Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Photo-z optimization for measurements of the BAO radial scale

Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) in the radial direction offer a method to directly measure the Universe expansion history, and to set limits to space curvature when combined to the angular BAO signal. In addition to spectroscopic surveys, radial BAO might be measured from accurate enough photometric redshifts obtained with narrow-band filters. We explore the requirements for a photometric survey using Luminous Red Galaxies (LRG) to competitively measure the radial BAO signal and discuss the possible systematic errors of this approach. Using the LRG spectra obtained from SDSS, we find that the optimal system consists of ~ 30 filters of width Δλ/λ ~ 0.02. A 20$>S/N>20 is generally necessary at the filters on the red side of the Balmer-break to reach the target photometric accuracy σz = 0.003(1+z) for measuring radial BAO. The presence of outliers can significantly degrade this: in any practical application, being able to efficiently remove outliers may require ancillary observations. We estimate that a 5-year survey in a dedicated telescope with etendue in excess of 60 m2 deg2 would be necessary to obtain a high enough density of galaxies to measure the radial BAO with shot noise smaller than cosmic variance up to z = 0.85. We conclude that spectroscopic surveys have a superior performance than photometric ones for measuring BAO in the radial direction.
Exploring the suitability of artificial intelligence for establishing criteria for prequalification of highway contractors in Sri Lanka

The extent of the successfulness of a construction project is highly influential on the selected contractor. The decision process has been made easier for the client with the use of prequalification. The selection criteria used for the prequalification are characterized by the co-existence of both quantitative and qualitative information. Therefore in such scenario, it become difficult to analyze the information by decision maker due to the complexity bound to the process. Hence, to improve the reliability and efficiency of the decision being made, it is essential to identify suitable decision support system for the process. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to the prequalification process helps to eliminate the complexity on the decision making of the prequalification process. This research demonstrates the practicality and the suitability on adopting Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Case-based Reasoning (CBR) and Knowledge Based Experts Systems (KBES) to the highway contractor prequalification in Sri Lanka. Therefore, the findings of this research conclude that with the help on identified prequalification model and the identified AI techniques, Sri Lanka can have an effective and efficient mechanism on Highway contractor prequalification.
A Retrospective Analysis of Repeated Incarceration Using a National Sample: What Makes Female Inmates Different From Male Inmates?

Abstract As a consequence of the War on Drugs, many women experience repeated incarceration. Extant research on habitual offending has mostly focused on male offenders. Drawing upon research on female and male offenders’ recidivism, traditional theories of female criminality and the premises of GST, social control, and differential association theories, we constructed an integrated model to examine risk factors for repeated incarcerations among male and female adult offenders. We used data from the Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities. Our analysis revealed that, similarly to male offenders, female offenders’ repeated incarcerations were statistically associated with drug abuse, exposure to family members’ and friends’ drug addiction, parental incarceration, and unemployment.
Bortezomib Inhibits Hepatitis B Virus Replication in Transgenic Mice

ABSTRACT Pharmacological modulation of cellular proteins as a means to block virus replication has been proposed as an alternative antiviral strategy that may be less susceptible than others to the development of viral drug resistance. Recent evidence indicates that the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway interacts with different aspects of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) life cycle in cell culture models of virus replication. We therefore examined the effect of proteasome inhibition on HBV replication in vivo using HBV transgenic mice. The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (Velcade) inhibits proteasome activity in vivo and is used therapeutically for the clinical treatment of multiple myeloma. We found that a single intravenous dose of 1 mg of bortezomib/kg of body weight reduced virus replication for as long as 6 days. The inhibition of HBV by bortezomib was dose dependent and occurred at a step in replication subsequent to viral RNA and protein expression. The reduction in HBV replication did not result from nonspecific hepatocellular toxicity and was not mediated indirectly through the induction of an intrahepatic interferon response. Thus, pharmacological manipulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway may represent an alternative therapeutic approach for the treatment of chronic HBV infection.
SOFIT: System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time

This paper describes SOFIT (System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time), an observation instrument designed to assess variables associated with students’ activity levels and opportunities to become physically fit in physical education. SOFIT involves the direct observation of classes while simultaneously recording student physical activity levels, curriculum context variables, and teacher behavior. The paper reports the reliability, validity, and feasibility of using the instrument, as well as data from using SOFIT to assess 88 third- and fourth-grade classes.
Nutrition and quality of life referring to physical abilities – a comparative analysis of a questionnaire study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Objectives A comparative analysis of opinions on diet and nutrition of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA), and quality of life limited to physical abilities in both study groups. Material and methods In the period from August to December 2012 an anonymous questionnaire survey was carried out among the patients of the Institute of Rheumatology. The respondents were asked to define their dietary preferences, dietary supplementation, and the level of physical limitations by completing the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). The study was carried out with the consent of the Bioethics Committee. Results A total of 397 questionnaires were obtained. The majority of respondents were women (77%). 62% of RA patients (165 respondents) had been treated for over 10 years as opposed to OA patients (80 respondents), where the largest group (33%) were patients during their first year. There is a significant difference in the disability level of patients in both compared groups. The average HAQ of RA patients was 1.09 and OA patients – 0.46. A change of dietary habits was declared by 32% of RA patients and by 17% of OA patients (p = 0.049) mostly without consulting a specialist – it concerned mainly limiting the consumption of sweets (30% vs. 21%), a meatless diet: 19% vs. 14%, and a non-dairy diet: 9% vs. 14%. Conclusions Regardless of their diagnosis, the respondents believe that the way of eating affects their health. There are visible differences between diet and dietary supplementation, depending on the diagnosis of the disease. Differences were also observed in physical limitations of both patient groups – a higher level of disability was noted among RA patients. It is necessary to continue the topic at the level of clinical trials and medical experiments within the scope of the impact of diet as a supportive element in the treatment of rheumatic diseases.
Day-Ahead Energy Planning with 100% Electric Vehicle Penetration in the Nordic Region by 2050

This paper presents the day-ahead energy planning of passenger cars with 100% electric vehicle (EV) penetration in the Nordic region by 2050. EVs will play an important role in the future energy systems which can both reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transport sector and provide the demand side flexibility required by smart grids. On the other hand, the EVs will increase the electricity consumption. In order to quantify the electricity consumption increase due to the 100% EV penetration in the Nordic region to facilitate the power system planning studies, the day-ahead energy planning of EVs has been investigated with different EV charging scenarios. Five EV charging scenarios have been considered in the energy planning analysis which are: uncontrolled charging all day, uncontrolled charging at home, timed charging, spot price based charging all day and spot price based charging at home. The demand profiles of the five charging analysis show that timed charging is the least favorable charging option and the spot priced based EV charging might induce high peak demands. The EV charging demand will have a considerable share of the energy consumption in the future Nordic power system.
The Dyslexia Candidate Locus on 2p12 Is Associated with General Cognitive Ability and White Matter Structure

Independent studies have shown that candidate genes for dyslexia and specific language impairment (SLI) impact upon reading/language-specific traits in the general population. To further explore the effect of disorder-associated genes on cognitive functions, we investigated whether they play a role in broader cognitive traits. We tested a panel of dyslexia and SLI genetic risk factors for association with two measures of general cognitive abilities, or IQ, (verbal and non-verbal) in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort (N>5,000). Only the MRPL19/C2ORF3 locus showed statistically significant association (minimum P = 0.00009) which was further supported by independent replications following analysis in four other cohorts. In addition, a fifth independent sample showed association between the MRPL19/C2ORF3 locus and white matter structure in the posterior part of the corpus callosum and cingulum, connecting large parts of the cortex in the parietal, occipital and temporal lobes. These findings suggest that this locus, originally identified as being associated with dyslexia, is likely to harbour genetic variants associated with general cognitive abilities by influencing white matter structure in localised neuronal regions.
Molecular cloning and pharmacological characterisation of a tyramine receptor from the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker).

BACKGROUND Tyramine (TA) and octopamine (OA) are considered to be the invertebrate counterparts of the vertebrate adrenergic transmitters. Because these two phenolamines are the only biogenic amines whose physiological significance is presumably restricted to invertebrates, the attention of pharmacologists has been focused on the corresponding receptors, which are believed to represent promising targets for novel insecticides. For example, the formamidine pesticides, such as chlordimeform and amitraz, have been shown to activate OA receptors. RESULTS A full-length cDNA (designated CsTyR1) from the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker), has been obtained through homology cloning in combination with rapid amplification of cDNA ends/polymerase chain reaction (RACE-PCR). The mRNA of CsTyR1 is present in various tissues, including hemocytes, fat body, midgut, Malpighian tubules, nerve cord and epidermis, and it is found predominantly in the larval nerve cord with 16-80-fold enrichment compared with other tissues. The authors generated a HEK 293 cell line stably expressing CsTyR1 in order to examine functional and pharmacological properties of this receptor. Both TA and OA at 0.01-100 µM can reduce forskolin-stimulated intracellular cAMP levels in a dose-dependent manner (TA, EC(50) = 369 nM; OA, EC(50) = 978 nM). In agonist assays, activation of CsTyR1 by clonidine and amitraz but not by naphazoline and chlordimeform can also significantly inhibit forskolin-stimulated cAMP production. The inhibitory effect of TA at 10 µM is eliminated by coincubation with yohimbine, phentolamine or chlorpromazine (each 10 µM). CONCLUSION This study represents a comprehensive molecular and pharmacological characterisation of a tyramine receptor in the rice stem borer.
Performance Comparison of the AES Submissions

The principal goal guiding the design of any encryption algorithm must be security. In the real world, however, performance and implementation cost are always of concern. Making the assumption that the major AES candidates are secure (a big assumption, to be sure, but one that is best dealt with in another paper), the most important properties the algorithms will be judged on will be the performance and cost of implementation. In this paper, we will completely ignore security. Instead, we will compare the performance of the leading AES candidates on a variety of common platforms: 32-bit CPUs, 64-bit CPUs, cheap 8-bit smart-card CPUs, and dedicated hardware. For each platform, we first make some general observations on the performance issues for each of the platforms, then compare the various AES candidates, and finally look at the specific issues for each of the candidates.
Chromatin Remodeling, Measured by a Novel Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay, Across the Proximal Promoter Region of the IL-2 Gene

The structure of chromatin and its remodeling following activation are important aspects of the control of inducible gene transcription. The IL-2 gene is induced in a cell specific-manner in T cells following an antigenic stimulus. We show, using a novel real-time PCR assay, that significant chromatin remodeling of the IL-2 proximal promoter region occurred upon stimulation of both the murine EL-4 T cell line and primary CD4+ T cells. Chromatin remodeling appears to be limited to the first 300 bp of the proximal promoter region as measured by micrococcal nuclease and restriction enzyme accessibility. Time course studies indicated that chromatin remodeling was observed at 1.5 h postinduction and was maintained for up to 16 h. The remodeling is reversible upon removal of the stimulus. The region immediately upstream from the transcription start site, however, remains accessible for up to 16 h. Upon restimulation, remodeling occurs much more rapidly, consistent with a more rapid rise in IL-2 mRNA levels. Using a number of pharmacological inhibitors we show that remodeling is dependent on the presence of specific transcription factors, but not on the modification of histones. The development of this novel chromatin accessibility assay based on real-time PCR has allowed rapid, sensitive, and quantitative measurements on the IL-2 gene following cellular activation in both T cell lines and primary cells.
Estimating transition rates in aggregated Markov models of ion channel gating with loops and with nearly equal dwell times

A typical task in the application of aggregated Markov models to ion channel data is the estimation of the transition rates between the states. Realistic models for ion channel data often have one or more loops. We show that the transition rates of a model with loops are not identifiable if the model has either equal open or closed dwell times. This non–identifiability of the transition rates also has an effect on the estimation of the transition rates for models which are not subject to the constraint of either equal open or closed dwell times. If a model with loops has nearly equal dwell times, the Hessian matrix of its likelihood function will be ill–conditioned and the standard deviations of the estimated transition rates become extraordinarily large for a number of data points which are typically recorded in experiments.
Client Self-Assessment in Community Aged Care

Self-assessment of support needs is a relatively new and under-researched phenomenon in domiciliary aged care. This article outlines the results of a comparative study focusing on whether a self-assessment approach assists clients to identify support needs and the degree to which self-assessed needs differ from an assessment conducted by community care professionals. A total of 48 older people and their case managers completed a needs assessment tool. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were used to ascertain older people’s views and preferences regarding the self-assessment process. The study suggests that while a co-assessment approach as outlined in this article has the potential to assist older people to gain a better understanding of their care needs as well as the assessment process and its ramifications, client self-assessment should be seen as part of a co-assessment process involving care professionals. Such a co-assessment process allows older people to gain a better understanding of their support needs and the wider community aged care context. The article suggests that a co-assessment process involving both clients and care professionals contains features that have the capacity to enhance domiciliary aged care.
A Flexible Inner-Outer Preconditioned GMRES Algorithm

A variant of the GMRES algorithm is presented that allows changes in the preconditioning at every step. There are many possible applications of the new algorithm, some of which are briefly discussed. In particular, a result of the flexibility of the new variant is that any iterative method can be used as a preconditioner. For example, the standard GMRES algorithm itself can be used as a preconditioner, as can CGNR (or CGNE), the conjugate gradient method applied to the normal equations. However, the more appealing utilization of the method is in conjunction with relaxation techniques, possibly multilevel techniques. The possibility of changing preconditioners may be exploited to develop efficient iterative methods and to enhance robustness. A few numerical experiments are reported to illustrate this fact.
Motion planning for a redundant manipulator by genetic algorithm using an evaluation function extracted from skilled operators

This paper proposes a motion planning method to cut a three dimensional workpiece by a redundant manipulator with six degrees of freedom. The method applies a genetic algorithm to optimize rotational angles of the end-effector on a path. For a fitness function, an evaluation function is defined based on references from skilled operators. The proposed method reduces the operator's labor, so that he only has to determine a path without considering redundant parameters. Simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed method. <<ETX>>
Mechanisms of Prolonged Presynaptic Ca2+ Signaling and Glutamate Release Induced by TRPV1 Activation in Rat Sensory Neurons

Transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1)-mediated release of neuroactive peptides and neurotransmitters from the peripheral and central terminals of primary sensory neurons can critically contribute to nociceptive processing at the periphery and in the CNS. However, the mechanisms that link TRPV1 activation with Ca2+ signaling at the release sites and neurosecretion are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that a brief stimulation of the receptor using either capsaicin or the endogenous TRPV1 agonist N-arachidonoyl-dopamine induces a prolonged elevation of presynaptic [Ca2+]i and a concomitant enhancement of glutamate release at sensory synapses. Initiation of this response required Ca2+ entry, primarily via TRPV1. The sustained phase of the response was independent of extracellular Ca2+ and was prevented by inhibitors of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and release mechanisms. Measurements using a mitochondria-targeted Ca2+ indicator, mtPericam, revealed that TRPV1 activation elicits a long-lasting Ca2+ elevation in presynaptic mitochondria. The concentration of TRPV1 agonist determined the duration of mitochondrial and cytosolic Ca2+ signals in presynaptic boutons and, consequently, the period of enhanced glutamate release and action potential firing by postsynaptic neurons. These data suggest that mitochondria control vanilloid-induced neurotransmission by translating the strength of presynaptic TRPV1 stimulation into duration of the postsynaptic response.
Dementia with Lewy Bodies: Neuropathology

The pathologic substrate of the clinical syndrome of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) remains to be determined. Only a few prospective clinicopathologic studies have been reported. In those reports, most cases of DLB had neocortical or limbic Lewy bodies and Alzheimer-type pathology below threshold for diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. These results are in accord with recent retrospective clinicopathologic studies of dementia occurring in Parkinson's disease, in which cortical Lewy bodies, rather than concurrent Alzheimer's disease, are increasingly recognized as the pathologic substrate of dementia. Additional clinicopathologic studies are warranted to address the role of other Lewy-related pathology, most notably Lewy neurites, in the cognitive impairment of DLB. (J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2002; 15:000–000).
Influence of Demographic Factors and Ownership Type Upon Organizational Learning Culture in Chinese Enterprises

This empirical study, using Western concepts incorporated into the Dimension of Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ) instrument and data collected from 919 employees in nine companies located in Guangdong Province, China, explored organizational learning culture in Chinese business settings. Findings suggest that the DLOQ is applicable to the Chinese context, and demographic variables, such as age and educational level, and the type of ownership of Chinese companies (state-owned enterprises and privately owned enterprises), show differences in organizational learning culture. Discussions and implications are provided.
On Thresholds for the Appearance of 2-cores in Mixed Hypergraphs

We study thresholds for the appearance of a 2-core in random hypergraphs that are a mixture of a constant number of random uniform hypergraphs each with a linear number of edges but with different edge sizes. For the case of two overlapping hypergraphs we give a solution for the optimal (expected) number of edges of each size such that the 2-core threshold for the resulting mixed hypergraph is maximized. We show that for adequate edge sizes this threshold exceeds the maximum 2-core threshold for any random uniform hypergraph, which can be used to improve the space utilization of several data structures that rely on this parameter.
The yeast acyltransferase Sct1p regulates fatty acid desaturation by competing with the desaturase Ole1p

The glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase Sct1p/Gat2p is shown to regulate fatty acyl chain desaturation by competing with the fatty acid desaturase Ole1p for C16:0-CoA. The activity of Sct1p depends on the level of expression and the phosphorylation state. The acyltransferase Cst26p regulates the phosphorylation of Sct1p.