Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Solving a multi-mode bi-objective resource investment problem using meta-heuristic algorithms

In this paper, a multi-mode bi-objective resource investment problem in which the first objective function tries to minimize the completion time of the project and the second one tries to minimize the total resource costs is considered. Due to problem complexity, two modified meta-heuristic algorithms namely NSGA-II and MOPSO are applied to solve the model. To compare the algorithms, a set of test problem is considered. Furthermore, a MADM approach called TOPSIS is applied to compare the algorithms' results. To compare the algorithms' performance, six well-known metrics, as well as the graphical comparison are considered. Finally, the computational results declare that NSGA-II has better performance regarding the performance metrics.
Chromosome Painting Reveals Multiple Rearrangements between Gymnotus capanema and Gymnotus carapo (Gymnotidae, Gymnotiformes)

The genus Gymnotus (Gymnotiformes) is a group of fishes with karyotypic plasticity, demonstrated by cytogenetic studies using whole chromosome probes of G. carapo (GCA, 2n = 42) that were obtained by flow-sorting from fibroblast cultures. In the present work we undertook comparative mapping of the karyotype of G. capanema (GCP, 2n = 34) with GCA, 2n = 42 painting probes. The results demonstrate that the karyotype of G. capanema is extensively rearranged when compared to G. carapo. From the 12 chromosome pairs of G. carapo that can be individually differentiated (GCA1-3, 6, 7, 9, 14, 16 and 18-21), only 4 pairs (GCA6, 7, 19, and 20) maintained conserved synteny in G. capanema. From these 4, GCA6 and GCA20 correspond to individual chromosomes (GCP8 and GCP15), while the other 2 share homology with parts of GCP1 and GCP2, respectively. The remaining GCP chromosomes showed more complex hybridization patterns with homologies to other GCA pairs. These results demonstrate that the level of reorganization in the genome of G. capanema is much greater than in GCA, 2n = 42 and in karyomorph GCA, 2n = 40 which was previously analyzed by chromosome painting.
Family evaluation of hospice care: Examining direct and indirect associations with overall satisfaction and caregiver confidence

Abstract Objective: The Family Evaluation of Hospice Care (FEHC) survey is widely employed by hospices, and several studies have examined this information to help inform and enhance end-of-life services. However, these studies have largely focused on examining relatively straightforward associations between variables and have not tested larger models that could reveal more complex effects. The present study aimed to examine the direct and mediating (i.e., via information/education, patient care, and family support) effects of demographic factors, length of stay, timing of referral, patient symptom severity, location of services, and relationship to caregiver on two outcome variables: overall satisfaction and caregiver confidence. Method: Surveys were collected from 3226 participants who had lost a loved one who received hospice services. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine the direct and mediating effects of the independent variables on the two outcomes of interest. Results: Participants reporting on racial minority patients, patients with more symptoms, and those referred too late or too early were the most likely to express some discontentment with hospice services. The information/education these individuals received was the only mediating factor significantly associated with caregiver confidence. More positive perceptions of patient care and information/education were both significantly related to greater overall satisfaction. Significance of Results: These findings help to (1) pinpoint those most at risk for being less satisfied with hospice, (2) identify which aspects of care may be most strongly related to overall outcomes, and (3) provide a model for examining complex associations among FEHC variables that may be employed by other researchers.
Frequency domain lifetime and spectral imaging microscopy

In the femtoliter observation volume of a two‐photon microscope, multiple fluorophores can be present and complex photophysics can take place. Combined detection of the fluorescence emission spectra and lifetimes can provide deeper insight into specimen properties than these two imaging modalities taken separately. Therefore, we have developed a detection scheme based on a frequency‐modulated multichannel photomultiplier, which measures simultaneously the spectrum and the lifetime of the emitted fluorescence. Experimentally, the efficiency of the frequency domain lifetime measurement was compared to a time domain set‐up. The performance of this spectrally and lifetime‐resolved microscope was evaluated on reference specimens and living cells labeled with three different stains targeting the membrane, the mitochondria, and the nucleus. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Selection by parasites may increase host recombination frequency

Meiotic recombination destroys successful genotypes and it is therefore thought to evolve only under a very limited set of conditions. Here, we experimentally show that recombination rates across two linkage groups of the host, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, increase with exposure to the microsporidian parasite, Nosema whitei, particularly when parasites were allowed to coevolve with their hosts. Selection by randomly varied parasites resulted in smaller effects, while directional selection for insecticide resistance initially reduced recombination slightly. These results, at least tentatively, suggest that short-term benefits of recombination—and thus the evolution of sex—may be related to parasitism.
Neuroprotective mechanism of modafinil on Parkinson disease induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine.

AIM To observe the neuroprotective mechanism of modafinil on Parkinson disease (PD) models induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). METHODS The model of PD was induced by intraperitoneally injecting MPTP into C57BL/6J mice for 4 d. Modafinil (i.p., 50 or 100 mg/kg(-1)/d(-1)) was administered at 30 min following MPTP for 4 d and for another 10 d continuously. The contents of dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamine (Glu) in the striatum, and the contents of GABA, Glu, malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) in the substantia nigra (SN) of model mice were determined. RESULTS Modafinil (50 and 100 mg/kg) prevented against the decrease of the contents of DA, 5-HT, and NA in the striatum and GSH, GABA in the SN induced by MPTP, but reduced the increase of MDA in the SN and GABA in the striatum induced by MPTP. Modafinil preferentially inhibited striatal GABA release, but it did not change the increase of nigrostriatal Glu release induced by MPTP. CONCLUSION The anti-oxidation and the modulation of nigrostriatal GABA and striatal NA and 5-HT release contributed to the neuroprotective effects of modafinil on PD induced by MPTP.
Secondary special educators' transition involvement

Abstract Background Different roles and responsibilities are required of school professionals to facilitate students' successful transition from school to post-school lives. Special educators' involvement in transition services is essential for better post-school outcomes for students with disability. Method The Transition Involvement Survey with five domains was developed for the study and a total of 343 secondary special educators in the United States participated. MANOVA and post hoc discriminant analysis were used to examine group differences across the five domains. Results Special educators rated highly in their involvement in transition planning but less so in other domains. Receiving in-service training was significantly related to educators' transition involvement but receiving pre-service training was found to be only partly related. Conclusion The gap between special educators' knowledge and involvement in extending transition services affects the provision of services. Recommendations from this study support stronger personnel preparation to improve this situation.
Uptake of Radioactive Beryllium, Vanadium, Selenium, Cerium, and Yttrium in the Tissues and Teeth of Rats

The mechanism of action of fluorides in reducing dental caries is usually attributed to its effect in lowering the solubility of the apatite lattice in which it is incorporated, though it has been suggested that its action as a phosphatase inhibitor may account in part for its effectiveness. It seems desirable to determine whether other trace elements that can be incorporated into the apatite lattice may exert similar effects. Therefore an extensive study has been undertaken of a number of elements that can affect enzyme systems, to determine whether they can actually be taken up by the tooth tissues, and what effect they may have on the solubility of the tissues and the caries incidence in the teeth. It has been shown, for example, that cadmium is not well incorporated into the apatite lattice and has a rather indefinite effect on caries. ' As part of this study it was necessary to determine how easily the elements to be studied could be distributed in the calcified tissues. At the same time the distribution in other body tissues was determined. This paper reports the distribution of the radioactive trace elements beryllium, vanadium, selenium, cerium, and yttrium in rat tissues.
Improving service quality using performance indexes

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate a method that can identify service attributes to improving service quality using service performance index. In particular, the problems of multicollinearity and whether all relevant attributes are included in the index are considered in the partial least squares method, and a service improvement score to identifying the improving priorities for each service attribute is also devised in this paper. For illustrating the method, we give an example of constructing an index based on actual data surveyed from the customers of an international shipping company and highlight the procedures used to assess its quality.
Covariation in Community- and Individual-Based Community Capacity and Health Behavior: A Multilevel Analysis of Populations in Seoul, South Korea

Community capacity is defined as the degree to which the human, physical, and potential resources of a neighborhood are organized based on mutual solidarity among the residents. The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between community capacity and health behaviors in Seoul, South Korea. Multilevel models controlling for socioeconomic variables were used to measure the association between community capacity and health behaviors in 25 districts and 404 subdistricts (n = 14 228). Community capacity was determined to be significant at the more local community level, as it was a significant variable in the subdistrict analysis for explaining health behaviors such as smoking, drinking, and exercising. Community capacity exists not only at the individual level but also at the community level. High community capacity further enhanced the positive effects of individual capacity on health behavior and further weakened the negative effects.
A fuzzy compensator for uncertainty of industrial robots

Addresses the application of a fuzzy logic control system to trajectory tracking control of robot manipulators. In the proposed application, the fuzzy logic control system plays the role of a compensator for the robot system, together with the computed torque control method, to improve trajectory tracking performance of an industrial robot. The proposed control scheme is used to adjust weight parameters of a self-tuning fuzzy logic compensator (SFLC). Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the computed torque and the SFLC scheme to control an industrial CRS Robotics Corporation A460 robot.
Are Cognitive Outcome and Recovery Different in Civilian Penetrating Versus Non-Penetrating Brain Injuries?

The present study sought to determine whether cognitive outcome and course of recovery in civilian penetrating brain injury due to gunshot can be distinguished from that of non-penetrating brain injury due to motor vehicle accident. Matched survivors of penetrating and non-penetrating brain injury were assessed with a brief neuropsychological test battery at inpatient rehabilitation, 1 year post-injury, and 2 years post-injury. The traumatic brain injury groups were found to have patterns of performance marked by reliably distinct differences in isolated areas, with different cognitive predictors of brain injury type present in early versus later recovery. The degree of recovery over the first 2 years appeared to be quite similar for penetrating and non-penetrating injuries.
A worldwide study of the impacts of information technology on healthcare costs

Due to skyrocketing healthcare costs, many hope for information technology to bring cost savings. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 earmarked $19 billion for healthcare IT, focusing on electronic health records. Other countries have also invested significantly in IT to reduce healthcare spending. IT’s impact on healthcare spending is thus of great interest to global healthcare policy makers. This paper examines how internet and personal computer use affect country-level healthcare spending for private and public healthcare organisations in 148 countries. We discovered significant differences in the impact of internet and personal computer use on healthcare cost savings in private vs. public healthcare settings. We examine the reasons for these differences and contrast them between developing vs. developed countries. We also find that the relationship between healthcare spending and IT is conditional on country-level institutional features, such as investor protections and corruption; and .
Efficiency analysis of classic risk minimizing portfolios

Portfolio selection problem is one of the most important issues within financial risk management and decision making. It concerns both, financial institutions and their regulator/supervisor bodies. A very challenging question in this context is whether there is some impact of alternative dependency/concordance measures on the efficiency of optimal portfolios. Therefore, the alternative ways of portfolio comparisons were developed, among them a stochastic dominance approach is one of the most popular one. In particular, the definition of the second-order stochastic dominance (SSD) relation uses comparisons of either twice cumulative distribution functions or expected utilities. Alternatively, one can define SSD relation using cumulative quantile functions or conditional value at risk. The task of this paper is therefore to examine and analyze the SSD efficiency of min-var portfolios that are selected on the basis of alternative concordance matrices set up on the basis of either Spearman rho or Kendall tau. It is empirically documented that only Pearson measure in Markowitz model identified a portfolio that can be of interest for at least one risk averse investor. Moreover, a portfolio based on Kendall measure is very poor (at least in terms of SSD efficiency).
Validity study of the severity index, a simple measure of urinary incontinence in women

Lack of a universally accepted, easily applied, outcome measure is one reason why urinary incontinence in women is poorly evaluated and treated.1 The severity index, developed by Sandvik et al, is short and simple enough for use in almost any context.2 We evaluated the reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change of the severity index in a wide range of women in Scotland. The severity index comprises the following two questions. How often do you experience urine leakage (0=never, 1=less than once a month, 2=one or several times a month, 3=one or several times a week, 4=every day and/or night)? How much urine do you lose each time (1=drops or little, 2=more)? The total score is the score for the first question multiplied by the score for the second question (0=dry, 1-2=slight, 3-4=moderate, 6-8=severe). We added the category “dry” for women whose urinary incontinence was cured. A version of the index splitting the “severe” …
The role of a soluble, competitive FGF receptor in embryonic stem cell-derived hematopoiesis

The Role of a Soluble Competitive FGF Receptor in Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Hematopoiesis Daniel E. Webster, Deepika Rajesh, and Aimen F. Shaaban Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, WI The fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) as well as their differentiation into the hematopoietic lineage. We observed that supplementing human and rhesus ESCs in embryoid body (EB) culture with the FGF-2 ligand showed a dose-dependent stimulation of hematopoietic differentiation. However, despite phylogenetic similarities, rhesus ESCs needed a 5-fold greater concentration of FGF-2 relative to human ESCs to achieve optimal hematopoiesis. To elucidate the mechanism behind this species-specific differential requirement for the central growth factor FGF-2, we measured and compared endogenous gene expression of FGF ligands and splice variant isoforms of FGF receptor 1 (FGFRI) between human and rhesus ESC lines. The results indicate that rather than an inherent lack of FGF ligand production in rhesus ESCs relative to human ESCs, there are significant differences in their expression of FGFRI isoforms. Our findings suggest that an increasing fraction of the soluble, competitive inhibitor sFGFRI isoform relative to the functional FGFRla isoform expressed in ESC cultures correlates (r=O.84) to a decrease in the degree of hematopoietic differentiation achieved by a differentiating ESC population. This finding not only offers an explanation for the observed differences between rhesus and human hematopoiesis, but also implies a mechanism by which developing cells can self-regulate hematopoietic induction by secretion of competitive, inhibitory receptor isoforms. Dan Webster/Genetics Aimen Shaaban/Surgery
Barriers to Mission-Critical Open Source Software Adoption by Organizations: A Provider Perspective

While open source has long been increasing in the infrastructure software domain, few organizations have adopted open source for mission-critical software application. We use the Delphi method to investigate barriers to mission-critical OSS adoption as perceived by two panels of experienced providers in France (n= 18) and in Canada (Quebec) (n= 11). On average, panelists have 15 years of experience in the software industry including 9 years with open source software. By comparing the barriers selected by each group, zones of concordance and discordance are identified. We complement the open source adoption literature by adding new insights to the existing body of knowledge dominated by client perspective alone. We also anchor our findings in the extant literature by comparing our results with those of previous studies.
The Solid-Phase Synthesis of an Fe-N-C Electrocatalyst for High-Power Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells.

The environmentally friendly synthesis of highly active Fe-N-C electrocatalysts for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is desirable but remains challenging. A simple and scalable method is presented to fabricate FeII -doped ZIF-8, which can be further pyrolyzed into Fe-N-C with 3 wt % of Fe exclusively in Fe-N4 active moieties. Significantly, this Fe-N-C derived acidic PEMFC exhibits an unprecedented current density of 1.65 A cm-2 at 0.6 V and the highest power density of 1.14 W cm-2 compared with previously reported NPMCs. The excellent PEMFC performance can be attributed to the densely and atomically dispersed Fe-N4 active moieties on the small and uniform catalyst nanoparticles.
Spatial and Temporal characteristics of Double-DiffusiveLayering in Relic Seawater

Thermohaline staircases indicative of double-diffusive instabilities are examined in Powell Lake, British Columbia. Temperature and salinity profiles in the relic seawater at the bottom of this lake are vertically divided into regions of smooth variation and high gradients, and regions of more irregular variation with weaker background gradients, forming a series of large-scale steps 5-20 m tall. The depths of these large-scale steps has not changed over 5 years, although their bulk characteristics are slowly evolving. Staircases with fine-structure steps about 0.7 m high consistently occur within the weak gradient regions of the deepest large-scale steps. These fine-structure steps result from doublediffusive layers that can be tracked over the entire lake, and from year to year for over 3 years. The depth of these layers varies consistently in different surveys and when a particular layer is slightly shallower, the temperature within it is slightly warmer.
High-density lipoprotein that supports Ureaplasma urealyticum growth

A high-density lipoprotein with growth-promoting activity for Ureaplasma urealyticum was purified in high yield from equine serum by ammonium sulfate fractionation and molecular filtration. Fractions enriched in growth-promoting activity represented 5% of the total serum protein, and 30 micrograms of the purified protein per ml gave an activity equivalent to that from 100 micrograms of whole serum per ml. The serum was totally replaced by purified lipoprotein when tested in a soy peptone-yeast dialysate or when added to a chemically defined synthetic medium. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that one major protein with growth-promoting activity is present. A total of 10 proteins were distinguished by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, with 75% of the total contributed by two proteins with molecular weights of 160,000 and 170,000. A total of 90% of the lipoprotein was an alpha-protein with a mobility of 0.67 in two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis (albumin = 1.0). The active component was further characterized as high-density lipoprotein by density ultracentrifugation. Two components with S = 6.4 and S = 15.8 were distinguished by velocity sedimentation. The lipid was removed from lipoprotein during its precipitation with acetone. The growth-promoting activity of delipidized protein was dependent upon the addition of exogenous cholesterol, and [14C]cholesterol was transferred to urea-plasmic cells in cultures containing the delipidized protein. A major portion of the [14C]cholesterol remained associated with the protein during filtration on Sepharose 4B columns.
Multi-resonant AgNW/PDMS patch antenna for biaxial strain sensing

A silver nanowire (AgNW) conductor embedded in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomeric substrate forms a microstrip patch antenna that can sense an applied biaxial strain. The flexible conductor and substrate allow the antenna to be repeatedly deformed by applied force. The two resonant modes of the antenna respond differently to strain applied in orthogonal directions and can be used to uniquely identify the biaxial strain state. The trends expected from the cavity model enable mapping of the change in the resonant frequencies to an applied strain state. Measured S11 data under biaxial strain verify the simulations.