusoidal source current. When the motor speed is high, the copper loss is always large because the motor current in the zero-output-voltage region depends on the back-electromotive force of the motor. To suppress the copper loss in the zero-output-voltage region, this paper proposes a copper-loss reduction control method that utilizes the initial-condition response of the motor current. The proposed method reduces the motor copper loss while controlling the source current sinusoidally, and improves motor efficiency while satisfying the requirements of a harmonic source current. This paper analyzes the motor current in the zero-output-voltage region and focuses on the initial-condition response of the d-axis current. In addition, an optimal initial value that reduces the copper loss in the zero-output-voltage region is calculated.
Entrepreneurship Education in India - Scope, challenges and Role of B- schools in Promoting Entrepreneurship Education

Education is an important factor in determining the entrepreneurial orientation in individuals. Formal education is positively correlated with entrepreneurship. Education and training can have definite role in enhancing entrepreneurship in the context of a developing country like India by enlarging the pool of entrepreneurs. During liberalization, which started in India in 1991, India exerted greater effort to promote and nurture entrepreneurship. Attempts at various levels have taken place to directly or indirectly promote entrepreneurship. During the recent past there has been a growing debate about how well educational systems specially B-schools prepare young management graduates for Entrepreneurship. In the present scenario this debate becomes even more relevant. Should B-Schools lay special emphasis on entrepreneur education in their curriculum? If yes than what is scope of this education and what opportunity will it raise? These are some questions which need to be given serious thought. Unfortunately, the present entrepreneurship education in India just concentrates on related courses. Moreover, the so called entrepreneurship courses are similar to the general business courses. But general business management education has no significant influence on entrepreneurial propensity. There is a demand for education programs specifically designed to expand students’ knowledge and experience in entrepreneurship. The contents and teaching methods have to be differentiated between entrepreneurship and traditional business courses. This paper attempts to explain the evolution of entrepreneurship education in India. It then discusses the importance and role of entrepreneurship in Indian economy. It further discusses the challenges with regard to the role of educational programs and the delivery systems for disseminating these entrepreneurship education programs. This paper tries to explain the role of B-schools in shaping and nurturing of future entrepreneurs in India. It also discusses whether the current curriculum taught in B-schools meets the requirements of budding entrepreneurs. Moreover, this paper discusses the steps that should be taken by B-schools towards promotion of entrepreneurship education.
Weighted difference approximation of value functions for slow-discounting Markov Decision Processes

Modern applications of the theory of Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) often require frequent decision making, that is, taking an action every microsecond, second, or minute. Infinite horizon discount reward formulation is still relevant for a large portion of these applications, because actual time span of these problems can be months or years, during which discounting factors due to e.g. interest rates are of practical concern. In this paper, we show that, for such MDPs with discount rate α close to 1, under a common ergodicity assumption, a weighted difference between two successive value function estimates obtained from the classical value iteration (VI) is a better approximation than the value function obtained directly from VI. Rigorous error bounds are established which in turn show that the approximation converges to the actual value function in a rate (αβ)k with β <; 1. This indicates a geometric convergence even if discount factor α → 1. Furthermore, we explicitly link the convergence speed to the system behaviors of the MDP using the notion of ε-mixing time and extend our result to Q-functions. Numerical experiments are conducted to demonstrate the convergence properties of the proposed approximation scheme.
Mobile robot path planning in complex environments using ant colony optimization algorithm

Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm has been applied to solve the path planning problem of mobile robot in complex environments. The algorithm parameters have been analysed and tuned for different working areas with obstacles in different number, sizes and shapes. Also, the performance of ACO algorithm was tested for different resolutions of working area representations. In all cases, it was possible to find optimal or near-optimal minimum-length paths from the initial to final desired positions without collision with obstacles or wall-borders.
A Tokenization-Based Communication Architecture for HCE-Enabled NFC Services

Following the announcement of Host Card Emulation (HCE) technology, card emulation mode based Near Field Communication (NFC) services have gained further appreciation as an enabler of the Cloud-based Secure Element (SE) concept. A comprehensive and complete architecture with a centralized and feasible business model for diverse HCE-based NFC services will be highly appreciated, particularly by Service Providers and users. To satisfy the need in this new emerging research area, a Tokenization-based communication architecture for HCE-based NFC services is presented in this paper. Our architecture proposes Two-Phased Tokenization to enable the identity management of both user and Service Provider. NFC Smartphone users can store, manage, and make use of their sensitive data on the Cloud for NFC services; Service Providers can also provide diverse card emulation NFC services easily through the proposed architecture. In this paper, we initially present the Two-Phased Tokenization model and then validate the proposed architecture by providing a case study on access control. We further evaluate the usability aspect in terms of an authentication scheme. We then discuss the ecosystem and business model comprised of the proposed architecture and emphasize the contributions to ecosystem actors. Finally, suggestions are provided for data protection in transit and at rest.
Sequence/structure selective thermal and photochemical cleavage of yeast‐tRNAPhe by UO  22+

The uranyl(VI) ion, UO 22+ , cleaves yeast tRNAPhe both thermally and photochemically. Photochemical cleavage takes place at all positions but exhibits maxima at G10, G18, G30, A38, C49 and A62. Furthermore, in the presence of stoichiometric concentrations of citrate, the cleavage is generally suppressed except that strong cleavage at positions G10 and C48–U50 persists, indicating the presence of a high‐affinity metal‐ion binding site. It is proposed that these photocleavage sites reflect the tertiary structure of the yeast tRNAPhe molecule in terms of D‐loop/T‐loop interaction and anticodon loop conformation and that uranyl‐mediated photocleavage of RNA may be used as a probe of RNA tertiary structure, and in particular for identifying binding sites for divalent metal ions. Thus a high‐affinity metal‐ion binding site is inferred in the Rcentral pocket' formed by the D‐loop, the T‐loop and the acceptor stem.
U.S. Cotton Acreage Response to Subsidized Crop Insurance, 1995 to 2011

Using simultaneous insurance participation and acreage response equations, this study models the acreage response of U.S. cotton at the county level to subsidized crop insurance. Results of panel data analyses suggest that counties with relatively low yields are more likely to respond positively to insurance participation with a greater percentage of cotton acreage in their county than high-yielding counties. Empirical evidence indicates that crop insurance policies are shifting cotton production from counties with lower production risks, higher yields and highly desired cotton to counties with higher production risks, lower yields and poorer quality cotton.
African Female Heritage in Iberia: A Reassessment of mtDNA Lineage Distribution in Present Times

The Iberian peninsula is a peripheral region of Europe in close proximity to Africa. Its inhabitants have an overall mtDNA genetic landscape typical of European background, although with signs of some African influence, whose features we deemed to disclose by analyzing available mtDNA HVRI distributions and new data. We analyzed 1,045 sequences. The most relevant results are the following: (1) North African sequences (haplogroup U6) present an overall frequency of 2.39%, and sub-Saharan sequences reach 3.83%, values that are, in both cases, much higher than those generally observed in Europe; and (2) there is a substantial geographic heterogeneity in the distribution of these lineages (haplogroup L being the most frequent in the south, whereas haplogroup U6 is generally more common in the north). The analysis of the observed diversity within each haplogroup strongly suggests that both were recently introduced (in historical times). Although for haplogroup U6 the documented event that is demographically compatible is the Islamic period (beginning of the 8th century to the end of the 15th century), for haplogroup L the most probable origin is the modern slave trade (mid 15th century to the end of the 18th century). However, the observed geographic structuring for one of the haplogroups does not fit the expected distribution provided by simplistic historical considerations. In fact, although for haplogroup L the north-south increasing frequency is corroborated by historical data, the opposite trend, observed for haplogroup U6, is more difficult to reconcile with the magnitude and time span of the Islamic political and cultural influence, which lasted longer and was more intense in the south. To clarify this conundrum, we need not only a substantial increase in the amount of mtDNA data (particularly for North Africa) but also new historical data and interpretations.
Nearpoint of Convergence: Test Procedure, Target Selection, and Normative Data

Background. The purpose of this study was to help determine the most appropriate target to be used for the assessment of the nearpoint of convergence, normative data for the break and recovery in adults, and the diagnostic value of the red-glass modification and repetition of the nearpoint of convergence. Methods. A total of 175 subjects with normal binocular vision and 38 subjects with convergence insufficiency were evaluated. The nearpoint of convergence was measured three ways, with an accommodative target, a penlight, and a penlight with red and green glasses. The nearpoint of convergence was also measured using a penlight for 10 repetitions. Results. Results suggest a clinical cutoff value of 5 cm for the nearpoint of convergence break and 7 cm for the nearpoint of convergence recovery with either an accommodative target or a penlight with red and green glasses. Conclusion. This study establishes normative data for the nearpoint of convergence break and recovery in the adult population and supports the value of various test modifications when other testing is equivocal.
The Propensity to Pay Dividends: The Case of Thai Listed Firms

This paper investigates the propensity to pay dividends of the listed firms in the developing capital market of Thailand. It adopts similar methodology to Fama and French (2001) and explores the propensity to pay dividends given the particular characteristics of firms. These characteristics include profitability, investment opportunities and size. The findings suggest that the propensity to pay dividends slightly decline in pre-crisis, largely decline during crisis, but is resumed later in post-crisis period.
Impact of margin size on the predicted risk of radiogenic second cancers following proton arc therapy and volumetric modulated arc therapy for prostate cancer

We previously determined that the predicted risk of radiogenic second cancer in the bladder and rectum after proton arc therapy (PAT) was less than or equal to that after volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with photons, but we did not consider the impact of margin size on that risk. The current study was thus conducted to evaluate margin size's effect on the predicted risks of second cancer for the two modalities and the relative risk between them. Seven treatment plans with margins ranging from 0 mm in all directions to 6 mm posteriorly and 8 mm in all other directions were considered for both modalities. We performed risk analyses using three risk models with varying amounts of cell sterilization and calculated ratios of risk for the corresponding PAT and VMAT plans. We found that the change in risk with margin size depended on the risk model but that the relative risk remained nearly constant with margin size, regardless of the amount of cell sterilization modeled. We conclude that while margin size influences the predicted risk of a second cancer for a given modality, it appears to affect both modalities in roughly equal proportions so that the relative risk between PAT and VMAT is approximately equivalent.
Genome Evolution in an Insect Cell: Distinct Features of an Ant-Bacterial Partnership

Bacteria that live exclusively within eukaryotic host cells include not only well-known pathogens, but also obligate mutualists, many of which occur in diverse insect groups such as aphids, psyllids, tsetse flies, and the ant genus Camponotus (Buchner, 1965; Douglas, 1998; Moran and Telang, 1998; Baumann et al., 2000; Moran and Baumann, 2000). In contrast to intracellular pathogens, these primary (P) endosymbionts of insects are required for the survival and reproduction of the host, exist within specialized host cells called bacteriocytes, and undergo stable maternal transmission through host lineages (Buchner, 1965; McLean and Houk, 1973). Due to their long-term host associations and close phylogenetic relationship with well-characterized enterobacteria (Fig. 1), P-endosymbionts of insects are ideal model systems to examine changes in genome content and architecture that occur in the context of beneficial, intracellular associations. Since these bacteria have not been cultured outside of the host cell, they are difficult to study with traditional genetic or physiological approaches. However, in recent years, molecular and computational approaches have provided important insights into their genetic diversity and ecological significance. This review describes some recent insights into the evolutionary genetics of obligate insect-bacteria symbioses, with a particular focus on an intriguing association between the bacterial endosymbiont Blochmannia and its ant hosts.
Measurement of Flow Characteristics in a Bubbling Fluidized Bed Using Electrostatic Sensor Arrays

Fluidized beds are widely applied in a range of industrial processes. In order to maintain the efficient operation of a fluidized bed, the flow parameters in the bed should be monitored continuously. In this paper, electrostatic sensor arrays are used to measure the flow characteristics in a bubbling fluidized bed. In order to investigate the electrostatic charge distribution and the flow dynamics of solid particles in the dense region, time and frequency domain analysis of the electrostatic signals is conducted. In addition, the correlation velocities and weighted average velocity of Geldart A particles in the dense and transit regions are calculated, and the flow dynamics of Geldart A and D particles in the dense and transit regions are compared. Finally, the influence of liquid antistatic agents on the performance of the electrostatic sensor array is investigated. According to the experimental results, it is proved that the flow characteristics in the dense and transit regions of a bubbling fluidized bed can be measured using electrostatic sensor arrays.
A Flexible Nonorthogonal-Reference-Frame-Based SVPWM Framework for Multilevel Inverters

A generalized SVPWM framework is proposed based on the convenient definition of three nonorthogonal static reference frames, alternative to the $\alpha \beta$ -frame. The definition of these reference frames is exploited in order to get appropriate switching sequences and duty cycles taking into account the redundancy property of constructive vectors. The redundancy property is transparent to the algorithm, given that the proposed method takes advantage of it by following a straightforward algebraic procedure, without postprocessing stages or lookup tables. Furthermore, according to the number of levels and the region of the control space, a detailed analysis on the viability of time averaged common-mode voltage (CMV) elimination, is given. If it is viable, the algorithm achieves zero time-averaged CMV by selecting appropriate switching sequences and duty cycles. The method is based on very simple, low-dimensional, algebraic matrix computations, which make it flexible for implementation. Every detail on the algorithm and its theoretical base is carefully provided in the manuscript. Both, the proposed strategy that optimally provides switching sequences eliminating CMV, and its viability analysis, are applicable to other types of modulation approaches based on orthogonal or nonorthogonal reference frames. A test is proposed on a real-time emulated five-level cascaded H-bridge topology.
GENETIC CONTROL OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO STAPHYLOCOCCAL NUCLEASE

A number of inbred and congenic resistant strains of mice were immunized with staphylococcal nuclease (Nase). Antibody responses were measured in the sera of the animals by a sensitive method involving inhibition of enzymatic hydrolysis of DNA, High responder strains included A/J, DBA/2, BALB/c, AKR/J, C57BR, and SJL/J. DBA/1 and C57BL/6 mice were low responders. The strain distribution of anti-Nase response potential was compatible with the relevant immune response gene(s) being linked to the murine major histocompatibility complex. Linkage of this response to H-2 was demonstrated by the findings that: (a) the congenic C3H/HeJ and C3H.SW mice were respectively high and low responders; (b) the congenic lines B10.A and B10.D2 were high responders, whereas the C57BL/10 strain was a poor responder; and (c) anti-Nase response potential of F2 progeny from DBA/1 x SJL/J matings correlated with their H-2 type. Three B10.A recombinant lines were used to map this Ir gene within H-2. B10.A(4R) was a high responder to Nase, whereas B10.A(2R) and B10.A(5R) were both low responders. We wish to propose the name Ir-Nase for the gene(s) controlling antibody responsiveness to this immunogen. Our data indicate that Ir-Nase is located within the same chromosomal segment of the H-2 complex as is Ir-IgG.