Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Essential Oil From the Seeds of Artemisia aucheri Boiss

Background Artemisia aerial parts are well known for antimicrobial activities including anti malaria. Objectives This study was carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of essential oil from the seeds of Artemisia aucheri Boiss (Asteraceae). Materials and Methods Essential oil was extracted from the powdered seeds of Artemisia aucheri by hydrodistillation. Antimicrobial activity against five bacterial species was tested using the disc diffusion method, and the chemical composition of the essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results The essential oil of Artemisia aucheri seed showed activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes. The essential oil constituents identified by GC-MS were as follows: decane, ρ-cymene, 1,8-cineole, linalool, ρ-mentha-8-ol, triene, borneol, lavandulol, bornyl acetate, chrysanthenyl acetate, dehydro aromadenderene, and caryophyllene oxide. Most of these compounds are also found in the aerial parts of Artemisia aucheri. Conclusions Variation in the compositions of essential oils from Artemisia aucheri, and thus variation in the antimicrobial activity of these oils, may be due to the plant parts used for essential oil prepration.
FAILURE BEHAVIOR OF BITUMINOUS BINDERS AND MIXES AT LOW TEMPERATURES

A research including a large experimental campaign on the thermo-mechanical behavior of five very different bituminous binders and mixes was conducted in the large strain amplitude domain. It was aimed at determining the links between the failure properties of bituminous binders and those of mixes at low temperatures. The thermo-mechanical behavior of bituminous binders was evaluated with the SHRP direct tensile test at a constant strain rate and constant temperatures, and also with a three point bending test on pre-notched bitumen samples considering the Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics principles. The thermo-mechanical behavior of bituminous mixes has been investigated by i) measurements of the coefficient of thermal dilatation and contraction, ii) tensile tests at constant temperatures and strain rates, and iii) Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Tests. Some pertinent links between binders and mixes properties are established. Characteristics which are pertinent and discriminating enough regarding the low-temperature properties of bituminous mixes in the large strain amplitude domain are presented. For the covering abstract see ITRD E121480.
PELE web server: atomistic study of biomolecular systems at your fingertips

PELE, Protein Energy Landscape Exploration, our novel technology based on protein structure prediction algorithms and a Monte Carlo sampling, is capable of modelling the all-atom protein–ligand dynamical interactions in an efficient and fast manner, with two orders of magnitude reduced computational cost when compared with traditional molecular dynamics techniques. PELE’s heuristic approach generates trial moves based on protein and ligand perturbations followed by side chain sampling and global/local minimization. The collection of accepted steps forms a stochastic trajectory. Furthermore, several processors may be run in parallel towards a collective goal or defining several independent trajectories; the whole procedure has been parallelized using the Message Passing Interface. Here, we introduce the PELE web server, designed to make the whole process of running simulations easier and more practical by minimizing input file demand, providing user-friendly interface and producing abstract outputs (e.g. interactive graphs and tables). The web server has been implemented in C++ using Wt (http://www.webtoolkit.eu) and MySQL (http://www.mysql.com). The PELE web server, accessible at http://pele.bsc. es, is free and open to all users with no login requirement.
A Universal Virtual Locomotion System: Supporting Generic Redirected Walking and Dynamic Passive Haptics within Legacy 3D Graphics Applications

In this paper we introduce a virtual locomotion system that allows navigation within any large-scale virtual environment (VE) by real walking. In contrast to the work of Razzaque et al. (2001) we have developed generic redirected walking concepts by combining motion compression, i. e. , scaling the real distance users walk, rotation gains, which make the real turns smaller or larger, and curvature gains, which bend the user's walking direction such that s/he walks on a curve. Furthermore, we introduce the new concept of dynamic passive haptics which extends passive haptics (Insko et al., 2001; Kohli et al., 2005) in such a way that any number of virtual objects can be sensed by means of real proxy objects having similar haptic capabilities, i. e. , size, shape and surface structure. We have evaluated these concepts and explain technical details regarding their integration into legacy 3D graphics applications.
Software strategies for portable computer energy management

Limiting the energy consumption of computers, especially portables, is becoming increasingly important. Thus, new energy-saving computer components and architectures have been and continue to be developed. Many architectural features have both high-performance and low-power modes, with the mode selection under software control. The problem is to minimize energy consumption while not significantly impacting the effective performance. We group the software control issues as follows: transition, load-change, and adaptation. The transition problem is deciding when to switch to low-power, reduced-functionality modes. The load-change problem is determining how to modify the load on a component so that it can make further use of its low-power modes. The adaptation problem is determining how to create software that allows components to be used in novel, power-saving ways. We survey implemented and proposed solutions to software energy management issues created by existing and suggested hardware innovations.
Computational Geometry&#8212;A Survey

We survey the state of the art of computational geometry, a discipline that deals with the complexity of geometric problems within the framework of the analysis of algorithms. This newly emerged area of activities has found numerous applications in various other disciplines, such as computer-aided design, computer graphics, operations research, pattern recognition, robotics, and statistics. Five major problem areas—convex hulls, intersections, searching, proximity, and combinatorial optimizations—are discussed. Seven algorithmic techniques—incremental construction, plane-sweep, locus, divide-and-conquer, geometric transformation, prune-and-search, and dynamization—are each illustrated with an example. A collection of problem transformations to establish lower bounds for geo-metric problems in the algebraic computation/decision model is also included.
Electrochemistry for material science

This book introduces the principles of electrochemistry with a special emphasis on materials science. This book is clearly organized around the main topic areas comprising electrolytes, electrodes, development of the potential differences in combining electrolytes with electrodes, the electrochemical double layer, mass transport, and charge transfer, making the subject matter more accessible. In the second part, several important areas for materials science are described in more detail. These chapters bridge the gap between the introductory textbooks and the more specialized literature. They feature the electrodeposition of metals and alloys, electrochemistry of oxides and semiconductors, intrinsically conducting polymers, and aspects of nanotechnology with an emphasis on the codeposition of nanoparticles.This book provides a good introduction into electrochemistry for the graduate student. For the research student as well as for the advanced reader there is sufficient information on the basic problems in special chapters. The book is suitable for students and researchers in chemistry, physics, engineering, as well as materials science. It includes: introduction into electrochemistry; metal and alloy electrodeposition; oxides and semiconductors, corrosion; intrinsically conducting polymers; and, codeposition of nanoparticles, multilayers.
Tensile strength and cellulose content of Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica) roots as bioengineering material.

Unstable slopes create numerous problems for forest management and may destroy the road network and disturb access to forest. Soil bioengineering is a solution that can prevent these problems and reinforce the hillslope. Persian ironwood is considered as a good protective species for hillslope stability in Iran with an extensive lack of information about biotechnical properties. In this research the root strength of this species and also the relation between root diameter and cellulose content were investigated. The results showed that the mean tensile force and tensile strength were 99.70 ± 2.01 N and 173.23 ± 4.94 MPa, respectively, for the root diameter range between 0.22 and 3.78 mm. The results of ANOVA showed that the power models between root diameter and tensile force and tensile strength were statistically significant and the results of t-test showed that coefficients and constants of the models are also significant. The values of the parameters of the power law (α and β) obtained for Persian ironwood do not fall in the range that has already been suggested for hardwood roots, which may be due to a narrow diameter range. The mean cellulose content was 56.87 ± 5.79% and the relationship between root diameter and cellulose content was not statistically significant. The data presented in this study expand the knowledge of biotechnical properties of Persian ironwood and support the idea that there is still an extensive lack of information about plant roots as a bioengineer- ing material.
Structural and functional insights into caseinolytic proteases reveal an unprecedented regulation principle of their catalytic triad

Caseinolytic proteases (ClpPs) are large oligomeric protein complexes that contribute to cell homeostasis as well as virulence regulation in bacteria. Although most organisms possess a single ClpP protein, some organisms encode two or more ClpP isoforms. Here, we elucidated the crystal structures of ClpP1 and ClpP2 from pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes and observe an unprecedented regulation principle by the catalytic triad. Whereas L. monocytogenes (Lm)ClpP2 is both structurally and functionally similar to previously studied tetradecameric ClpP proteins from Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, heptameric LmClpP1 features an asparagine in its catalytic triad. Mutation of this asparagine to aspartate increased the reactivity of the active site and led to the assembly of a tetradecameric complex. We analyzed the heterooligomeric complex of LmClpP1 and LmClpP2 via coexpression and subsequent labeling studies with natural product-derived probes. Notably, the LmClpP1 peptidase activity is stimulated 75-fold in the complex providing insights into heterooligomerization as a regulatory mechanism. Collectively, our data point toward different preferences for substrates and inhibitors of the two ClpP enzymes and highlight their structural and functional characteristics.
Abraxane® versus Taxol® for patients with advanced breast cancer: A prospective time and motion analysis from a Chinese health care perspective

Background Abraxane® and Taxol® are both effective drugs for the treatment of advanced stage breast cancer. However, each agent possesses unique drug delivery characteristics with the former not requiring premedication and having a considerably shorter recommended infusion time (i.e. 30 min vs. 2–4 h). To measure the overall efficiency and cost-saving potential associated with Abraxane® relative to Taxol®, a time and motion study was undertaken in breast cancer patients treated in China. Methods Baseline patient data collection included age, disease stage, number and sites of metastatic disease, and performance status. Time and resource use data were then collected from breast patients being treated with Abraxane® (n = 12) or Taxol® (n = 15) in one of three cancer clinics located in Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Beijing. Resource use and time impact on clinical staff were quantified using unit cost estimates. This included costs for drug preparation, administration, materials and supplies, premedication, patient chair time, labor costs, and all acute adverse drug reactions. Outcomes were presented as a mean total time and cost for delivering a dose of Abraxane® or Taxol® and were compared using parametric and non-parametric statistical tests where appropriate. All costs were reported in US dollars (US$1 = 6.1 RMB, as of January 2014). Results Patients were comparable with respect to mean age, number of metastatic sites, and performance status. Approximately 9 of 12 (75%) patients received Abraxane® as on a weekly schedule (vs. every 3 weeks) compared to 6 of 15 (40%) with Taxol®. There were 5 (33.3%) acute adverse drug reactions with Taxol®, 3 of which required a physician visit and the initiation of supportive interventions. In contrast, there was only one minor event with Abraxane® (8.3%), which was easily managed with a temporary stoppage of the infusion. From the time and motion study, the mean total time for Abraxane® and Taxol® delivery (preparation, administration, premedication, total chair time, and adverse effects management) was 84 and 282 min respectively (p < 0.001), with the associated costs being US$59 and US$254 respectively per dose (p < 0.001). Conclusion To our knowledge, this is first such study in breast cancer patients to be undertaken in China. Abraxane® was associated with fewer acute adverse drug reactions and significant reductions in health care resources, physician/nurse time and overall drug delivery costs compared to Taxol®.
Memory scheduling towards high-throughput cooperative heterogeneous computing

Technology scaling enables the integration of both the CPU and the GPU into a single chip for higher throughput and energy efficiency. In such a single-chip heterogeneous processor (SCHP), its memory bandwidth is the most critically shared resource, requiring judicious management to maximize the throughput. Previous studies on memory scheduling for SCHPs have focused on the scenario where multiple applications are running on the CPU and the GPU respectively, which we denote as a multitasking scenario. However, another increasingly important usage scenario for SCHPs is cooperative heterogeneous computing, where a single parallel application is partitioned between the CPU and the GPU such that the overall throughput is maximized. In previous studies on memory scheduling techniques for chip multi-processors (CMPs) and SCHPs, the first-ready first-come-first-service (FR-FCFS) scheduling policy was used as an inept baseline due to its fairness issue. However, in a cooperative heterogeneous computing scenario, we first demonstrate that FR-FCFS actually offers nearly 10% higher throughput than two recently proposed memory scheduling techniques designed for a multi-tasking scenario. Second, based on our analysis on memory access characteristics in a cooperative heterogeneous computing scenario, we propose various optimization techniques that enhance the row-buffer locality by 10%, reduce the service latency of CPU memory requests by 26%, and improve the overall throughput by up to 8% compared to FR-FCFS.
Comparison of channelized hotelling and human observers in determining optimum OS-EM reconstruction parameters for myocardial SPECT

The performance of the Channelized Hotelling Observer (CHO) was compared to that of human observers for determining optimum parameters for the iterative OS-EM image reconstruction method for the task of defect detection in myocardial SPECT images. The optimum parameters were those that maximized defect detectability in the SPECT images. Low noise, parallel SPECT projection data, with and without an anterior, inferior or lateral LV wall defect, were simulated using the Monte Carlo method. Poisson noise was added to generate noisy realizations. Data were reconstructed using OS-EM at 1 & 4 subsets/iteration and at 1, 3, 5, 7 & 9 iterations. Images were converted to 2D short-axis slices with integer pixel values. The CHO used 3 radially-symmetric, 2D channels, with varying levels of internal observer noise. For each parameter setting, 600 defect-present and 600 defect-absent image vectors were used to calculate the detectability index (dA). The human observers rated the likelihood that a defect was present in a specified location. For each parameter setting, the AUC was estimated from 48 defect-present and 48 defect-absent images. The combined human observer results showed the optimum parameter setting could be in the range 5-36 updates ([number of subsets]/iteration /spl times/ number of iterations). The CHO results showed the optimum parameter setting to be 4-5 updates. The performance of the CHO was much more sensitive to the reconstruction parameter setting than was that of the human observers. The rankings of the CHO detectability values did not change with varying levels of internal noise.
Designing guardbands for instantaneous aging effects

Bias Temperature Instability (BTI) is one of the key causes of reliability degradations of nano-CMOS circuits. While the long-term impact of BTI has been studied since years, the short-term implications of BTI on circuits are unexplored. In fact, in physics short-term BTI effects, i.e. instantaneous (i.e. sub μs) frequency dependent processes, have been recently reported. In order to design circuits with guardbands that are safe for long-term and instantaneous effects, new aging models are required. We are presenting the first approach that in fact considers both long-term as well as instantaneous BTI effects. It can be employed for complex circuits at the micro-architecture level. Designing guardbands based upon our physical BTI model reduces the guardbands by 41% and thus allows for the development of more cost-effective yet reliable designs. We also revisit existing state-of-the-art aging mitigation techniques to investigate how they can be properly adapted to additionally account for instantaneous aging effects. Along with our BTI model this further reduces the guardbands by up to 59%.
On the Integrated Use of Laser Scanning and Digital Photogrammetry Applied to an Archaeological Site

At the end of 2003 the excavations for constructing the Piazza Municipio station of a new underground line has digged out important findings of Naples ancient times whose trace could be found only in legends and old paintings; in particular, two wooden ships of II century A.D. and Augustan ruins of V century A.D. were discovered. Lackink a general cartography of the city of Naples dating back to the 1400, it has been decided to reproduce the complete map of the town centre in the light of the new findings and to compare it with the “Topographic map of the city of Naples and of his surroundings,”, created by Giovanni Carafa, Duke of Nola, and posthumously published in 1775. The main objective of our work has been the survey of a wide surface standing below the moat surrounding Maschio Angioino, the king’s castle, including a tunnel to redoubts and army magazines. This has been done by integrating the laser scanning technique with digital photogrammetry in order to obtain a model fulfilling the high precision standards required by the aesthetic quality of the site and adequate for being divulged for advertisement and scientific research.
STEROID INHIBITION OF PROTEIN INCORPORATION BY ISOLATED AMPHIBIAN OOCYTES

The relationship between blood protein (vitellogenin) incorporation and nuclear maturation was studied in individual amphibian oocytes after in vitro exposure to desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA). Isolated Rana pipiens oocytes were incubated in vitro with radioactively labeled oocyte yolk precursor ([3H]vitellogenin) obtained from estrogenized Xenopus laevis. Incorporation of labeled vitellogenin into the oocytes continued over a 24-h period. Oocytes simultaneously exposed to DOCA and to labeled vitellogenin exhibited both inhibition of vitellogenin incorporation and stimulation of nuclear maturation and cortical changes. Inhibition of vitellogenin incorporation was observed after approximately 9 h of incubation and was correlated with the time of nuclear breakdown. Preincubation of oocytes in steroid for 9 h essentially terminated vitellogenin incorporation. Incorporation of vitellogenin occurred after removal of follicle cells from the oocyte by a short treatment with EDTA. These results demonstrate the macromolecular vitellogenin transport system remains operative in oocytes which can undergo nuclear maturation and that the steroid DOCA can affect its function. Evidence suggests that the mechanism of steroid inhibition is in part the result of inhibition of the micropinocytotic process in the oocyte cortex.
Reference Hashed

This paper argues for a novel data structure for the representation of discourse referents. A so-called hashing list is employed to store discourse referents according to their grammatical features. The account proposed combines insights from several theories of discourse comprehension. Segmented Discourse Representation Theory (Asher, 1993) is enriched by the ranking system developed in centering theory (Grosz et al., 1995). In addition, a tree logic is used to represent underspeciﬁcation within the discourse structure (Schilder, 1998).
Preparation of High-Quality Zirconia Fibers by Super-High Rotational Centrifugal Spinning of Inorganic Sol

A novel inorganic sol-gel method for preparation of high-quality zirconia fibers was proposed, with starting from the reaction between ZrOCl2 · 8H2O (ZOC) and H2O2. The spinning solution with good spinnability was obtained by controlling the mole ratio of H2O2/ZOC to 4 for reaction, and the mole ratio of Cl/Zr remained close to 1 in the reacted solution. The double chain structure of the inorganic polyzirconium molecule in the spinning solution was determined by elemental analysis and FT-IR. The precursor fibers were obtained by using a novel 30,000 rpm centrifugal spinning apparatus. Being heat-treated to 1300°C under steam atmosphere, the precursor fibers transformed to zirconia fibers which had relatively high strength and good flexibility, with length of more than 10 cm and diameters of 5–10 µm.
The elastic, electronic, and optical properties of PtSi and PtGe compounds

The structural, mechanical, electronic and optical properties of orthorhombic PtSi and PtGe were investigated using norm-conserving pseudopotentials within the local density approximation in the frame of density functional theory. The calculated lattice parameters and bulk modulus for PtSi and PtGe have been compared with the experimental and theoretical values. The second-order elastic constants were calculated, and the other related quantities such as the Young's modulus, shear modulus, Poisson's ratio, anisotropy factor, sound velocities and Debye temperature have also been estimated. The linear photon-energy dependent dielectric functions and some optical properties such as the energy-loss function, the effective number of valance electrons and the effective optical dielectric constant were calculated. Our structural estimation and some other results are in agreement with the available experimental and theoretical data.