Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fully numerical relativistic calculations for diatomic molecules using the finite-element method.

A two-dimensional, fully numerical approach to the four-component Dirac equation utilizing the finite-element method for diatomic systems is presented. The convergence properties of the calculations, which are affected by the singularities of the relativistic have functions, are studied and improved. In the Dirac-Fock approximation for H 2 , an absolute accuracy of about 10 -10 a.u. for the total energy and the 1(j z =1/2) orbital energy is achieved with only 2116 grid points, where j z is the component of the total angular momentum along the internuclear axis. Relativistic total energies, orbital energies, and their relativistic corrections were calculated in the Dirac-Fock-Slater approximation for some small diatomic systems such as LiH, Li 2 , BH, and C 2
Distance-based LISA maps for multivariate lattice data

In the context of areal data (a particular case of data with spatial dependence) we propose an algorithm to define spatial clusters. Our proposal is based on distance between the characteristics observed in different areas (individual). Thus it is able to be applied to any kind of observable characteristic on condition that an inter-individual distance can be defined. This way we provide a generalization of the well-known LISA maps that have been widely used for univariate data. We apply our proposals to the results of 2004 Spanish General Elections recorded at 248 neighborhoods in Barcelona.
Comparison of electromagnetically induced transparency schemes in semiconductor quantum dot structures: Impact of many-body interactions

A particular physical effect that can be utilized for gener-ating slow light is electromagnetically induced transparencyaddresses the many-body aspects of a carrier-excitingEIT . EIT refers to an artiﬁcially created spectral region oftransparency in the middle of an absorption line due to thedestructive quantum interference arising from two transitionsin a three-level system.
First-principles engineering of charged defects for two-dimensional quantum technologies

Charged defects in 2D materials have emerging applications in quantum technologies such as quantum emitters and quantum computation. Advancement of these technologies requires rational design of ideal defect centers, demanding reliable computation methods for quantitatively accurate prediction of defect properties. We present an accurate, parameter-free and efficient procedure to evaluate quasiparticle defect states and thermodynamic charge transition levels of defects in 2D materials. Importantly, we solve critical issues that stem from the strongly anisotropic screening in 2D materials, that have so far precluded accurate prediction of charge transition levels in these materials. Using this procedure, we investigate various defects in monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) for their charge transition levels, stable spin states and optical excitations. We identify $C_BN_V$ (nitrogen vacancy adjacent to carbon substitution of boron) to be the most promising defect candidate for scalable quantum bit and emitter applications.
ERK5 MAPK Regulates Embryonic Angiogenesis and Acts as a Hypoxia-sensitive Repressor of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expression*

During angiogenesis, endothelial cells undergo proliferation, reorganization, and stabilization to establish a mature vascular network. This process is critical for establishing a functional circulatory system during development and contributes to the pathological process of tumor growth. Here we report that embryos deficient for the ERK5 MAPK die between embryonic days 10.5 and 11.5 with angiogenic failure and cardiovascular defects. We show that ERK5 deficiency leads to an increased expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), dysregulation of which has been shown to impede angiogenic remodeling and vascular stabilization. Our data also reveal that ERK5 negatively regulates transcription from the vegflocus during hypoxic responses. Importantly, ERK5 is required at an earlier developmental stage than p38α, and p38α does not compensate for ERK5 deficiency. These results demonstrate that ERK5 plays a specific role in the regulation of early angiogenesis.
Regulation of G 1 cyclin-dependent kinases in the liver : role of nuclear localization and p 27 sequestration

Albrecht, Jeffrey H. , Brenda M. Rieland, Christopher J. Nelsen, and Cory L. Ahonen. Regulation of G1 cyclindependent kinases in the liver: role of nuclear localization and p27 sequestration. Am. J. Physiol. 277 (Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 40): G1207–G1216, 1999. —Recent studies suggest that cyclin D1 mediates progression of hepatocytes through G1 phase of the cell cycle. The present study further examines the regulation of cyclin D1-dependent kinase activity and the interplay between cyclin D1 and other G1 phase regulatory proteins during liver regeneration. After 70% partial hepatectomy in rats, there was upregulation of kinase activity associated with cyclins (A, D1, D3, and E), cyclindependent kinases (Cdk2 and Cdk4), and Cdk-inhibitory proteins (p27, p107, and p130). Although cyclin D1/Cdk4 complexes were more abundant in the cytoplasmic fraction after partial hepatectomy, kinase activity was detected primarily in the nuclear fraction. Cytoplasmic cyclin D1/Cdk4 complexes were activated by recombinant cyclin H/Cdk7. Because endogenous Cdk7 activity was found in the nucleus, this suggests that activation of cyclin D1/Cdk4 requires nuclear importation and subsequent phosphorylation by cyclin H/Cdk7. Recombinant cyclin E/Cdk2 was inhibited by extracts from quiescent liver, and cyclin D1 could titrate out this inhibitory activity. Induction of cyclin D1 was accompanied by increased abundance of cyclin D1/p27 complexes, and most p27 was sequestered by cyclin D1 after partial hepatectomy. Thus cyclin D1 appears to play two roles during G1 phase progression in the regenerating liver: it forms a nuclear kinase complex, and it promotes activation of Cdk2 by sequestering inhibitory proteins such as p27. These experiments underscore the complexity of cyclin/Cdk regulatory networks in the regenerating liver.
JOINT TIME-FREQUENCY ANALYSIS OF CURRENT-SOURCE DENSITIES FROM DEPTH EEG IN HIPPOCAMPUS

Electrical brain activity recorded as depth electroencephalogram (EEG) can provide significant insight on the function of neuronal networks of the brain in normal and abnormal conditions. The neuronal information is simultaneously processed in time and frequency domains and even at different locations. Furthermore, different frequencies may carry different information and may extend to different locations within the brain. The need to separate space, time and frequency has become an ultimate challenge in understanding neuronal network function. Hippocampus has a laminar loop structure providing an ideal model to study biological signal processing in frequency, space and time. This paper describes a new approach to analyze depth EEG recorded from intact hippocampus, using combined MatLab procedures for current source density (CSD) analysis for space and Stransformation for characteristics varying in time and frequency. This technique allows us to more comprehensively explore the very basis of neuronal network interactions.
A sensitive method for assaying chemotaxic responses of Leishmania promastigotes.

This article describes a sensitive, cheap, and easy method for assaying chemotaxic responses of Leishmania promastigotes. A gradient of the substance to be assayed was produced inside a series of commercially available capillary tubes submerged in a promastigote suspension. After an incubation period, the attractiveness of the substance under test was measured by counting the number of parasites in the capillaries in a Neubauer chamber. Different responses were detected in two strains of Leishmania amazonensis and one strain of L. chagasi after standardization of the method to assay attraction to carbohydrates. Very different responses were obtained when the test was performed using promastigotes of the same strain in two different physiological states (log and stationary phase). The stationary phase cells showed an enhanced chemotaxic capability, which can be explained by the fact that the metacyclic forms commonest in stationary phase cultures have greater mobility than other promastigotes. This method will permit studies to be made of the attractive response to different substances in Leishmania species and other trypanosomatids and facilitate characterization of the potential receptors involved in the chemotaxic response. An adaptation of the method to assay the response to repellent substances is also provided.
Cardiovascular Effects of Long‐Term Exposure to Air Pollution: A Population‐Based Study With 900 845 Person‐Years of Follow‐up

Background Studies have shown that long‐term exposure to air pollution such as fine particulate matter (≤2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter [PM 2.5]) increases the risk of all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality. To date, however, there are limited data on the impact of air pollution on specific cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to evaluate cardiovascular effects of long‐term exposure to air pollution among residents of Seoul, Korea. Methods and Results Healthy participants with no previous history of cardiovascular disease were evaluated between 2007 and 2013. Exposure to air pollutants was estimated by linking the location of outdoor monitors to the ZIP code of each participant's residence. Crude and adjusted analyses were performed using Cox regression models to evaluate the risk for composite cardiovascular events including cardiovascular mortality, acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and stroke. A total of 136 094 participants were followed for a median of 7.0 years (900 845 person‐years). The risk of major cardiovascular events increased with higher mean concentrations of PM 2.5 in a linear relationship, with a hazard ratio of 1.36 (95% confidence interval, 1.29–1.43) per 1 μg/m3 PM 2.5. Other pollutants including PM 2.5–10 of CO, SO 2, and NO 2, but not O3, were significantly associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. The burden from air pollution was comparable to that from hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Conclusions This large‐scale population‐based study demonstrated that long‐term exposure to air pollution including PM 2.5 increases the risk of major cardiovascular disease and mortality. Air pollution should be considered an important modifiable environmental cardiovascular risk factor.
Exploiting the Natural Diversity of Microviridin Gene Clusters for Discovery of Novel Tricyclic Depsipeptides

ABSTRACT Microviridins are ribosomally synthesized tricyclic depsipeptides produced by different genera of cyanobacteria. The prevalence of the microviridin gene clusters and the natural diversity of microviridin precursor sequences are currently unknown. Screening of laboratory strains and field samples of the bloom-forming freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis via PCR revealed global occurrence of the microviridin pathway and an unexpected natural variety. We could detect 15 new variants of the precursor gene mdnA encoding microviridin backbones that differ in up to 4 amino acid positions from known isoforms of the peptide. The survey not only provides insights into the versatility of the biosynthetic enzymes in a closely related group of cyanobacteria, but also facilitates the discovery and characterization of cryptic microviridin variants. This is demonstrated for microviridin L in Microcystis aeruginosa strain NIES843 and heterologously produced variants.
Interlaboratory variability for total homocysteine analysis in plasma.

Total plasma homocysteine consists of free homocysteine and homocysteine that is complexed with itself or with other amino acids or proteins. Free homocysteine has been measured previously as part of a biochemical screen for inherited metabolic disorders. More recently, increased total plasma homocysteine has been suggested as an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease [reviewed in Ref. (1)]. In addition, increased total homocysteine is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with angiographically demonstrated coronary artery disease(2). These studies have prompted clinicians to include total homocysteine analysis as part of the risk assessment profile of patients with premature coronary artery disease. However, it has …
Anti-TNF Therapy Is Associated with Decreased Imaging and Radiation Exposure in Patients with Crohn's Disease

Background:Diagnostic imaging is frequently used in Crohn's disease (CD) for diagnosis, evaluation of complications, and determination of response to treatment. Patients with CD are at risk for high radiation exposure in their lifetime. The aim of our study was to compare the effective dose of radiation in CD patients the year prior to and the year after initiation of anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents or corticosteroids. Methods:We conducted a retrospective review of 99 CD patients initiated on anti-TNF therapy or corticosteroids between 2004 and 2009 in a tertiary care center. Results:Sixty-five patients were initiated on anti-TNF agents and 34 were initiated on corticosteroids. The anti-TNF cohort was significantly younger at diagnosis and at the time of initiation of anti-TNF or steroid therapy. The anti-TNF group had significantly more stricturing, penetrating, and perianal disease than the corticosteroid group. The anti-TNF cohort had a significant reduction in number of radiologic exams (5.5 vs. 3.7, P < 0.01) as well as a significant reduction in the cumulative radiation dose (28.1 vs. 15.0 mSv, P < 0.01) the year after initiation of therapy. This reduction was largely attributable to decreased use of computed tomography (CT) scans. In contrast, there was no significant change in radiation exposure in the corticosteroid cohort. Logistic regression analysis showed a strong trend toward higher exposure in patients with complicated disease behavior (stricturing or penetrating phenotype) (odds ratio [OR] 2.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.98–8.38). Conclusions:Initiation of anti-TNF therapy for treatment of CD is associated with a significant reduction in diagnostic radiation exposure. Conversely, steroid treatment does not reduce diagnostic radiation exposure.
Analytical model for performance-evaluation of multistage interconnection networks supporting multi-class priority service

In this paper, a discrete-time, single server with parallel multi-buffers, switching element (SE) is presented and analysed. This SE is used in the construction of multistage interconnection networks which have the ability to service the multi-priority traffic-supporting good quality of service. Through a queuing analysis and under various values of multi-traffic classifications, a performance evaluation is determined. This analytical model is based on the steady-state description of the system behaviour. An utilisation's formula is extracted by considering the steady state of the discrete-time multistage network. Consequently, we estimated the rest of the performance metrics. The results are validated using simulation. Apart from that our multi-priority architecture, validated in marginal cases, is compared to some existing single and two class priority models of multistage networks. This comparison is made by gathering metrics and comparing the total packet throughput. Also, the gain of the high-priority packets against the lower-priority packets under different configuration schemas is demonstrated. Eventually, this proposed analytical model is very accurate for various network sizes, with various values of offered multi-priority traffic on fabric's inputs and, therefore, can be used in performance prediction of multistage networks which supports quality of service.
Accounting Conservatism and Private Debt Contracting

This paper examines the role of accounting conservatism on the design of private debt contracts. Specifically, I distinguish two arguments that offer different explanations for how accounting conservatism improves debt contracting efficiency. One argument suggests that lenders care about ex post timely loss recognition (income statement argument), and the other argument contends that lenders care about the cumulative effect of ex ante timely loss recognition (balance sheet argument). I provide evidence consistent with the balance sheet argument. Lenders reward borrowers‟ timely loss recognition when it leads to more reliable net asset values in the balance sheet by lowering interest rate spreads. In addition, while on average, lenders adversely price the buildup of accounting slack caused by ex ante conservative accounting practices, this penalty is absent when the accounting slack is more likely to be caused by ex ante timely loss recognition. I also find that lenders are more likely to use collateral and less likely to use financial covenants for firms with high levels of past conservatism, regardless of the source of conservatism. Taken together, the results show that it is important to distinguish the type and source of conservatism. Overall, the results suggest that the role of accounting conservatism in debt contracting is more complex than documented in prior literature.
Based on Logical Semantic Binding Method

The idea of the computer system capable of simulating understanding with respect to reading a document and answering questions pertaining to it has attracted researchers since the early 1970s. Currently, the information access has received increased attention within the natural language processing (NLP) community as a means to develop and evaluate robust question answering methods. Most recent work has stressed the value of information access as a challenge in terms of their targeting successive skill levels of human performance and the existence of independently developed scoring algorithm and human performance measures. It is an exciting research implementation in natural language understanding, because it requires broad-coverage techniques and semantic knowledge which can be used to determine the strength of understanding the natural language in computer science.
The Conduct of In Vitro and In Vivo Drug‐Drug Interaction Studies: A PhRMA Perspective

Current regulatory guidances do not address specific study designs for in vitro and in vivo drug‐drug interaction studies. There is a common desire by regulatory authorities and by industry sponsors to harmonize approaches to allow for a better assessment of the significance of findings across different studies and drugs. There is also a growing consensus for the standardization of cytochrome P450 (CYP) probe substrates, inhibitors, and inducers and for the development of classification systems to improve the communication of risk to health care providers and patients. While existing guidances cover mainly CYP‐mediated drug interactions, the importance of other mechanisms, such as transporters, has been recognized more recently and should also be addressed. This paper was prepared by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Drug Metabolism and Clinical Pharmacology Technical Working Groups and represents the current industry position. The intent is to define a minimal best practice for in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetic drug‐drug interaction studies targeted to development (not discovery support) and to define a data package that can be expected by regulatory agencies in compound registration dossiers.
Interaction of alcohol and the G to a substitution at the promoter region of the apolipoprotein AI gene in determining plasma apolipoprotein AI levels in Yi and Han Chinese.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the influence on plasma lipid levels of alcohol and a common polymorphism in the human apolipoprotein AI gene promoter at a position 75 bp upstream of the transcription start site. METHODS For this study, 742 healthy Yi and Han subjects all above 15 years old formed the total population which was divided into three groups: the Yi-farmer group, the Yi-emigrant group and the Han-resident group. All estimates of plasma lipids and apolipoproteins were performed using an auto-analyzer. Genetic DNA was prepared from the blood clots using the Triton X-100 lysis technique. Amplification of a 432 bp fragment of the apoAI gene promoter was performed using PCR followed by restriction digestion, electrophoresis and identification of the genotypes involved. RESULTS The samples were divided on the basis of alcohol consumption: non-drinkers, 1-25 g/day, 26-75 g/day and > 75 g/day. Comparing the four alcohol consumption groups, plasma HDLC and apoAI levels were increased as the alcohol consumption increased with no evidence of threshold effects in the Yi-farmers and the Han people groups. A similar association was found in the Yi-emigrant group, but was not statistically significant. The frequencies of the A allele in the three populations were similar, and no significant difference of lipid and apolipoprotein levels was found between subjects with and without the A allele in the three populations. But, in Han and Yi-emigrant samples, the drinkers with the GG genotype had higher plasma HDLC and apoAI levels than non-drinkers with the same genotype, while the drinkers with the A allele had lower plasma HDLC and apoAI levels than drinkers without the A allele. Non-drinkers with the A allele had higher levels of apoAI than non-drinkers with GG genotypes. It was estimated that 18% of the variability of plasma apoAI level could be explained by the G to A polymorphism in non-drinkers of Yi-emigrants (F = 8.94, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The present data suggest that moderate alcohol consumption and the G to A substitution could lower the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), but the beneficial effects of one will be negated by the other.
Serum ionized magnesium levels during intravenous MGSO4 therapy of preeclamptic women

Using a novel ion‐selective electrode, we have shown that there is over a 100% increase in venous serum levels of ionized Mg during intravenous MgSO4 therapy of preeclamptic patients. By 6 hours of therapy, the range is 0.92‐1.65 mmol/1 (95% C.I.). There are strong correlations between levels of ionized and total Mg throughout therapy (r=0.92‐0.95.p<0.01).