Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of an Optimised Application Protocol For Sonophoretic Transdermal Delivery of a Model Hydrophilic Drug

It has now been known for over a decade that low frequency ultrasound can be used to effectively enhance transdermal drug penetration - an approach termed sonophoresis. Mechanistically, acoustic cavitation results in the creation of defects in the stratum corneum that allow accelerated absorption of topically applied molecules. The aim of this study was to develop an optimised sonophoresis protocol for studying transdermal drug delivery in vitro. To this end, caffeine was selected as a model hydrophilic drug while porcine skin was used as a model barrier. Following acoustic validation, 20kHz ultrasound was applied for different durations (range: 5 s to 10 min) using three different modes (10%, 33% or 100% duty cycles) and two distinct sonication procedures (either before or concurrent with drug deposition). Each ultrasonic protocol was assessed in terms of its heating and caffeine flux-enhancing effects. It was found that the best regimen was a concurrent 5 min, pulsed (10% duty cycle) beam of SATA intensity 0.37 W/cm2. A key insight was that in the case of pulsed beams of 10% duty cycle, sonication concurrent with drug deposition was superior to sonication prior to drug deposition and potential mechanisms for this are discussed.
The Behavioral Sciences in Management Education

Any responsible attempt to do justice to the topic introduced here will necessarily degenerate soon into a dry-as-dust listing of fields, disciplinary bases, and sources of influences. Let me postpone that dreaded moment a little by personalizing the problem. Let me say, first, what I mean to cover under the heading of "the behavioral sciences. " For example, I will not, by convention, deal with economics, although that must be by any understanding of the adjective a behavioral science. Indeed, one might even say it is largely a simplified motivational theory with a lot of algebra piled on top. No matter. One doesn't consider it a behavioral science, so I won't. Again, I will not attempt to cover the rich contribution of sociology, being conscious that my distinguished colleague, Amitai Etzioni, is also presenting a paper in this conference. ' He really understands the field, and I will carefully avoid his area of expertise. Instead, let me reminisce a moment. I come from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Ours is a relatively small school, and we like to keep in our own minds an avant-garde characteristic as part of our image. The Sloan School is not a good model in the sense of being a statistically representative example of the population of schools of management, but its very deviance from the norm may provide us with some insights which are less clear elsewhere. At M.I. T. , behavioral courses account for almost exactly 25 percent of all the student hours in management. This is roughly equally true across the board-that is, in undergraduate, graduate, and postexperience programs. (Parenthetically, I like to point out to our dean that we teach this 25 percent of the total for 19 percent of the payroll. I keep pointing it out, but it does not seem to get me anywhere.) Although I don't have the data to support my feeling, I would guess that this 25 percent of the total curriculum is larger than would be true of all schools of management, or even than most of a sample of especially highly regarded ones. Much of what we teach anywhere is vocabulary. A generation ago, the mark of an educated man was his ability to drop a French phrase into the dinner table conversation. Using this criterion, I notice that our Sloan Fellows-young thirty-eight-year-old managers who spend a year with us-speak a different language in the spring from the one they spoke the summer before. Furthermore, they speak of participation, group cohesion, and mutual confidence and trust with the same facility and confidence
Criminal Prosecutions: Examining Prosecutorial Discretion and Charge Reductions in U.S. Federal District Courts

The role of the prosecutor in criminal punishments remains a fervent topic of criminal justice discourse, yet it has received limited empirical attention, particularly for U.S. Attorneys in federal district courts. The present study examines charging and sentencing outcomes in federal courts by combining charging data from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts with sentencing data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. The merger of these data sources overcomes limitations of each and provides for an investigation of the causes and consequences of federal prosecutorial charging decisions. Our investigation focuses on the subtle but important influences that extralegal offender characteristics exert in this process. Results indicate that some extralegal characteristics are intricately tied to the likelihood of charge reductions. Moreover, these effects sometimes interact to produce compound disadvantages for some groups of offenders. Our analyses are guided by contemporary theoretical perspectives on courtroom decision‐making.
A classification scheme to better understand satisfaction of Black Hills deer hunters: The role of harvest success

Abstract This research applies the multiple satisfactions concept in segmenting hunters to gain a better understanding of the relationship between harvest success (harvesting a doe or a buck) and satisfaction. South Dakota Black Hills deer hunters were segmented into seven types (nature, social, excitement, meat, trophy, solitude, and exercise) based on their main reason for liking to hunt deer in the Black Hills. Exercise hunters were dropped from further analyses due to small segment size. Next, the simple relationship between harvest success and satisfaction was explored for each hunter type. Harvest success proved to have a relationship to satisfaction that differed for the different types of hunters. This analysis was followed by an exploration of the linear relationship of harvest success and satisfaction with seven other variables to determine the best predictors of satisfaction for each of the hunter types. Hunters’ subjective evaluations of the number of deer seen, number of bucks seen, and buck quality had a higher correlation with satisfaction than actual harvest success.
Mitochondrial Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase Is Upregulated in Response to Intermittent Hypoxic Preconditioning

Intermittent hypoxia preconditioning (IHP) has been shown to protect neurons against ischemic stroke injury. Studying how proteins respond to IHP may identify targets that can help fight stroke. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether mitochondrial dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLDH) would respond to IHP and if so, whether such a response could be linked to neuroprotection in ischemic stroke injury. To do this, we subjected male rats to IHP for 20 days and measured the content and activity of DLDH as well as the three α-keto acid dehydrogenase complexes that contain DLDH. We also measured mitochondrial electron transport chain enzyme activities. Results show that DLDH content was indeed upregulated by IHP and this upregulation did not alter the activities of the three α-keto acid dehydrogenase complexes. Results also show that the activities of the five mitochondrial complexes (I-V) were not altered either by IHP. To investigate whether IHP-induced DLDH upregulation is linked to neuroprotection against ischemic stroke injury, we subjected both DLDH deficient mouse and DLDH transgenic mouse to stroke surgery followed by measurement of brain infarction volume. Results indicate that while mouse deficient in DLDH had exacerbated brain injury after stroke, mouse overexpressing human DLDH also showed increased brain injury after stroke. Therefore, the physiological significance of IHP-induced DLDH upregulation remains to be further investigated.
People detection in RGB-D data

People detection is a key issue for robots and intelligent systems sharing a space with people. Previous works have used cameras and 2D or 3D range finders for this task. In this paper, we present a novel people detection approach for RGB-D data. We take inspiration from the Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) detector to design a robust method to detect people in dense depth data, called Histogram of Oriented Depths (HOD). HOD locally encodes the direction of depth changes and relies on an depth-informed scale-space search that leads to a 3-fold acceleration of the detection process. We then propose Combo-HOD, a RGB-D detector that probabilistically combines HOD and HOG. The experiments include a comprehensive comparison with several alternative detection approaches including visual HOG, several variants of HOD, a geometric person detector for 3D point clouds, and an Haar-based AdaBoost detector. With an equal error rate of 85% in a range up to 8m, the results demonstrate the robustness of HOD and Combo-HOD on a real-world data set collected with a Kinect sensor in a populated indoor environment.
Clearing Up Obstructions: An Image Schema Approach to the Concept of ‘Datong’ 大通 in Chapter 6 of the Zhuangzi

In much of modern scholarship, the notion of datong 大通 in Zhuangzi’s famous zuowang 坐忘 (sitting in disregard) passage is often interpreted as either Dao or a mental/spiritual state of an ideal person, a person who has obtained Dao. In either case, however, the association between datong and such interpretation lacks detailed justification resulting from an insufficiently understood relation between datong and its immediately preceding statements. Different from the more common readings, I propose a cognitive approach based on an image schema related to non-obstruction. In order to demonstrate the philosophical importance of this schema, I will first briefly point out the problems of previous scholarship regarding the zuowang passage. Second, I will introduce the image schema related to non-obstruction based on a number of examples taken from the Zhuangzi. Finally, I will apply this methodology and introduce a cognitive experience-based interpretation of the zuowang passage.
Fas- and Tumor Necrosis Factor-induced Apoptosis Is Inhibited by the Poxvirus crmA Gene Product (*)

crmA is a cowpox virus gene that encodes a protease inhibitor of the serpin family. The only reported target for the CrmA protein is the cysteine protease interleukin-1β converting enzyme (ICE). ICE, by virtue of its homology to the Caenorhabditis elegans cell death protein Ced-3, has been suggested to play a fundamentally important role in mammalian apoptosis. We hypothesized that a function of crmA may be to inhibit cell death, since a major mechanism of viral clearance is the immune system-mediated induction of apoptosis of infected cells. The tumor necrosis factor receptor and the Fas antigen are two cytokine receptors which, by engaging and activating the death pathway, can eliminate virus-infected cells. Remarkably, crmA was found to be an exceptionally potent inhibitor of apoptosis induced by both these receptors, capable of blocking the cell death program even at pharmacological doses of the death stimulus. Therefore, an important new function for crmA is the inhibition of cytokine-induced apoptosis. Further, the data suggest that a protease, either ICE or a related crmA-inhibitable protein, is a component of the Fas- and tumor necrosis factor-induced cell death pathways.
Pilot-Assisted Time-Varying Channel Estimation for OFDM Systems with Phase Noise

In this paper, a novel channel estimation technique is presented to fight against the impairment caused by the rapidly time-varying channel and random phase noise, which is very common in the wireless orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. By utilizing the optimal comb pilots and a linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) estimator, the algorithm proposed can jointly perform the channel and phase noise estimation using a modified basis expansion model (BEM). Theoretical analysis and simulation results indicate that this scheme can estimate the channel information accurately, and then improve the performance of equalization for reducing ICI.
Posterior cortical atrophy : a neuropsychological and neuroimaging study

This thesis investigates the neuroimaging and neuropsychological characteristics of Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA) which is most often caused by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology. Posterior cortical atrophy describes a predominantly posterior pattern of atrophy and cognitive deficits. PCA has been poorly characterized and is likely to have been under-recognized. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), patterns of cortical thickness were assessed in patients with pathologically-confirmed AD and different clinical presentations during life (including amnestic, visual and behavioural phenotypes). In addition to atrophy in the medial temporal lobe, tissue loss in posterior regions is indicative of AD pathology. Since medial temporal lobe atrophy is not specific to AD, posterior atrophy may aid distinction between AD and other dementias. Using easily-applied visual rating scales for medial temporal and posterior atrophy in patients with pathologically-confirmed AD and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), it was shown that posterior atrophy ratings improve classification accuracy of AD from FTLD and controls. Cross-sectional and longitudinal image analysis techniques were used to characterize atrophy patterns in PCA compared with controls and typical amnestic AD. Whilst the cross-sectional analysis revealed differential patterns of tissue loss in these two groups, with PCA showing greatest atrophy in posterior parietal regions, and typical AD predominantly in medial temporal lobe regions, longitudinal results showed that at five years disease duration, both PCA and typical AD had global grey matter loss and cortical thinning compared with controls. The nature of visual deficits in PCA was assessed by administering detailed neuropsychological tests. The behavioural data showed that visual deficits were not uniformly affected in PCA, with considerable heterogeneity of visual impairments shown. Cortical thickness measures were used to assess atrophy patterns in PCA patients with predominant space versus object perception impairments, revealing overlap in cortical thinning patterns between these two PCA subgroups. In summary this thesis investigates the common and differential atrophy patterns of atypical AD presentations as well as the degree of heterogeneity of deficits which exist within the PCA presentation.
ICT adoption in developing countries: perspectives from small-scale agribusinesses

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically examine how social augmented parameters impact on the effective adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) by small‐scale agribusinesses operating in Southeast Nigeria. The relevance of incorporating social imperatives in scholarship focused on technology adoption is due to its role in sustaining the process of adoption and diffusion.Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered from a focus group made up of 27 agribusiness proprietors affiliated with a state cooperative based in the south‐eastern Nigerian state of Ebonyi.Findings – This paper puts forward an argument that to ensure successful diffusion of innovation, a balance must be maintained between the amount of effort expended in the design of ICT and social factors such as language and traditional life. The paper finds that a willingness of indigenous ICT users is particularly influenced by the recognition and incorporation of visible social imperatives during the adoption pro.
A Leap Password based verification system

Recent developments in three-dimensional sensing devices has led to the proposal of a number of biometric modalities for non-critical scenarios. Leap Motion device has received attention from Vision and Biometrics community due to its high precision tracking. In this research, we propose Leap Password; a novel approach for biometric authentication. The Leap Password consists of a string of successive gestures performed by the user during which physiological as well as behavioral information is captured. The Conditional Mutual Information Maximization algorithm selects the optimal feature set from the extracted information. Match-score fusion is performed to reconcile information from multiple classifiers. Experiments are performed on the Leap Password Dataset, which consists of over 1700 samples obtained from 150 subjects. An accuracy of over 81% is achieved, which shows the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Turning theatre into law, and other spaces of politics

We assess Practicing Democracy, a play created by Headlines Theatre in Vancouver, Canada, which was the first attempt to deploy Augusto Boal's legislative theatre in North America. The goal of this project was to use forum theatre to generate creative solutions to the dangers created by provincial government cuts to social welfare, and to work with local government to turn some of these recommendations into new local government laws. This goal was not attained, although the report produced by Headlines Theatre may have supported other local initiatives. We examine the ways in which local politicians and planners maintained the distinction between expert and amateur, so as to undermine the credibility of public input. A bureaucratic process of classification and abstraction also inhibited the recommendations from being turned into law, and reinstated the expertise of politicians and bureaucrats. We balance this assessment with a reading of spaces that are excessive to this rational calculation: the city as a concrete site of embodied, creative spatial disruptions; and theatre as a pedagogical public sphere.
Fluid surface reconstruction from particles

Outlined is a new approach to the problem of surfacing particle-based fluid simulations. The key idea is to construct a surface that is as smooth as possible while remaining faithful to the particle locations. We describe a mesh-based algorithm that expresses the surface in terms of a constrained optimization problem. Our algorithm incorporates a secondary contribution in Marching Tiles, a generalization of the Marching Cubes isosurfacing algorithm. Marching Tiles provides guarantees on the minimum vertex valence, making the surface mesh more amenable to numerical operators such as the Bilaplacian.
Fooling a freshwater fish: how dietary salt transforms the rainbow trout gill into a seawater gill phenotype

SUMMARY Numerous fish species, including rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), are able to inhabit both freshwater and seawater and routinely migrate between the two environments. One of the most critical adjustments allowing such successful migrations is a remodelling of the gill in which a suite of morphological and molecular changes ensure optimal function in the face of reversing requirements for salt and water balance. The remodelling leads to specific freshwater and seawater gill phenotypes that are readily identified by the orientation and/or quantities of specific ion transporters and the presence or absence of specific cell types. The proximate cues promoting gill phenotypic plasticity are unknown. Here, by assessing the consequences of a salt-enriched diet (in the absence of any changes in external salinity) in the freshwater rainbow trout, we demonstrate that internal salt loading alone, is able to induce various elements of the seawater gill phenotype. Specifically, we show upregulation of three ion transport genes, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), Na+/K+/2Cl- co-transporter (NKCC1) and Na+/K+-ATPase, which are essential for ionic regulation in seawater, and the appearance of chloride cell-accessory cell complexes, which are normally restricted to fish inhabiting seawater. These data provide compelling evidence that gill remodelling during migration from freshwater to seawater may involve sensing of elevated levels of internal salt.
Examining the Strategic Alignment and Implementation Success of a KMS: A Subculture-Based Multilevel Analysis

Two important gaps exist in the information systems (IS) alignment research. First, there is scant research on the potential of organizational culture, and specifically subcultures to influence the strategic alignment of IS and organizations. Second, there is a dearth of literature that considers the relationship between alignment and implementation success. In this paper, we address both of these gaps by considering the influence of organizational subcultures on the alignment of a specific IS---a knowledge management system (KMS)---with organizational strategy. Our analysis demonstrates the important roles played by three different subcultures---enhancing, countercultural, and chameleon---in the alignment of the KMS. The analysis also underscores the complementary nature of the alignment and implementation literatures and suggests that they should be used in concert to explain the success of an IS. Drawing on our analysis, we build a subculture model, which depicts the intersection of alignment and implementation. From a managerial perspective, the subculture model highlights three different approaches to managing alignment and implementation. From a theoretical perspective, our paper highlights the need for IS alignment models to be modified, so that subunit-level analyses are incorporated. It also illustrates that organizations confront challenges of alignment and implementation simultaneously rather than sequentially.
2 0 Fe b 20 09 Duality and Regge trajectories in the 2 D Potts model on square lattice

A unified approach to the ferromagnetic two dimensional Potts model on square lattice is proposed. The compatibility with the still to be found solutions of the three (and higher) dimensional Ising model allows one to write down an explicit analytic ansatz for the free energy in terms of few q-dependent Regge trajectories. The duality symmetry of the 2D Potts model together with the known results on its critical exponent α allow to fix a priori in an analytic way all but one Regge trajectory. The agreement of proposed analytic ansatz with Monte Carlo data and observations in the q = 3 case is remarkable in all the range of temperatures. It is shown that the q > 4 cases naturally fit into the same scheme and that one should also expect a good agreement with Monte Carlo data and observations. The limiting q = 4 case is shortly discussed. Keyword: Regge theory, Potts Model, Ising model, duality. PACS: 12.40. Nn,11.55. Jy, 05.20. -y, 05.70. Fh. CECS-PHY-09/0? Introduction The Potts model is the most natural generalization of the two dimensional Ising model: in the Potts model, the spin may have q different states instead of two as in the Ising case. It is one of the most interesting models in statistical mechanics and field theory and it is still waiting for an exact solutions (for a nice review see [1]). The Potts model has many interesting features and a very rich phase diagram (due to the presence of two physical parameters: the inverse temperature β and the number of states q) which can be also useful as a model marco.astorino AT gmail.com canfora AT cecs.cl In the present paper we will only consider spin models on regular square lattices.