Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Activation of NMDA receptors in hippocampal area CA1 by low and high frequency orthodromic stimulation and their contribution to induction of long‐term potentiation

N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors are important in many instances of synaptic plasticity. In hippocampal area CA1, long‐term potentiation (LTP) can be induced by both NMDA receptor‐dependent and ‐independent mechanisms. Using intracellular recordings and single‐electrode voltage clamp, we isolated and characterized NMDA receptor‐mediated synaptic responses. NMDA receptor‐mediated responses evoked by low frequency orthodromic stimulation were inhibited in a dose‐dependent manner by the competitive antagonist D,L‐2‐amino‐5‐phosphonovaleric acid (APV). High frequency (tetanic) stimulation, which facilitates synaptic release of glutamate, failed to overcome the blockade of NMDA receptors by APV. Using extracellular recordings of field potentials, we studied the contribution of NMDA receptors to LTP induced by different patterns of tetanic stimulation. LTP was inhibited in a dose‐dependent manner by APV, but was more sensitive to APV than were NMDA receptor‐mediated synaptic responses. This most likely reflects a threshold for NMDA receptor activation in LTP induction. A component of LTP that resisted blockade by APV was induced by high (200 Hz), but not low (25 Hz), frequency tetanization. This NMDA receptor‐independent component of LTP persisted for > 4 hours and accounted for approximately half the potentiation induced by 200 Hz tetanization. Procedures necessary to induce LTP at the Schaffer collateral/ commissural synapses in area CA1 by both NMDA receptor‐dependent and ‐independent mechanisms are now well characterized. Using the same neuronal population, it will be possible to ask if processes involved in the maintenance of LTP are shared even when LTP is induced through two different mechanisms. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Social Media Policies within NCAA Member Institutions: Evolving Technology and its Impact on Policy

Social media’s rapid adoption and usage by student-athletes has created risk for athletic department personnel who are often tasked with creating policy to protect both the department and the student-athletes. This research examined 244 social media policies from Division I, Division II, and Division III schools using framing and communication privacy management theories. An exploratory sequential mixed methods approach was utilized to collect the data. Analysis methods included content, thematic, and calculation of chi-square coefficient for significance. The results indicated that the policies overwhelmingly framed social media as restrictive. The analysis also revealed that student-athletes were presented with conflicting messages about ownership of social media content and were subjected to rules that governed content, monitoring, and the actions of others. As such, the authors suggest that social media policies should include more language that explains how student-athletes can benefit from social media technologies.
From Segmented Markets to Integrated Markets: An Analysis of Economic Integration and Antidumping Legislation

The paper examines how a movement from segmented markets to integrated markets affects the volume of trade, consumer prices, profits and welfare in a monopoly model. The monopolist can initially discriminate consumer prices among markets with trade costs but has to take arbitrage into account as economic integration proceeds. The analysis provides interesting insights into economic integration and antidumping law. It is shown that the extent of arbitrage and the shape of the marginal cost curve play crucial roles. Surprisingly, it is possible that neither consumers nor the monopolist gains from economic integration, and that antidumping legislation benefits consumers at the expense of producers.
Reconceptualization of price mavenism: do Chinese consumers get a glow when they know?

Purpose – Buyers in China often communicate positive and negative purchasing experiences through word‐of‐mouth (WOM), which creates special problems and opportunities for marketers. Price mavenism, which is associated with price‐information searching and price‐sharing behavior, is often considered a negative dimension of price. The purpose of this paper, however, is to propose price mavenism as an outcome variable arising from both positive perceptions of price (prestige sensitivity) and negative perceptions (price and value consciousness) and examine that the “know” (price mavenism) will positively impact the “glow” (shopping hedonism) among the Chinese.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through a survey in Shanghai, China. The conceptual model was tested using structural equation modeling.Findings – This study found that prestige sensitivity, price consciousness and value consciousness shaped price mavenism among the Chinese, supporting the idea that price mavenism arises from both positi.
Development of effective thermal characterization on handheld devices by matrix method

The thermal coupling effect between multiple chips cannot be ignored in handheld devices as they were not only all inside a compact system but also consumed comparable power simultaneously in practical scenarios. To shorten the time needed for thermal analysis, besides thermal simulation, an efficient analysis method by matrix method based on the concept of thermal network was developed in this study. It involves two matrixes as one was for the prediction of chipsets junction temperature to eliminate reliability or performance issue for electronics components, and the other was used for device skin temperature. In order to validate this proposal, in the first part, the thermal model of a handheld device was validated through a series of package and mock-up phone thermal experiments. The experiment includes not only one heat source in the standard JEDEC package level test but multiple heat sources on the phone level. Compared with experimental data, a range of +/-6.5% and +/-9% error was achieved for package and system level thermal model respectively. In the second part, two matrixes of thermal characteristic resistance derived from a simulate solution space were proven to be applicable in the concerned temperature-rising range of consumer electronics devices. It's indicated by the experimental data that the two matrixes method can serve as an effective thermal characterization tool with +/-4% and +/-2% average error on all chips junction temperature and device skin temperature in all scenarios respectively. With the proposed 2-matrix-based method, the analysis time can be significantly reduced and the benefits of various thermal designs were discussed to deliver some thermal management guidelines from the thermal network's point of view.
A new ANN-based methodology for very short-term wind speed prediction using Markov chain approach

Since year 2000, the increase of the installed wind energy capacity all over the world (mainly in Europe and United States) attracted the attention of electricity companies, wind farm promoters and researchers towards the short term prediction, mainly motivated by the necessity of integration into the grid of an increasing dasiaunknownpsila (fluctuating) amount of wind power. Besides, in a deregulated system, the ability to trade efficiently, make the best use of transmission line capability and address concerns with system frequency, accurate very short-term forecasts are motivated more than ever. In this study, very short term wind speed forecasting is developed utilizing artificial neural networks (ANN) in conjunction with Markov chain approach. Artificial neural networks predict short term values and the results are modified according to the long term patterns due to applying Markov chain. For verification purposes, the integrated proposed method is compared with ANN. The results show the effectiveness of the integrated method.
Phylogeographic structure, gene flow and species status in blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus)

We investigated the genetic population structure and species status of a relatively sedentary bird that is a permanent resident of western North American forests, the blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus). Phylogenetic analysis of complete mitochondrial control region DNA sequences resulted in the identification of three basal clades of haplotypes that were largely congruent with well‐known biogeographical regions. These clades corresponded to the parapatric sooty (D. o. fuliginosus) and dusky (D. o. obscurus) subspecies groups of blue grouse plus a previously unrecognized division between northern and southern dusky grouse populations; the latter does not correspond closely to any currently recognized subspecies boundary. Approximately 66% of the total genetic variation was distributed among these three regions. Maximum likelihood estimates of gene flow between the regions were low or asymmetric; gene flow has been insufficient to prevent genetic divergence between dusky and sooty grouse. Estimates of gene flow among populations within sooty grouse were large except across the Columbia River valley. Among populations of dusky grouse, estimates of gene flow were heterogeneous and asymmetrical, reflecting large‐scale fragmentation of the distribution due to landscape features and associated vegetation. Genetic, morphological and behavioural evidence suggest that sooty and dusky grouse are species‐level taxa; the specific status of a third clade remains ambiguous.
Human Resource Management in Bangladesh Civil Service: Constraints and Contradictions

Abstract This paper deals with the organization and management of human resource functions within the Government of Bangladesh. More specifically, it examines and analyzes the current limitations of and future challenges to human resource management in Bangladesh civil service. It demonstrates that despite a few attempts made at reforming and modernizing the civil service during past decades, traditional policies and practices continue to dominate its internal management. The current approach suffers from a multitude of anomalies and deficiencies including the lack of human resource planning, inappropriate staffing policy, discriminatory system of promotion, erratic postings and transfers, absence of any objective performance appraisal system and irrational reward structure. These deficiencies combined with bureaucratic corruption and increasing incidence of politicization adversely affect the quality and performance of civil service. They also pose a great challenge for the future in that they stifle the flowering of merit, professionalism and integrity in the public service.
Adaptive high-speed and ultra-low power optical interconnect for data center communications

In this paper, two basic methods for a performance and power adaptivity on system and component level in optical interconnects for data center communications are introduced and explained. The approaches are investigated in the EC FP7 project ADDAPT (Adaptive Data and Power Aware Transceivers for Optical Communications) which targets significant power savings in optical interconnects. First, a rapid link on/off switching is investigated when idle symbols are present in the data stream. For active data, a rapid on-switching in less than 20 ns at data rate of 56 Gb/s is achieved, which is almost one order of magnitude faster than in current systems. To evaluate power savings potential in links with multiple lanes, network analyses were performed and several packet statistics were investigated. As a result, up to 80% power savings can be achieved at 10% link utilization. Second, dynamic speed adaptation allows scaling down the performance of individual link system according to varying network traffic load. By this adaptive tuning, a reduction of the nominal power consumption by up to 80% is estimated when tuning down the link data rate from 56 Gb/s to 7 Gb/s.
Biology of cloned cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus: clearance of virus and in vitro properties

We have generated lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-specific, H-2-restricted cytotoxic thymus-derived lymphocyte (CTL) clones. By using these reagents in several in vitro assays with infected target cells, we show that CTLs by themselves prevent the release of infectious virus into culture fluids and significantly lower the titers of infectious virus previously produced. This ability of cloned CTLs is not influenced by monensin. However, monensin does abrogate the ability of CTLs from spleens of mice primed 6 to 8 days previously with virus to kill virus-infected syngeneic targets. When tested for the participation of lymphokines in this system, the CTLs proliferate when reacted with syngeneic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-infected macrophages but fail to make interleukin-2. These CTLs make gamma interferon when reacted with syngeneic virus-infected targets. However, the production of interferon does not directly correlate with CTL-mediated killing. The number of H-2K and D molecules expressed on the target cell surface is not altered during the course of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection. Electron microscopy shows finger-like projections of the CTL clone thrust into the infected cell and lesions bearing an internal diameter of approximately 15 nm in those membranes, illustrating the lytic process.
A privacy-preserving proximity friend notification scheme with opportunistic networking

Recently, smartphones have revolutionized mobile and pervasive computing around the world, and many smartphone-based applications have been developed to enrich our daily lives, such as location-based application which offers various useful services to its users based on users' current locations like Google Latitude. However, the attractive features of smartphone-based applications inevitably incur higher risks for abuse if such applications and services do not take security and privacy consideration into account prior to it being widely deployment. In this paper, to simultaneously find the proximity friends and protect smartphone users' identity privacy, we utilize the opportunistic networking to propose an efficient privacy-preserving proximity friend notification (PFN) scheme. Specifically, by combining the Bluetooth and 3G techniques of smartphones, a smartphone user can first send his privacy-preserving friend notification packet in a physical proximity area, then once a friend nearby receives and identifies the packet with opportunistic networking, the friend can directly phone back to the user. Detailed security analysis with provable security technique demonstrates the security of the proposed PFN scheme. In addition, extensive simulations have also been conducted to examine its effectiveness in terms of friend notification delay.
Genome Sequence of Legionella tunisiensis Strain LegMT, a New Legionella Species Isolated from Hypersaline Lake Water

ABSTRACT Legionella tunisiensis is a gammaproteobacterium from the class Legionellaceae, growing in amoebae. We sequenced the genome from strain LegMT. It is composed of 3,508,121 bp and contains 4,747 protein-coding genes and 38 RNA genes, including 3 rRNA genes.
Evaluation of brodifacoum against T. indica, M. hurrianae and R. rattus

Summary Brodifacoum was evaluated in the laboratory against the two gerbils, Tatera indica and Meriones hurrianae and the house rat, Rattus rattus. The acute oral LD50 for these rodents was found to be 0·10 mg/kg, 0·083 mg/kg and 0·77 mg/kg respectively. Feeding tests with 0·002% and 0·005% brodifacoum produced a 100% mortality after a 3-day feeding period in the gerbils and after a 4-day period in R. rattus. The anticoagulant is toxic at both the concentrations to all three species but is less palatable in comparison to plain baits. Results of this laboratory evaluation indicates that 0·002% brodifacoum-treated bait can be effectively used against T. indica, M. hurrianae and R. rattus.
The Soviet Household Under the Old Regime: Economic Conditions and Behavior in the 1970s. By Gur Ofer and Aaron Vinokur. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Pp. xviii, 396. $69.95

Soviet Union residing in Israel. The American-Soviet Interview Project interviewed 2,793 former residents of the Soviet Union residing in the United States. The Israel project shed light on life in the Soviet Union in the early 1970s; the American project shed light on conditions of life in the Soviet Union in the latter part of the 1970s. The two projects combined provide information on changes that occurred between the early and late 1970s.
Effects of Ultraviolet Photofunctionalization on Bone Augmentation and Integration Capabilities of Titanium Mesh and Implants.

PURPOSE Ultraviolet (UV)-mediated photofunctionalization has earned considerable attention for the enhancement of the biologic capabilities of titanium. The effects of photofunctionalization on bone augmentation and gap closure were examined using titanium implants and mesh in a rat femur model. MATERIALS AND METHODS An acid-etched titanium implant (4-mm length, 1-mm diameter) was placed in the gluteal tuberosity that resembles a knife-edge-like edentulous ridge. The lower half of the implant was located in a 2-mm-diameter defect created in the bone without cortical bone support; the upper half was exposed and covered with a titanium mesh to provide augmentation space. After 12 and 24 days of healing, specimens were subjected to microcomputed tomography (micro-CT)- and histology-based bone morphometry in three zones of analysis: augmentation, cortical bone-implant gap, and bone marrow. A biomechanical push-in test was performed to examine the strength of bone-implant integration. Photofunctionalization was performed by treating titanium implants and mesh with UV light for 12 minutes. RESULTS Photofunctionalized titanium mesh and implants were hydrophilic, whereas untreated controls were hydrophobic. Bone volume was significantly greater in photofunctionalized implants and mesh than in untreated implants in all zones on days 12 and 24. Bone-to-implant contact of photofunctionalized implants was greater than that of untreated implants, not just in the bone marrow but also in the gap and augmented zones. The strength of osseointegration was three times greater for photofunctionalized implants than for untreated implants. CONCLUSION Use of photofunctionalized titanium mesh and implants effectively enhanced vertical bone augmentation, cortical bone-implant gap closure, and osseointegration without innate bone support.
Factors associated with resilience in wives of individuals with alcohol dependence syndrome

Background and Objectives: Mental health and resilience of family members of individuals with alcohol dependence affect their ability to cope with stress, maintain emotional well-being, and to positively adapt to their difficult life circumstances. This study attempted to study resilience among wives of men with alcohol dependence syndrome. Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence and their wives attending the Department of Psychiatry, MOSC Medical College, Kolenchery, Kerala, over a 1-year period were recruited. The wives were assessed using the Resilience Scale for Adults and the Hamilton Depressive Rating Scale, whereas their spouses were evaluated using severity of alcohol dependence questionnaire and a proforma to collect sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Women with good resilience were compared to those with low scores using a case–control framework to evaluate factors associated with resilience. Multivariable analysis to adjust for common confounders was done using multiple linear regression. Results: Eighty patients and their spouses were recruited and evaluated. Resilience was inversely related to the severity of alcohol dependence, years of drinking in dependence pattern, history of domestic violence, and severity of depression in wives. Involvement in support groups was protective. Conclusion: Assessment of resilience in wives of individuals with alcohol dependence and identification and management of those with poor resilience should go hand in hand with their husband's treatment program.
The Application of Improved PSO Algorithm in the Geometric Constraint Solving

Abstract Geometric constraint solving is a hot topic in the constraint design research field. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is a method to solve the optimization problem from the biological population’s behavior characteristics. PSO is easy to diverge and fall into the local optimum. There are various kinds of improvements. In addition to improving some performance, the corresponding cost is paid. In this paper, a particle swarm optimization algorithm based on the geese is adopted to solve the geometric constraint problem. The algorithm is inspired by the flight characteristics of geese; each particle follows the optimal particle in front of it to keep the diversity; each particle can share more useful information of other particles, which strengthens cooperation and competition between particles. The algorithm balances the contradiction between the search speed and the accuracy of the algorithm to a certain extent. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can improve the efficiency and convergence of geometric constraint solving.
New contexts, new challenges: revisiting equal opportunities, particularism, and ethnic relations

This ‘debate piece’ discusses issues of equality and diversity in a period of changed circumstances and emergent challenges. The first part notes shifts affecting equal opportunities, the accommodation of ‘difference’, and the position of low-income groups, and reflects on implications. The second reviews issues around labour market migration and social rented housing. The third comments on the rise of particularism. Finally, the closing section refers briefly to a policy path creating space for localised autonomy and ‘consumer insulation’ via social housing. This highlights the potential clash with equal opportunities that is implicit within particularism as manifested in the idea of localism. Underpinning the commentary throughout the paper is a view that certain assumptions and apparent certainties in equal opportunities and ethnic relations scholarship appear less reliable than previously.
Calcium sparklets regulate local and global calcium in murine arterial smooth muscle

In arterial smooth muscle, protein kinase Cα (PKCα) coerces discrete clusters of L‐type Ca2+ channels to operate in a high open probability mode, resulting in subcellular domains of nearly continual Ca2+ influx called ‘persistent Ca2+ sparklets’. Our previous work suggested that steady‐state Ca2+ entry into arterial myocytes, and thus global [Ca2+]i, is regulated by Ca2+ influx through clusters of L‐type Ca2+ channels operating in this persistently active mode in addition to openings of solitary channels functioning in a low‐activity mode. Here, we provide the first direct evidence supporting this ‘Ca2+ sparklet’ model of Ca2+ influx at a physiological membrane potential and external Ca2+ concentration. In support of this model, we found that persistent Ca2+ sparklets produced local and global elevations in [Ca2+]i. Membrane depolarization increased Ca2+ influx via low‐activity and high‐activity persistent Ca2+ sparklets. Our data indicate that Ca2+ entering arterial smooth muscle through persistent Ca2+ sparklets accounts for approximately 50% of the total dihydropyridine‐sensitive (i.e. L‐type Ca2+ channel) Ca2+ influx at a physiologically relevant membrane potential (−40 mV) and external Ca2+ concentration (2 mm). Consistent with this, inhibition of basal PKCα‐dependent persistent Ca2+ sparklets decreased [Ca2+]i by about 50% in isolated arterial myocytes and intact pressurized arteries. Taken together, these data support the conclusion that in arterial smooth muscle steady‐state Ca2+ entry and global [Ca2+]i are regulated by low‐activity and PKCα‐dependent high‐activity persistent Ca2+ sparklets.