Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MEASURE RELATIVE NUMBERS OF LIVE AND DEAD CELLS AND NORMALIZE ASSAY DATA TO CELL NUMBER

Experimental cell biology continues to use an assortment of mammalian cells in a multitude of in vitro response models. Primary, transformed, or transfected cells are cultured in the wells of an assay plate and treated with chemical, physical or biological stimuli. The motivation for using these “cause-andeffect” models ranges from identifying critical pathway checkpoints and modulators of molecular processes within a cellular context to testing the predictive cytotoxic potential of the treatment. Nevertheless, because cellular responses are intrinsically linked to viability and cytotoxicity, researchers need to measure cellular health after experimental manipulation.
Towards robust self-managed systems*1

Software is pervasive. It plays a part in every aspect of our lives, forming a significant part of every automated system or tool that we use, from washing machines to healthcare systems. Like the washing machine, some of these applications are simple, selfcontained devices; however the majority are far more complex. They are generally distributed systems which rely on interacting, distributed subsystems of software components to perform their function. They are expected to interact with users with changing needs and with other systems with unreliable service provision. The challenge is to provide these software systems in such a way that they are robust in the presence of major issues such as change and complexity. Change is inherent, both in the changing needs of users and in the changes which take place in the operational environment of the system. Hence it is essential that our systems can adapt as necessary to continue to achieve their goals. Change is also induced by failures or the unavailability of parts of the system. It is therefore necessary to envisage dynamically changing configurations of software components so as to adapt to the current situation. Dynamic change, which occurs while the system is operational, requires that the system evolves dynamically, and that the adaptation occurs at run-time. Complexity requires that we use rigorous techniques to design, build and analyse our software and thereby avoid unnecessary design flaws. This implies the need for analytical techniques which cope with changing goals and the changing compositions of adaptive software. Since the complexity and response times required by the changes may not permit human intervention, we must plan for automated management of change. The systems themselves must be capable of determining
TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF RICE PRODUCING FARMS: A CASE STUDY OF CHAR- CHAPARI AREAS OF ASSAM

The present study is designed to measure the level of technical efficiency and to identify the determinants of rice productivity and technical efficiency of rice producing farms in Char Chapari areas of Assam. The technical efficiency is measured by using a stochastic frontier production function. Multi-stage random sampling technique is used to select 210 rice farms of the char areas of Assam. The estimated production function reveals that Irrigation, chemical fertilizer, labour mandays, and farming experience of the farmers have significant positive impact on rice productivity. The estimated farm level technical efficiency is found to be ranging between 37.1 percent to 96.11 percent with mean efficiency of 82.05 percent. About 90 percent of the farms have a technical efficiency index of above 70 percent. The study also points out that with the resources/inputs available with the farmers, the farm’s efficiency can still be increased by improving application of quality human resources engaged in agricultural pursuits, the services of experienced farmers and benefits of alternative occupations of the members of agricultural households in the Char Chapari areas of Assam.
Behind Closed Doors: The Influence of Creditors in Business Reorganizations

General corporate law delegates the power to manage a corporation to the board of directors. The board in turn acts as a fiduciary and generally owes its duties to the corporation and its shareholders. Many courts and commentators summarize the board’s primary objective as maximizing shareholder wealth. Accordingly, one would expect a board’s conduct to be governed largely by the interests of the corporation and its shareholders. Yet, anecdotal and increasing empirical evidence suggest that large creditors wield significant influence over their corporate debtors. Although this influence is most apparent as the corporation approaches insolvency, the strength of the creditors’ negotiating position often is based on the terms of the pre-insolvency contract. Creditors typically obtain restrictive covenants and veto rights that allow them to assert control over various corporate actions. Nevertheless, the extent of creditor influence is hard to gauge accurately because it frequently materializes behind closed doors, in negotiations between the corporation and creditors over refinancing terms, forbearance agreements, covenant waivers or rescue financing. This Article attempts to shed some light on the nature and extent of creditor influence by examining creditor influence over corporate debtors and creditors’ committees in Chapter 11 reorganization cases. Specifically, it reports and analyzes data from an empirical survey of professionals and individual creditors participating in the Chapter 11 process. In many respects, the data confirm what commentators have gleaned from the terms of creditors’ contracts and activity documented on Chapter 11 dockets - creditors are trying to exert greater influence over corporate decisions in the restructuring context.
Degradation of β-carotene during fruit and vegetable processing or storage: reaction mechanisms and kinetic aspects: a review

Introduction . Food processing significantly lowers the quality of fruits and vegetables, which is a major concern for the food industry. Micronutrients are particularly affected, and among them β-carotene, which exhibits very interesting sensory, nutritional and biological properties. The literature concerning β-carotene degradation is extensive, but the conclusions are very different as a function of the biological, chemical and food transformation points of view. This paper proposes a synthesis of complementary approaches in the study of β-carotene during food transformation and storage. Degradation reactions . Degradation compounds are numerous, including isomers, epoxides, apocarotenones, apocarotenals and short-chain cleavage products, among them some flavour compounds. A detailed reaction scheme of isomerisation and autoxidation of β-carotene could be deduced from the literature data. The main pathways are well documented, but the global reaction scheme is still incomplete. Furthermore, most of the mechanistic studies are carried out in model systems, thus data may misrepresent β-carotene behaviour in real food products. Kinetics during processing and storage The determination of degradation kinetics permits the identification of the fastest reactions, i . e . , generally those with the greatest impact, and also the quantification of the effect of the factors which can lower β-carotene content. Temperature, occurrence of oxygen, food composition and food structure are shown to affect the β-carotene loss rate significantly. However, the methodologies used to obtain the kinetic parameters are of major importance, and finally, most of the results found in the literature are specific to a study and difficult to generalise. Discussion and conclusion . Mechanistic and kinetic approaches each provide interesting data to improve understanding and monitoring of β-carotene. The combination of all this data, together with thermodynamic and analytical considerations, permits the building of observable reaction schemes which can further be transcribed through mathematical models. By this multidisciplinary approach, scarcely used for the time being, knowledge could be capitalised and useful tools could be developed to improve β-carotene retention during food processing and storage.
The impact of shift work on burnout syndrome, depression, anxiety and stress: A case study in the metalworking industry

Shift work has been linked to health disorders, decreases in workers’ safety and productivity, and poor family and social relationships. However, the relationship between this type of work and the incidence of psychosocial health disorders is not yet well characterized. This study aims to analyse the impact of the shift work in the prevalence of the burnout syndrome, anxiety, depression and stress. A total of 175 workers from the production sector of a metalworking industry, operating in three different shifts (morning, afternoon and night), participated in the study. The burnout syndrome was assessed with the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure and the anxiety, depression and stress were measured through the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS). The obtained levels of burnout syndrome and stress were low, while anxiety and depression exhibited higher levels. Contrary to what was expected, the morning shift presented higher levels of psychosocial health disorders. However, no significant differences were found between the three shifts. These results can be explained by several factors such as the workers’ age, years of work in the shift work and the existence of a second job.
Using Semi-Supervised Learning in Cellular Automata for Edge Detection of Image Segmentation

Semi-Supervised Learning is an area of increasing importance in Machine Learning techniques that make use of both labeled and unlabeled data. The goal of using both labeled and unlabeled data is to build better learners instead of using each one alone. Semi-supervised learning investigates how to use the information of both labeled and unlabeled examples to perform better than supervised learning. In this paper we present a new method for edge detection of image segmentation using cellular automata with modification for game of life rules and K-means algorithm. We use the semi-supervised clustering method, which can jointly learn to fusion by making use of the unlabeled data. The learning aim consists in distinguishing between edge and no edge for each pixel in image. We have applied the semi-supervised method for finding edge detection in natural image and measured its performance using the Berkeley Segmentation Dataset and Benchmark dataset. The results and experiments showed the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.
Theta functions and mirror symmetry

This is a survey covering aspects of varied work of the authors with Mohammed Abouzaid, Paul Hacking, and Sean Keel. While theta functions are traditionally canonical sections of ample line bundles on abelian varieties, we motivate, using mirror symmetry, the idea that theta functions exist in much greater generality. This suggestion originates with the work of the late Andrei Tyurin. We outline how to construct theta functions on the degenerations of varieties constructed in previous work of the authors, and then explain applications of this construction to homological mirror symmetry and constructions of broad classes of mirror varieties.
AGRONOMIC, ENGINEERING, AND METEOROLOGICALDATA REQUIRED IN AN ECONOMIC MODEL OF FARM MACHINERY SELECTION

ous combinations of engineers, econo mists, meteorologists, and soil and crop scientists, using a systems approach. Risk in the outcome of alternative actions is an important element in farmer decisions making. The uncontrollable na ture of the weather makes it necessary to use probabilities to determine the risks associated with each action a farmer might consider. To determine the suit ability of alternative farm machinery systems for a crop production program in a given climatic region, it is desirable to simulate the outcome of the crop produc tion program using weather data recorded in past years for each machine system. Thus, it is important that the" data, collected as a result of this research work, be reported in the form of probability distributions (or left in the form of frequencies) rather than be summarized into averages.
Self-assembly of one-dimensional nanomaterials for cost-effective photovoltaics

As the demand for sustainable energy resources has grown rapidly in recent years, enormous effort is invested on cost-effective photovoltaic technologies. Nanomaterials are one class of candidate materials being explored for next generation photovoltaics while significant progress has been obtained currently. In this review article, we summarise the recent progress in this field and identify the key issues related to nanostructured solar cells. In particular, we highlight the technology which is based on self-assembly of synthetic nanopillars for photovoltaics. These research has casted a solid ground for future exploration using nanomaterials for cost-effective solar cells.
Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2 Using Ti–MCM-41 Photocatalysts in Monoethanolamine Solution for Methane Production

Photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to form a valuable energy source of methane (CH4) in monoethanolamine (MEA) solution is first investigated by mesoporous photocatalysts of Ti–MCM-41 in this study. The MEA solution was chosen as the absorbent and reductant because amine absorption is one of the most popular methods for CO2 capture from flue gas streams. Also, it is intended to integrate the CO2 capture and utilization into one process. The photocatalytic results of methane yields indicated that MEA served as a better reductant than water and NaOH which have been commonly used for CO2 reduction. For the best photocatalyst of Ti–MCM-41(50) manufactured at a Si/Ti molar ratio of 50, its methane yield (62.42 μmol/g of cat.) was much higher than that of commercial P25 photocatalyst after 8 h of UV illumination. A photoreduction quantum efficiency (PQE) of 9.18% was achieved.
Identification of a Novel Mutation in the Human ARSB Gene on Chromosome 5q14.1 for Autosomal Recessive Mucopolysaccharidosis Type VI Patients in Southwest Colombia

Mucopolysaccharidosis VI is a rare lysosomal storage hereditary disease, caused by arylsulfatase B enzyme deficiency which leads to the accumulation of harmful amounts of dermatan sulfate. [1] Methods: A total of 32 MPS VI patients were identified in Colombia, sixteen (45 %) in the Department of Cauca, identified clinically and by enzymatic assay. Two of these individuals belong to the Guambiano Amerindian reservation. DNA extraction and sequencing for the region of the arylsulfatase B by ABI PRISM® 3100 Genetic Analyzer was performed for these two index cases and 22 of their relatives. A principal component analysis of the genetic haplotypes was also performed. Results: We found a novel single nucleotide change (p.Ser403X) in the ARSB gene, homozygous for the patient and heterozygous for their relatives, and classified as pathogenic. Cases and their relatives shared the same haplotype. Conclusion: Together with the genealogy analysis, these results suggest a common ancestral allele in the Guambiano Amerindian reservation in the Department of Cauca and a novel mutation for MPS VI.
Hypothesized, Directly-Coded Curve Shapes in Growth Curve Analysis

Growth curve analysis provides important informational benefits regarding intervention outcomes over time. Rarely, however, should outcome trajectories be assumed to be linear. Instead, both the shape and the slope of the growth curve can be estimated. Non-linear growth curves are usually modeled by including either higher-order time variables or orthogonal polynomial contrast codes. Each has limitations (multicollinearity with the first, a lack of coefficient interpretability with the second, and a loss of degrees of freedom with both) and neither encourages direct testing of alternative hypothesized curve shapes. Especially in studies with relatively small samples it is likely to be useful to preserve as much information as possible at the individual level. This article presents a step-by-step example of the use and testing of hypothesized curve shapes in the estimation of growth curves using hierarchical linear modeling for a small intervention study. DOI:10.2458/azu_jmmss_v3i2_herman
Title Urban land-use regulations and housing markets in developing countries : Evidence from Indonesia on the importance of enforcement Permalink

Standard urban economic theory suggests that stringent urban land-use regulation leads to higher housing prices due to both direct impacts on costs and a reduction in the price elasticity of supply. Indonesia has one of the most restrictive land registration and construction permitting systems in Asia, yet housing is affordable, rates of household formation are high, and housing supply is relatively elastic. This paper explores the relationship between land use regulations and housing markets in Indonesia through various analyses; an overview of 90 cities, a direct assessment of the relationship in 15 cities, and detailed case studies of two medium-sized cities. Regulations do impact the production of housing in Indonesia, but they do not affect housing markets in the predicted way because of their flexible enforcement and a widespread and dynamic informal housing-production system. The main impact of the strict landuse regulations in Indonesia is thus argued to be under investment in physical infrastructure related to housing; a substantial detriment to urban development and economic growth. The case of Indonesia demonstrates the importance of regulatory enforcement and local context in the analysis of land use
The Cluster-based Key Management Mechanism with Secure Data Transmissions Scheme in Wireless Sensor Networks

Since Wireless Sensor Nodes (WSNs) have limited resources, achieving secure data transmissions among nodes is a challenge. Hence, efficient key management schemes with lightweight ciphers are essential. Many asymmetric key or public key mechanisms have been developed. However, they are unsuitable for secure group communications in WSNs, because sensor nodes cannot provide sufficient CPU, memory and bandwidth to address complex operations. Besides, only a few group key agreements are integrated into secure data transmissions. Therefore, this study presents a Cluster-based Elliptic Curve Key Management (CECKM) scheme for secure data transmissions in WSNs. The proposed security scheme relies on elliptic curves instead of logarithmic curves, and exploits a smaller key size to achieve comparable security levels than Rivest Shamir Adleman (RSA) and Diffie-Hellman (DH) cryptosystems [1]. Meanwhile, the proposed scheme provides a dynamic, rapid and efficient group key synchronization mechanism in numerous sensor nodes without reconfiguring the entire key system when sensor nodes participate in or depart from WSNs.
Applications of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared microscopy and near-infrared spectroscopy to cancer research

Glycogen levels in human lung and colorectal cancerous tissues were measured by the Fourier transform (FT-IR) spectroscopic method. Reliability of this method was confirmed by chemical analyses of the same tissues used for the FT-IR spectroscopic measurements, suggesting that this spectroscopic method has a high specificity and sensitivity in discriminating human cancerous tissues from noncancerous tissues. The glycogen levels in the tissues were compared with the clinical, histological and histopathological factors of the cancer, demonstrating that glycogen is a critical factor in understanding the biological nature of neoplastic diseases. Furthermore, direct measurement of a very small amount of tissue by a FT-IR microscope suggested that it could be used as a diagnostic instrument for various tissue samples obtained via a fine needle biopsy procedure. The progressive alterations in rat mammary gland tumors were investigated by a near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer with a fiber optic probe. A lipid band due to the first overtone of n-alkane was used to quantitatively evaluate malignant changes in the tumors. NIR spectroscopy may offer the potential for non‒invasive, in vivo diagnosis of human cancers.
Indirect Estimation of Citizens' Willingness to Pay for Past Environmental Damage Elimination: Case Study of Kemerovo City

The paper describes the results of the first attempt in Russia to indirectly estimate Kemerovo city residents' willingness to pay for the implementation of projects aimed at past environmental damage elimination and health risk reduction. The study employs choice experiment format incorporated into originally designed questionnaires which were used during the household survey. The analysis of interview results revealed that the majority of population in Kemerovo is concerned about past environmental damage issues; however, aggregated numbers for willingness to pay for the city level appeared to be much lower of those estimated by local authorities as required for project implementation.
Quad‐ridged conical horn antenna for wideband applications

This article presents a quad‐ridged conical horn antenna with high gain and low side lobe level for broadband applications. To the best of authors' knowledge, the proposed structure presented in this article is completely new. The designed antenna introduces a low VSWR, which is lower than 2.2 for the frequency range of 8–18 GHz, and simultaneously achieves high gain as well as dual‐polarizations with high isolation between the corresponding excitations. The common impedance exponential tapering is used at the flare section of the horn, and a coax to waveguide transition, namely quadruple‐ridged circular waveguide, with a conical cavity is used to improve the VSWR. The proposed antenna structure is designed and simulated by two well established packages, namely the CST microwave studio and the Ansoft HFSS, showing there is a close agreement between the results obtained by the aforementioned softwares. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2009.
DEVELOPMENT OF AN ADVANCED BARIUM ION SOURCE FOR A LASER-INDUCED-FLUORESCENCE (LIF) DIAGNOSTIC ON THE PAUL TRAP SIMULATOR EXPERIMENT (PTSX) ∗

The Paul Trap Simulator Experiment (PTSX) is a cylindrical Paul trap that simulates the nonlinear transverse dynamics of intense charged particle beam propagation through an equivalent kilometers-long magnetic alternating-gradient (AG) focusing system. Understanding the collective dynamics and instability excitations of intense charged particle beam is of great importance for a wide variety of accelerator applications. Since the optical spectrum of barium ions is better-suited to the laserinduced-fluorescence (LIF) diagnostic than that of cesium ions, a barium ion source is being developed to replace the cesium ion source. A LIF diagnostic will be able to provide in-situ measurement of the radial density profile and, ultimately, the velocity distribution function of the intense charged particle beam. The new barium ion source is expected to increase the ion density as well as minimize the number of neutral barium atoms which enter the PTSX vacuum chamber. The design includes an ionizer, an extractor, and a neutral gas filter. Initial test results for this new barium ion source will be presented.