Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radio and γ-ray follow-up of the exceptionally high-activity state of PKS 1510−089 in 2011

We investigate the radio and γ-ray variability of the flat spectrum radio quasar PKS 1510−089 in the time range between 2010 November and 2012 January. In this period the source showed an intense activity, with two major γ-ray flares detected in 2011 July and October. During the latter episode both the γ-ray and the radio flux density reached their historical peak. Multiwavelength analysis shows a rotation of about 380° of the optical polarization angle close in time with the rapid and strong γ-ray flare in 2011 July. An enhancement of the optical emission and an increase of the fractional polarization both in the optical and in radio bands are observed about three weeks later, close in time with another γ-ray outburst. On the other hand, after 2011 September a huge radio outburst has been detected, first in the millimetre regime followed with some time delay at centimetre down to decimetre wavelengths. This radio flare is characterized by a rising and a decaying stage, in agreement with the formation of a shock and its evolution, as a consequence of expansion and radiative cooling. If the γ-ray flare observed in 2011 October is related to this radio outburst, then this strongly indicates that the region responsible for the γ-ray variability is not within the broad line, but a few parsecs downstream along the jet.
Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor prevents the nigrostriatal degeneration induced by human immunodeficiency virus‐1 glycoprotein 120 in vivo

Glycoprotein 120 (gp120) from the T‐tropic strain of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 has been shown to cause neuronal apoptosis through activation of the chemokine receptor CXCR4. Therefore, reducing CXCR4 expression may prevent gp120‐mediated apoptosis. Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to reduce both gp120 neurotoxicity and CXCR4 expression in vitro. The scope of this work is to establish whether BDNF is neuroprotective against gp120 in vivo and, if so, whether this effect correlates with its ability to down‐regulate CXCR4. Serotype 2 adeno‐associated viral vector encoding for BDNF (rAAV‐BDNF) or control vector was microinjected into the striata of adult rats. Two weeks later gp120 was injected into the same striatum, and apoptosis determined. Pretreatment with rAAV‐BDNF prior to gp120 microinjection prevented caspase‐3 activation as well as in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin–dUTP nick end labelling in the striatum and substantia nigra. In addition, rAAV‐BDNF reversed the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity induced by gp120 in both areas. CXCR4 expression was then determined by immunohistochemistry and RT‐PCR, and found to be decreased in striata of rAAV‐BDNF‐treated rats. Conversely, BDNF heterozygous mice exhibited an increase in CXCR4 mRNA levels compared to wild‐type littermates. Our data suggest that down‐regulation of CXCR4 expression may contribute to the neuroprotective activity of BDNF against gp120 toxicity in the basal ganglia.
Reduction effect of bacterial counts by preoperative saline lavage of the stomach in performing laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery.

AIM To investigate the effects of gastric lavage with 2000 mL of saline in laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery. METHODS Twenty two patients who were diagnosed with a gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor were enrolled. In former term, irrigations of the stomach were conducted whenever it was necessary, not systematically (Non systemic lavage group). In latter term, the stomach was thoroughly cleaned with 2000 mL of saline using an endoscope with a water jet, and Duodenal balloon occlusion was conducted to prevent refluxed bile and pancreatic juice (Systemic lavage+balloon occlusion group). The gastric wall was sprayed with 20 mL of distilled water, and 20 mL of gastric juice was collected in a sterile tube and submitted for culture. 20 mL of ascites was also collected from the laparoscopic ports and submitted for culture. We compared WBC, CRP, BT between two groups, and verify the reduction effect of bacterial counts in Systemic lavage+balloon occlusion group. RESULTS WBC count before, 1 d after, and 3 d after laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS) were 5060 (95%CI: 4250-9640), 12140 (6050-14110), and 6910 (5320-12520) in Non systemic lavage group, 4400 (3660-7620), 8910 (6480-10980), and 5950 (4840-7860) in Systemic lavage+balloon occlusion group. Significant differences between two groups at the day after LECS (P = 0.029) and the 3 d after LECS (P = 0.042). CRP levels in Non systemic lavage group and in Systemic lavage+balloon occlusion group were significantly different at the day after LECS (P = 0.005) and the 3 d after LECS (P = 0.028). BTs (°C) in Non systemic lavage group and in Systemic lavage+balloon occlusion group were also significantly different at the day after LECS (P = 0.004) and the 3 d after LECS (P = 0.006). In a logarithmic comparison, bacterial load before gastric lavage, after lavage, and ascites culture were 6.08 (95%CI: 4.04-6.97), 0.48 (0-0.85), and 0.21 (0-0.56). The bacterial counts before and after gastric lavage were significantly suppressed (P = 0.007), but no significant difference between gastric juice culture after lavage and ascites (P = 0.154). CONCLUSION Pre-LECS lavage with 2000 mL of saline exhibited a bacteria-reducing effect equivalent to disinfectants and obtained favorable results in terms of clinical symptoms and data.
Influence of relational factors on international joint venture performance

The objective of this paper is to investigate the influence of relational factors (trust, cooperation, commitment and satisfaction) on international joint venture (IJV) performance. Although relationships, interaction and networks in business markets have been well documented, there is a lack of research analysing relationships between international joint venture partners. A joint venture parent company needs to understand how to interact with their partner, in order to prevent possible conflict. China’s recent entry into the World Trade Organisation, underlines the importance of understanding the influence relational factors have on performance. Twenty-five parent companies have been investigated for the purpose of this study. The influence of relational factors is analysed alongside other important variables investigated in previous studies into IJV performance.
Osteoid Osteoma of the Lateral Talar Process Presenting as a Chronic Sprained Ankle

Pathologic conditions of the lateral talar process may be difficult to diagnose using physical examination and roentgenographs. A computed tomography scan of the hindfoot is often useful to define lesions of the lateral process. We report a case of osteoid osteoma of the lateral talar process that defied diagnosis for 4 years. The patient had an antecedent history of an inversion injury, which had been treated as a chronically painful sprained ankle without resolution of symptoms. The tumor was ultimately identified on a computed tomography scan, best seen on a coronal section through the talus. The patient had complete relief of pain after excisional biopsy of the tumor.
Disputed Authorship Resolution through Using Relative Empirical Entropy for Markov Chains of Letters in Human Language Texts

The problem of disputed authorship resolution is solved here by the formal analysis of texts. The method of the analysis is based on the Markov Model for the sequence of letters in text. We assume that the frequencies of letter pairs are very specific for an author. This assumption is checked in the large statistical experiment which was carried out for 386 text samples (stories, novels, and their combination) from stories and novels of 82 Russian fiction writers.
A study on the effect of emotion evoking videos on physiological signals

The power of the music in evoking physical reactions has been well studied in literature for healthy and ill subjects. In this study we implemented a plethysmogragh data-acquisition system and analyzed the effect of emotion-evoking videos with audio and without audio on heart rate and average blood flow power. Our experiments showed that the audio plays the key role in variation of heart rate and average blood power with a high significance value (p=4.37×10-5) when compared to visual without audio. The research can be extended further to the development of smart software/applications that predicts user-specific emotion-evoking videos.
Designing the Global Corporation

If there's anything more challenging than designing a company, it's designing a global company. Balancing strategy and structure becomes even more daunting when geography, foreign governments, and worldwide customers and products are thrown into the mix. And no single design works for all organizations. In this book, internationally recognized expert Jay Galbraith shows companies how to match their own strengths and strategies with proven design options. Whether they're exporting their first product or already operating around the world, Galbraith gives companies the information they need to build flexible, global networks. And through real-world examples, he shows how successful international businesses are already navigating the global environment.
Empirical evidence on the incentives to hedge transaction and translation exposure

We investigate Swedish firms’ use of financial hedges to reduce their foreign exchange exposure for 1997–2001. The study uses survey data, which enables us to differentiate between hedging aimed at translation exposure and transaction exposure, respectively. The survey responses show that more than 50% of the firms employ financial hedges and that transaction exposure is more frequently hedged than translation exposure. We find that the likelihood of using financial hedges is increasing with firm size and exposure and that liquidity constraints are important in explaining transaction exposure hedging. Importantly, we find that the existence of loan covenants explains translation exposure hedging. This suggests that firms hedge translation exposure in order to prevent costly violations of loan covenants.
Rheological behaviour and mechanical characterization of injectable poly(propylene fumarate)/single-walled carbon nanotube composites for bone tissue engineering

This work investigated the effects of the use of a surfactant or the functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on their dispersion in uncrosslinked poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) and the mechanical reinforcement of crosslinked composites as a function of the SWNT concentration. Rheological measurements showed good dispersion of SWNTs in uncrosslinked PPF at low concentrations of 0.05 wt% and SWNT aggregation for higher concentrations for all formulations examined. Mechanical testing demonstrated significant reinforcement in the compressive and flexural mechanical properties of crosslinked nanocomposites which peaked for low SWNT concentrations of the order of 0.05 wt%. For example, a 74% increase was recorded for the compressive modulus and a 69% increase for the flexural modulus of nanocomposites with functionalized SWNTs at a 0.05 wt% loading. Nevertheless, this reinforcement was not related to the use of a surfactant or the functionalization of the SWNTs tested. Scanning electron microscopy examinations of fractured nanocomposite surfaces revealed the formation of SWNT aggregates at higher concentrations corroborating the rheological and mechanical data. These results suggest that the dispersion of individual SWNTs in a uncrosslinked formulation is pivotal to the development of injectable nanocomposites for bone tissue engineering applications.
Quantifying diatom silicification with the fluorescent dye, PDMPO

Diatoms require silicic acid to construct ornately detailed cell walls called frustules. The growth and geographic distribution of diatoms is often controlled by the availability of silicic acid. Analytical methods exist to assess diatom community biogenic silica (bSiO2) production, but partitioning production among taxa has been largely qualitative. We present a method for the quantitative analysis of taxa‐specific silica production through labeling diatoms with the fluorescent dye PDMPO [2‐(4‐pyridyl)‐5‐((4‐(2‐dimethylaminoethylaminocarbamoyl)methoxy)phenyl)oxazole]. To make PDMPO a quantitative tool: diatom frustules were solubilized to assess the total diatom community incorporation by quantitation of PDMPO fluorescence using a fluorometer, and laser confocal microscopy was used to quantify the fluorescence of PDMPO in single diatom cells. We created a fluorescence standard to intercalibrate the raw fluorescence signals of the fluorometer and microscope and to determine the fluorescence per mole of PDMPO. PDMPO incorporation was converted to silica production using diatom bSiO2 : PDMPO incorporation ratios which varied systematically with silicic acid concentration. Above 3 μM Si(OH)4, bSiO2 : PDMPO was constant and PDMPO incorporation was converted to silica production using a mole ratio of 2916 as determined from cultures. Below 3 μM, the ratio was a linear function of [Si(OH)4] (bSiO2 : PDMPO = 912.6 × [Si(OH)4]), as determined using data from two oceanographic cruises. Field evaluation of the method showed that total community PDMPO incorporation generally agreed to within 30% of radioisotope‐determined silica production. This PDMPO method has the potential to be a powerful tool for understanding physiology, silicification and resource competition among diatom taxa.
The Existential Concerns Questionnaire (ECQ)-Development and Initial Validation of a New Existential Anxiety Scale in a Nonclinical and Clinical Sample.

OBJECTIVE Existential anxiety (EA) is a construct that refers to fears that are provoked by core threats of human existence, such as death, meaninglessness, and fundamental loneliness. The objective of this study was to develop an EA measure that can be used in research and clinical practice. METHOD The Existential Concerns Questionnaire (ECQ) was completed by a nonclinical sample of 389 adults, together with questionnaires measuring death anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, neuroticism, distress, meaning, and life events. Adaptations were made based on item analysis and factor analysis. A total of 99 adults who had an anxiety and/or depressive disorder completed the final version. RESULTS The ECQ was demonstrated to be essentially unidimensional and showed good reliability and stability. Correlations with other measures were within the expected range of strength, except for a weak association with life events. CONCLUSION Initial results regarding the psychometric properties of the ECQ are promising.
Long-Term Potentiation in the Hippocampal CA1 Region of Mice Lacking cGMP-Dependent Kinases Is Normal and Susceptible to Inhibition of Nitric Oxide Synthase

Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a potential cellular mechanism for learning and memory. The retrograde messenger nitric oxide (NO) is thought to induce LTP in the CA1 region of the hippocampus via activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) and, ultimately, cGMP-dependent protein kinase (cGK). Two genes code for the isozymes cGKI and cGKII in vertebrates. The functional role of cGKs in LTP was analyzed using mice lacking the gene(s) for cGKI, cGKII, or both. LTP was not altered in the mutant mice lineages. However, LTP was reduced by inhibition of NO synthase and NMDA receptor antagonists, respectively. The reduced LTP was not recovered by the cGK-activator 8-(4 chlorophenylthio)-cGMP. Moreover, LTP was not affected by the sGC inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]-quiloxalin-1-one. In contrast, it was effectively suppressed by nicotinamide, a blocker of the ADP-ribosyltransferase. These results show that cGKs are not involved in LTP in mice and that NO induces LTP through an alternative cGMP-independent pathway, possibly ADP-ribosylation.
RF energy harvesting system from cell towers in 900MHz band

An experimental RF energy harvesting system to harvest energy from cell towers is presented in this paper. An electromagnetically-coupled square microstrip antenna is designed and fabricated for deployment in the presented system. Antenna gain of 9.1dB and bandwidth from 877 MHz to 998 MHz is achieved. A Schottky diode-based single stage voltage doubler and six-stage voltage doubler has also been designed and fabricated for DC voltage generation. Measured results show that a voltage of 2.78V is obtained at a distance of 10m from the cell tower and a voltage of 0.87V is obtained at a distance of 50m.
Real-time rendering of realistic surface diffraction with low rank factorisation

We propose a novel approach for real-time rendering of diffraction effects in surface reflectance in arbitrary environments. Such renderings are usually extremely expensive as they require the computation of a convolution at real-time framerates. In the case of diffraction, the diffraction lobes usually have high frequency details that can only be captured with high resolution convolution kernels which make calculations even more expensive. Our method uses a low rank factorisation of the diffraction lookup table to approximate a 2D convolution kernel by two simpler low rank kernels which allow the computation of the convolution at real-time framerates using two rendering passes. We show realistic renderings in arbitrary environments and achieve a performance from 50 to 100 FPS making possible to use such a technique in real-time applications such as video games and VR.
Adaptive transparent impedance reflecting teleoperation

To achieve transparency for teleoperation in unknown or time varying environments a class of indirect adaptive bilateral control schemes is developed based on the Slotine-Li (1989) "composite adaptive control" schemes and the "impedance bilateral control" architecture presented by Hannaford (1989). The proposed controllers need master and slave position, velocity and acceleration measurements and require no force sensing. Numerical simulations are worked out to demonstrate the transparency and robustness of the controllers to time delay.
The sodium‐driven chloride/bicarbonate exchanger in presynaptic terminals

The sodium‐driven chloride/bicarbonate exchanger (NDCBE), a member of the SLC4 family of bicarbonate transporters, was recently found to modulate excitatory neurotransmission in hippocampus. By using light and electron microscopic immunohistochemistry, we demonstrate here that NDCBE is expressed throughout the adult rat brain, and selectively concentrates in presynaptic terminals, where it is closely associated with synaptic vesicles. NDCBE is in most glutamatergic axon terminals, and is also present in the terminals of parvalbumin‐positive γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic cells. These findings suggest that NDCBE can regulate glutamatergic transmission throughout the brain, and point to a role for NDCBE as a possible regulator of GABAergic neurotransmission. J. Comp. Neurol. 520:1481–1492, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dynamic Security Dispatch: Basic Formulation

This paper presents preliminary results on a direct method for dynamic security dispatch in large power systems. The usual indirect approach starts with an operating point chosen to give optimal economy; then contingency testing using simulation indicates icates adjustments which may be needed to ensquatere ade- uate transient stability after the most likely faults. The nature of the adjustments is derived from "intuitive ve feel" for the system. Using a model given by Bergen and Hill [1], distribution factors are presented for systemmatically improving transient stability with variation of bus powers, line impedances and bus voltages. s. By incorporating a stability index into the cost function for economic dispatch, there can be a trade-off ff between the requirements for economy and stability in choosing an operating point. The method could be adapted to either planning or on-line scheduling to ensure adequate dynamic security. The application of the approach is demonstrated on a 5 bus example system.
Real-life experience with fampridine (Fampyra®) for patients with multiple sclerosis and gait disorders.

BACKGROUND Fampridine is a broad-spectrum voltage-dependent potassium channel blocker that enhances synaptic transmission. The drug has been shown to be able to ameliorate conduction in demyelinated axons, thereby leading to improved gait in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). OBJECTIVE To assess the "real-life" efficacy and safety of fampridine prescribed for gait disorders in MS. This was an observational and prospective study carried out at MS Units participating in the Brazilian Multiple Sclerosis Study Group. METHODS Patients with MS and gait disorders were prescribed fampridine (10 mg twice a day), irrespectively of the degree of disability determined by MS. Neurological disability determined by MS was assessed with the expanded disability scale score (EDSS). Outcomes for efficacy and safety of the drug were evaluated by the 25 foot-walk test and by the adverse events of fampridine. RESULTS The time taken to walk 25 feet decreased by 20% or more in 62 patients (70%). Twenty-five patients were considered to be non-responders to this treatment. Improvement in walking speed was independent of improvement of disability. Mild or moderate adverse events were reported in 8% of patients. CONCLUSION Fampridine is an efficient and safe therapeutic option for patients with MS and gait disorders.
Modelling and controlling techniques of microorganisms mean age in biotechnological processes

This paper deals with the possibility to control the biosynthesis processes using information about microorganisms mean age. The mean age is a very important parameter characteristic to every species and is tightly linked to the mechanism of producing biosynthesis products. The basic idea in controlling the biosynthesis processes using microorganisms mean age information is to bring the most microorganisms developed in the bioreactor to an optimum age. Thus they become capable of producing a large quantity of biosynthesis products. The simulation presented in this paper pertinently illustrates the viability of this method in continuous bioreactors, having as subject a population of Candida Lipolytica, cultivated on an ammonium sulphate sublayer.
Ribozyme, antisense RNA, and antisense DNA inhibition of U7 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein-mediated histone pre-mRNA processing in vitro

A comparative analysis of ribozyme, antisense RNA, and antisense DNA inhibitors of the in vitro small nuclear ribonucleoprotein U7-dependent histone pre-mRNA processing reaction was performed. RNA molecules complementary to the U7 sequence inhibited in vitro processing of histone pre-mRNA at a sixfold excess over U7. Single-stranded DNA complementary to the entire U7 sequence inhibited the reaction at a 60-fold excess over U7, while a short, 18-nucleotide DNA molecule complementary to the 5' end of U7 inhibited the processing reaction at a 600-fold excess. A targeted ribozyme was capable of specifically cleaving the U7 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein in a nuclear extract and inhibited the U7-dependent processing reaction, but in our in vitro system it required a 1,000-fold excess over U7 for complete inhibition of processing.