Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhanced lithographic resolution using longitudinal polarization state of light

Abstract. Laser direct-writing is an important technique for the fabrication of complex patterns. There is a continuous need for structures with increasingly small features, i.e., enhanced resolution. Focused radially polarized light is known to exhibit a narrow longitudinal polarization component. Here, a proof-of-concept is shown of enhanced resolution through polarization-selectivity by the selective recording of the longitudinal polarization component in a polarization-selective homeotropic and smectic B photoresist. The full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) of the fabricated spots in the polarization-selective resist is up to 56% smaller compared to the FWHM of the same spot in a photoresist that is not polarization-selective, which supports simulations that predict a theoretical maximum reduction of 62%.
Future Prospects and Health Benefits of Functional Ingredients from Marine Bio-resources: A review

The marine ecosystem represents a vast and dynamic array of bio-resources attributed with itshuge diversity and considered as potential untapped reservoirs for the development of functional foods for future health markets. Basically, marine microorganisms, sponges, algae, invertebrates such as crustaceans and mollusks along with marine fish species can be considered as marine bio-resources, which can be utilized to obtain different health benefits for humans, directly or after processing. Most of the bio-molecular components, such as lipids and proteins from these marine bio-resources, which can be extracted in large scale using the modern and advanced biotechnological approaches, are suitable drug candidates for the pharmaceutical industry as well as functional food ingredients for the food industry. Moreover, the furtherance of high throughput molecular biological techniques has already been incorporated with identification, mining and extraction of molecular components from marine bio-resources. In this review, potential marine bio-resources with respect to their extractable bio-molecules were described in details, while explaining the present and prospective methods of identification and extraction, which are integrated with advanced techniques in modern biotechnology. In addition, this provides an overview of future trends in marine biotechnology.
Bootstrap Test Statistics for Spatial Econometric Models

We introduce and apply bootstrap method for testing spatial correlation in a linear regression model. Given the consideration of a fixed spatial structure and heteroscedasticity of unknown form in the data, spatial bootstrap is a hybrid of recursive wild bootstrap method. Based on the Moran’s index I, two versions of LM-Error and LMLag statistics, we demonstrate that the spatial bootstrap procedure can be used for model identification (pre-test) and diagnostic checking (post-test) of a spatial econometric model. With two empirical examples, the bootstrap method is proven to be an effective alternative to the theoretical asymptotic approach for hypothesis testing when the distribution assumption is violated. Keyword: Spatial bootstrap, Moran’s index, LM-Error and LM-Lag test statistics, spatial correlation. JEL Classification: C12, C15, C21, R11 * Kuan-Pin Lin, Department of Economics, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA, 97207. Tel: 001+503-725-3931. E-Mail: link@pdx.edu † Zhi-He Long, School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China, 510640. Tel: 86+20-8711-4048. E-Mail: l-zh720@163.com
Capital Misallocation and Financial Repression in Less-Developed Economies

In this paper, we theoretically analyze the capital misallocation effect of financial repression as in less-developed economies with limited contract enforcement and asymmetric information between lenders and borrowers. Requiring the financial market to provide cheap loans to (semi-) public firms results in capital misallocation; we show however that raising the interest rate does not screen the low-productive firms and even exacerbates capital misallocation due to adverse selection of low-productive firms who borrow and strategically default. Reducing the quantity of regulated credits, increasing aggregate pledgeable wealth of firms, and institutional development in enforcing financial contracts improve the allocation of capital and lower the equilibrium ratio of non-performing loans.
Information display by haptic bumps

Our goal was to find haptic effects that could be used to present information to the user of a haptic pointing device. We present a study on users’ ability to discriminate between different effects presented with a PHANToM haptic pointing device. The effects we experimented with were bumps that the user could feel through the PHANToM. The direction and the amplitude of the bumps were manipulated. The results show that the direction is easy to discriminate, but the amplitude is not. Only two levels of amplitude could be reliably discriminated.
Differentially Private Mechanisms for Budget Limited Mobile Crowdsourcing

Recently, Mobile Crowdsourcing (MC) has aroused great interest on the part of both academic and industrial circles. One of the key problems in MC is designing the proper mechanisms to incentivize user participation, as users are typically self-interested and must consume a substantial amount of MC resources/costs. Although considerable research has been devoted to this problem, the majority of studies have neglected the privacy issue in mechanism design. In this study, we consider the scenario where a mobile crowdsourcing platform aims to maximize the crowdsourcing revenue under a budget constraint, and users are interested in maximizing their utility while keeping their cost private. We design differentially-private mechanisms for such a scenario under an offline setting where users bid their costs simultaneously and under an online setting where user bids are revealed one by one. We show that our mechanisms simultaneously achieve provable performance bounds with respect to several measures, including revenue, differential privacy, truthfulness, and individual rationality. Finally, we also conduct extensive numerical experiments to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Usage of data mining techniques on marketing research data

This contribution contains problems of marketing research data classification by means of data mining algorithms. Three basic methods are described, classification with the aid of Multi-layer Perceptron neural network with Back-propagation algorithm, classification with the aid of Bayesian Networks and classification with the aid of Decision Tree. Finally, applicability of these algorithms is compared. These algorithms are applied over the data from a survey about consumer behavior in the food market in the Czech Republic.
Adapted Filtered-Back-Projection Computed Tomography

Computed Tomography (CT) is one of most important and common tools in Medical Imaging, used for clinical diagnosis and computer-aided surgery. From a scientific perspective, CT imaging poses a complicated and ill-posed inverse problem, which is the reconstruction of attenuation image (of patient’s body) from noisy and incomplete set of X-ray projections [1, 2]. Among the noniterative reconstruction methods, most common is the Filtered Back-Projection (FBP) algorithm. While being fast and simple, it is oblivious of the statistical model of projection data, it does not compensate for various artifacts, and it does not cope with the problem of partially available set of projections, such as in truncated projections, limited angle, and partial field of view. In this work we propose an extension of FBP, in which high-dimensional parameter set is trained off-line via an optimization process so as to adapt the algorithm to these specific tasks. The Ramp filter, usually applied in FBP to the set of projections, is replaced by an angle-parameterized bank of 2D convolution kernels, fused in a locally-adaptive manner. This bank of kernels is trained to minimize the average reconstruction error over the training set, thus serving pre-chosen families of images. The adapted filtering allows to reduce noise and discretization errors in attenuation images (see fig.1). The filter design is further employed in a spatially adaptive direct reconstruction algorithm, based on denoising techniques with adaptively adjusted smoothing parameter [3]. Detailed numerical experiments are displayed, demonstrating the strength of the proposed paradigm.
Inhibitory Actions of Gastrin-releasing Peptide in Mouse Anterior Cingulate Cortex

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) expresses high density of Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and GRP receptor mRNA. To address possible function, this investigation used patch clamp recordings in mouse brain slice preparations to evaluate intrinsic properties of ACC neurons and neuronal responses to bath-applied GRP peptide. The ACC neurons were divided according to their morphology, the properties of action potentials and their firing pattern in response to depolarizing current pulses. Two physiological groups of interneurons and three groups of pyramidal neurons were defined. Application of the GRP induced depolarization and increased firing of the interneurons while hyperpolarization and reduced firing in pyramidal neurons. Moreover, activation of GRP receptor facilitated GABAergic neurotransmission via a postsynaptic mechanism. The results suggest that GRP receptor is an important regulator of neuronal circuits in the ACC and may consequently play an important role for ACC neurons in the central processing of high brain function.
Effect of climate change on potential groundwater recharge in the dry zone of Sri Lanka

Groundwater is still an important water source for many parts of the world, especially in countries such as Sri Lanka, because, despite a huge government investment to divert some of the rivers to dry areas, there are many areas which this river water cannot reach, and hence a large number of people depend on groundwater for their basic water requirements. The effects of climate change are evident in all parts of the world which include significant weather pattern changes, effect on fauna and flora, see level changes etc. Groundwater recharge, which results mostly from rainfall in many areas of the dry zone, will therefore be different from what they are now. This study looks at the possible effects of climate change on the estimates of potential groundwater recharge in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The study locations chosen were Angunakolapellessa, MahaIllupallama and Kalpitiya, where estimates of recharge were obtained with a soil water balance model, programmed on a spreadsheet. The model was validated with estimates of recharge obtained by different workers at different locations including Sri Lanka. Parameters of (rainfall and evapotranspiration) generated from a Regional Climate Model (PRECIS) were inputted to the model both for the 1961-89 (baseline) as well as for the 2071-99 (generated) periods, giving estimates of recharge for the periods 1961-89 and 2071-99. The results show that the current estimates of recharge are likely to be reduced by 20-40% in the three study locations. The possible effects of such changes in recharge estimates and possible action to mitigate these possible effects of high/low estimates of recharge are also discussed.
Wage Di ff erentials , Discrimination and E ffi ciency ∗

In this paper I construct a search model of a large labor market in which workers are heterogeneous in productivity and (homogeneous) firms post wages and a ranking of workers to direct workers’ search. I establish the following results. First, the wage differential is negatively related to productivity when the productivity differential is small, while a positive relationship emerges when the productivity differential is large. Second, as the productivity differential decreases to zero, the reverse wage differential increases and so it remains strictly positive in the limit. Third, high-productivity workers are not discriminated against even when they have a lower wage, because they always have a higher priority in employment and higher expected wage than low-productivity workers. Fourth, the equilibrium is socially efficient, and so the wage differential and the ranking are part of the efficient mechanism. Finally, I provide numerical examples to illustrate the wage distribution. JEL classification: J3, J6, J7
Cooperative, Dynamics-based, and Abstraction-Guided Multi-robot Motion Planning

This paper presents an effective, cooperative, and probabilistically-complete multi-robot motion planner that enables each robot to move to a desired location while avoiding collisions with obstacles and other robots. The approach takes into account not only the geometric constraints arising from collision avoidance, but also the differential constraints imposed by the motion dynamics of each robot. This makes it possible to generate collision-free and dynamically-feasible trajectories that can be executed in the physical world.The salient aspect of the approach is the coupling of sampling-based motion planning to handle the complexity arising from the obstacles and robot dynamics with multi-agent search to find solutions over a suitable discrete abstraction. The discrete abstraction is obtained by constructing roadmaps to solve a relaxed problem that accounts for the obstacles but not the dynamics. Sampling-based motion planning expands a motion tree in the composite state space of all the robots by adding collision-free and dynamically-feasible trajectories as branches. Efficiency is obtained by using multi-agent search to find non-conflicting routes over the discrete abstraction which serve as heuristics to guide the motion-tree expansion. When little or no progress is made, the routes are penalized and the multi-agent search is invoked again to find alternative routes. This synergistic coupling makes it possible to effectively plan collision-free and dynamically-feasible motions that enable each robot to reach its goal. Experiments using vehicle models with nonlinear dynamics operating in complex environments, where cooperation among robots is required, show significant speedups over related work.
Title : Immigrant and extrinsic hybrid inviability contribute to reproductive isolation between lake and river cichlid ecotypes Running title : Extrinsic reproductive barriers in a cichlid

Understanding how reproductive barriers evolve and which barriers contribute to speciation requires the examination of organismal lineages that are still in the process of diversification and the study of the full range of reproductive barriers acting at different life stages. Lake and river ecotypes of the East African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni show habitat specific adaptations, despite different levels of genetic differentiation, and thus represent an ideal model to study the evolution of reproductive barriers. To evaluate the degree of reproductive isolation between genetically divergent lake and river populations, we performed a mesocosm mating experiment in a semi-natural setting at Lake Tanganyika. We assessed reproductive isolation in the presence of male–male competition by analysing survival and growth rates of introduced adults and their reproductive success from genetic parentage of surviving offspring. The genetically divergent river population showed reduced fitness in terms of survival, growth rate, and mating success in a lake-like environment. Hybrid offspring between different populations showed intermediate survival consistent with extrinsic postzygotic reproductive barriers. Our results suggest that both prezygotic (immigrant inviability) and postzygotic reproductive barriers contribute to divergence, and highlight the value of assessing multiple reproductive barriers acting at different stages and in natural contexts to understand speciation
Scope for Efficient Multinational Exploitation of North-East Atlantic Mackerel

The three major harvesters of North-East Atlantic mackerel are modelled as exercising alternative coalitional strategies. Incentives for coalition formation are analysed by finding the maximum rents that harvesters can obtain under all possible coalition arrangements. The main result is that for a wide range of parameter values, the all-player coalition is unstable if joint rents cannot be redistributed amongst the players. Without transfers, the outcome is the type of non-cooperative fishing currently observed. However, if transfers are possible, side payments can be found for the mackerel fishery to sustain the efficiency gains of joint maximization. It is shown how they can be set to enhance the likelihood of their being accepted by players operating under a regional fisheries management organisation, or to be self-enforcing and protect against defection by sub-coalitions.
Accumulation of Cd, Pb and Zn in Tribulus terrestris L. Grown on Industrially Polluted Soil and Plant Antioxidant Response

Possibilities for phytoaccumulation of heavy metals and antioxidant capacity of puncture vine, grown on industrially polluted with Cd, Pb and Zn soil were studied. Content of Cd, Pb and Zn in the polluted soil exceeded permissible concentrations 3, 4 and 2 times respectively. Puncture vine plants (Tribulus terrestris L.), were grown under glasshouse conditions on polluted and non-polluted control soil. Plants grown on heavy metal polluted soil accumulated in the aboveground parts 3.3 times more Cd, 4.3 times more Pb and 2.3 times more Zn, in comparison with the control plants. Heavy metals concentration in plant and soil samples were determined on the inductively – coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer. Spectrophotometric quantification of ascorbate, reduced glutathione and vitamin E was performed through the formation of phosphomolybdenum complex. Total antioxidant capacity (free radicals scavenging activity) was measured from the bleaching of the purple-colored methanol solution of free stable radical (diphenylpycril-hydrazyl, DPPH) inhibition. All antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, dehydroascorbate reductase, guaiacol peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase and monodehydroascorbate reductase) were assayed spectrophotometrically. Puncture vine plants possess good ability to accumulate heavy metals. Plants grown on heavy metal polluted soil accumulated heavy metals in both the shoots and roots. Cd and Pb accumulated more in the roots than in the shoots of plants both from the non polluted and polluted soil. The observed levels of main contaminates in aboveground parts were 3.3 times more Cd, 4.3 times more Pb and 2.3 times more Zn, in comparison with the control plants. Heavy metals content in the roots of treated plants was 2.5, 2.8 and 1.4 times more than in the controls for Cd, Pb and Zn respectively. The levels of heavy metals accumulation in aboveground parts allowed supposing that Tribulus terrestris is a plant that could be used for phytoremediation, more over that higher Cd and Zn levels were found in the plants than in the soil. Absence of biomass reduction indicated that puncture vine plants tolerate the existing concentration level of Cd, Pb and Zn. The antioxidant potential of the puncture vine plants is defined by the content of antioxidant metabolites vitamin E, ascorbate, glutathione and total phenols and antioxidant enzyme activities of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and dehydroascorbate reductase. From the results we can conclude that soil Cd, Pb and Zn in concentrations far exceeded permissible limit concentrations influenced only a part of antioxidant capacity of Tribulus terrestris plants.
The analgesic and acute anti-inflammatory effect of the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Paederia foetida (EEPF) on experimental animal models

Objective: To study the analgesic and acute anti-inflammatory effect of the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Paederia foetida (EEPF) on experimental animal models. Materials and Methods: Fresh leaves were collected, air-dried, powdered, and percolated in 95% ethanol. Acute toxicity test was done according to OECD guidelines. Healthy albino rats (150-200 gm) of either sex were taken and divided into five groups with six animals in each group for central analgesic activity by tail flick method. Peripheral analgesic activity by 1% glacial acetic acid induced writhing test by taking albino mice (20-30 gm) of either sex which were divided into three groups with six animals in each. EEPF was used in a dose of 500 mg/kg bodyweight subcutaneously for tail-flick method and orally for writhing test. In tail-flick method the basal reaction time was taken and a cut-off period of 10 sec was observed. Reaction time were recorded at predrug, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes after administration of drug . The standard drug used for central analgesic activity was pethidine 5 mg/kg bw, naloxone 1mg/kg as antagonist and naloxone 1mg/kg bw with 500mg/kg bw of EEPF to study the central mechanism of action. The standard drug used for peripheral analgesic activity was aspirin 100mg/kg bw orally. A control group was maintained in all the models. For anti-inflammatory study, three groups of animals of either sex (n = 6), weighing 150-200g of the species Rattus norvegicus were taken for the study. Group A was taken as control (Normal salie, 10 mL/kg body weight), Group B as test group (EEPF 500 mg/kg body weight), and Group C as standard (Aspirin 100 mg/kg body weight). The animals were studied for acute inflammation by Carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. Statistical analysis was done by one-way analysis of variance followed by multiple comparison tests. Results: EEPF significantly increased the reaction time in tail-flick method (p<0.05) whereas the combination of naloxone and EEPF decreased the reaction time indicating that naloxone inhibits the analgesic effect of EEPF. In 1% glacial acetic acid induced writhing EEPF reduced writhing significantly In acute inflammation, there was significant inhibition of paw edema in Groups B, C in comparison with Group A (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The ethanolic extract of Paederia foetida has significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/bjms.v11i3. 11723 Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol. 11 No. 03 July’12
The Renaissance of Microbiology: The Necessary Future for Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Mass Spectrometry Based Bio Typing

The Renaissance of Microbiology: The Necessary Future for Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Mass Spectrometry Based Bio Typing Matthew B O’Rourke1*, Steven P Djordjevic2 and Matthew P Padula1 1Proteomics Core Facility, University of Technology Sydney, Cnr Harris and Thomas St, Ultimo, NSW, 2007 Australia 2The iThree Institute, University of Technology Sydney, Cnr Harris and Thomas St, Ultimo, NSW, 2007 Australia