Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring Synergistic Impact through Adventures in Group Pairing

As Agile practitioners, a great deal of our time is focused on having targeted, directed impact. But sometimes we miss opportunities to repurpose our efforts into synergistic, many-pronged effects. Not multi-tasking — multi-effecting, from one piece of effort. This paper will explore this topic, both in theory and in practice, specifically focusing on Group Pairing as an example of this. We will examine a particular client case study, where a disparate developer team, with minimal pairing and TDD experience, was developed into a highly-productive “gelled” team through Group Pairing — six individuals, one workstation.
Diaplacental effect of the carcinogen diethylnitrosamine in the golden hamster.

The action of diethylnitrosamine (DENA) was tested on pregnant golden hamsters. After administration of doses totaling 0.002–0.014 gm (daily dose, 0.002 gm) during pregnancy, the young were examined at various intervals after birth. At 25 weeks after birth, 42% of the animals exhibited tracheal papilloma, some multiple. Of the treated mothers, 73% developed tracheal papilloma, again partly multiple, 25 weeks after the 1st administration of the drug. Within the same interval, 88% of the young and 71% of treated mothers showed alterations of the liver with varying changes in parenchymal structure. When newborn hamsters from treated and untreated mothers were exchanged, only the young of treated mothers developed papilloma. The passage of DENA through the placenta after intracardial injection of the drug was proved by thin-layer chromatography. The resulting injury to the liver (cirrhosis) is also revealed by reduced incorporation of 32P.
High power solid state retrofit lamp thermal characterization and modeling

Thermal and thermo-mechanical modeling and characterization of solid state lightening (SSL) retrofit LED Lamp are presented in this paper. Paramount Importance is to design SSL lamps for reliability, in which thermal and thermo-mechanical aspects are key points. The main goal is to get a precise 3D thermal lamp model for further thermal optimization. Simulations are performed with ANSYS and Covent or Ware software tools to compare different simulation approaches. Modeled thermal distribution has been validated with thermal measurement on a commercial 8W LED lamp. Materials parametric study has been carried out to discover problematic parts for heat transfer from power LEDs to ambient and future solutions are proposed. The objectives are to predict the thermal management by modeling of LED Lamp, get more understanding in the effect of lamp shape and used materials in order to design more effective LED lamps and predict light quality, life time and reliability.
Re-admissions for delayed complications after cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC

Abstract Background: Peritoneal metastasis (PM) is currently treated with the complex procedure of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intra-peritoneal chemotherapy (CRS + HIPEC). This procedure presents high morbidity and mortality rates, but they have only been examined in the immediate post-operative period. The aim of our study is to present, describe and analyze the post-operative events, secondary to a cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC procedure that occurs after the patients’ discharge from the hospital. Patients and methods: We examine retrospectively 219 patients who were discharged from our hospital from the initial 230 patients with PM, who were operated on from August 2005 to August 2015 and underwent CRS and HIPEC. Complications are investigated from the patient’s discharge date until the 90th post-operative day, and are categorized with the Clavien-Dindo classification. Results: We identified 17 patients (7.8%) who developed late complications. No major differences in patient characteristics were identified between this group of 17 patients and the rest, apart from a slightly higher PCI (23.5 vs. 22.3). Mean length of stay at the re-admission was 11.7 days. 5 of the patients (29.4%) had to be re-operated on, whereas we found a mortality of 11.8% (2/17 patients). The most common complications involved abdominal abscesses (17.6%), ureteral strictures (17.6%) and enterocutaneous fistulae (17.6%). Conclusion: Our study highlights the late complications following CRS plus HIPEC procedures, that occur after the patient’s discharge from the hospital, an issue that has not been investigated thoroughly yet and may have serious impact on the post-operative quality of life. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy following CRS and HIPEC procedures in the onset of such complications appears to be important and needs further investigation.
What It's Really Like: The Complex Role of Medical Students in End-of-Life Care

Background: Medical student end-of-life care training provides insight into the hidden curriculum and physician professional development. Description: Second-year medical students at a university medical center listen to a panel discussion of 4th-year students and residents describing their end-of-life care experiences during clerkships. This discussion is intended to provide “anticipatory guidance” to 2nd-year students about challenging situations they might encounter on the wards. The purpose of this study was to analyze the content of the panel discussions by 4th-year students and residents to better understand their views of the end-of-life care curriculum. Evaluation: We performed a qualitative content analysis of transcripts from 2 years of panel discussions. Participants' comments focused primarily on the complexity of the role of medical students in end-of-life care. Three major themes emerged in the sessions: defining professional identity, conflicting expectations, and limited medical experience. Conclusions: The role of medical students in end-of-life care can be complex, confusing, and contradictory. Emotional support and elucidating the hidden curriculum may assist students with the process of physician enculturation and end-of-life care education.
Quantification of Neural Ethanol and Acetaldehyde Using Headspace GC-MS.

BACKGROUND There is controversy regarding the active agent responsible for alcohol addiction. The theory that ethanol (EtOH) itself was the agent in alcohol drinking behavior was widely accepted until acetaldehyde (AcH) was found in the brain. The importance of AcH formation in the brain is still subject to speculation due to the lack of a method to accurately assay the AcH levels directly. A highly sensitive gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method to reliably determine AcH concentration with certainty is needed to address whether neural AcH is indeed responsible for increased alcohol consumption. METHODS A headspace gas chromatograph coupled to selected-ion monitoring MS was utilized to develop a quantitative assay for AcH and EtOH. Our GC-MS approach was carried out using a Bruker Scion 436-GC SQ MS. RESULTS Our approach yields limits of detection of AcH in the nanomolar range and limits of quantification in the low micromolar range. Our linear calibration includes 5 concentrations with a least-square regression greater than 0.99 for both AcH and EtOH. Tissue analyses using this method revealed the capacity to quantify EtOH and AcH in blood, brain, and liver tissue from mice. CONCLUSIONS By allowing quantification of very low concentrations, this method may be used to examine the formation of EtOH metabolites, specifically AcH, in murine brain tissue in alcohol research.
Determination of agarose gel pore size: Absorbance measurements vis a vis other techniques

The absorbance measurements in the wavelength range 700 nm to 800 nm were used to probe the agarose gel topology evolution and extract the pore size of the trapped solvent. By following the changes in absorbance and pore size, the gelation process could be clearly divided into three stages - induction stage, gelation stage and pseudo-equilibrium stage. The gelation mechanism is explained as a nucleation and growth process. Following the kinetics of gelation using dynamic light scattering is complicated by multiple scattering (for high concentrations) and large fluctuations in intensity and relaxation time. Comparatively, scanning the absorption spectrum is fast and the method is suitable for a wide range of concentrations and setting temperatures. Pore size determination using absorbance is a fast and non-invasive method when compared to the DNA electrophoresis measurements, which extend over several hours and use probe diffusion.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health promotion programs for the prevention and management of chronic diseases: a scoping review protocol.

REVIEW OBJECTIVES The scoping review project will identify and describe the existing research on health promotion programs and activities focusing on modifying risk factors (specifically to reduce smoking and alcohol consumption, increase physical activity and improve nutrition and social and emotional wellbeing) and/or improving the management of chronic diseases (specifically obesity, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across a diverse range of health and community settings.
Uncertain map making in natural environments

Building on previous work on incremental natural scene modelling for mobile robot navigation, we focus in this paper on the problem of representing and managing uncertainties. The environment is composed of ground regions and objects. Objects (e.g., rocks) are represented by an uncertain state vector (location) and a variance-covariance matrix. Their shapes are approximated by ellipsoids. Landmarks are defined as objects with specific properties (discrimination, accuracy) that permit to use them for robot localization and for anchoring the environment model. Model updating is based on an extended Kalman filter. Experimental results are given that show the construction of a consistent model over tens of meters.
Involvement of the Protein Kinase CK2 in the Regulation of Mammalian Circadian Rhythms

Protein kinase CK2 promotes PERIOD2 degradation and modulates the mammalian circadian clock. Tuning the Mammalian Beat Many physiological and behavioral processes wax and wane during the course of the day. These circadian cycles depend on interlocking transcriptional and translational feedback loops. Phosphorylation of the clock protein PERIOD2 (PER2) regulates its degradation and subcellular localization, thereby playing a critical role in determining rhythm length and strength. Tsuchiya et al. now show that the protein kinase CK2 binds to and phosphorylates PER2, cooperating with the protein kinase CKIε to promote PER2 degradation and thereby contributing to regulation of both the amplitude and period of the mammalian circadian clock. Posttranslational modifications of clock proteins are crucial to generating proper circadian rhythms of the correct length and amplitude. Here, we show that the protein kinase CK2 (casein kinase 2) plays a role in regulating the mammalian circadian clock. We found that inhibiting CK2 activity resulted in a decrease in the amplitude and an increase in the period of oscillations in circadian gene expression. CK2 specifically bound and phosphorylated PERIOD2 (PER2) and collaborated with the protein kinase CKIε to promote PER2 degradation. We also identified a CK2 phosphorylation site (serine-53) in PER2, whose phosphorylation played a role in fine-tuning circadian rhythms and regulating PER2 stability but was dispensable for the cooperative effect of CK2 and CKIε. Thus, our study identifies CK2 as a regulatory element of mammalian circadian rhythms and uncovers a role for CK2 in PER2 degradation.
Explorative Analysis of Heterogeneous, Unstructured, and Uncertain Data - A Computer Science Perspective on Biodiversity Research

We outline a blueprint for the development of new computer science approaches for the management and analysis of big data problems for biodiversity science. Such problems are characterized by a combination of different data sources each of which owns at least one of the typical characteristics of big data (volume, variety, velocity, or veracity). For these problems, we envision a solution that covers different aspects of integrating data sources and algorithms for their analysis on one of the following three layers: At the data layer, there are various data archives of heterogeneous, unstructured, and uncertain data. At the functional layer, the data are analyzed for each archive individually. At the meta-layer, multiple functional archives are combined for complex analysis.
Matrix Metalloproteinases

Matrix metalloproteinases are a class of enzymes that play an important role in the remodeling of the extracellular matrix in development and cancer metastasis. This unit describes a set of methods‐cell‐mediated dissolution of type I collagen fibrils, direct and reverse zymography, enzyme capture based on a‐2 macroglubulin and TIMP‐1 and ‐2, and demonstration of crytic thiol groups in metalloproteinase precursors‐that are used to characterize the functions of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors.
ATP‐binding cassette transporters and sterol O‐acyltransferases interact at membrane microdomains to modulate sterol uptake and esterification

A key component of enkaryotic lipid homeostasis is the esterification of sterols with fatty acids by sterol O‐acyltransf erases (SOATs). The esterification reactions are allosterically activated by their sterol substrates, the majority of which accumulate at the plasma membrane. We demonstrate that in yeast, sterol transport from the plasma membrane to the site of esterification is associated with the physical interaction of the major SOAT, acyl‐coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT)‐related enzyme (Are)2p, with 2 plasma membrane ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporters: Aus1p and Pdr11p. Are2p, Aus1p, and Pdr11p, unlike the minor acyltransferase, Are1p, colocalize to sterol and sphingolipid‐enriched, detergent‐resistant microdomains (DRMs). Deletion of either ABC transporter results in Are2p relocalization to detergent‐soluble membrane domains and a significant decrease (53‐36%) in esterification of exogenous sterol. Similarly, in murine tissues, the SOAT1/Acat1 enzyme and activity localize to DRMs. This subcellular localization is diminished upon deletion of murine ABC transporters, such as Abcg1, which itself is DRM associated. We propose that the close proximity of sterol esterification and transport proteins to each other combined with their residence in lipid‐enriched membrane microdomains facilitates rapid, high‐capacity sterol transport and esterification, obviating any requirement for soluble intermediary proteins. —Gulati, S. , Balderes, D. , Kim, C. , Guo, Z. A. , Wilcox, L. , Area‐Gomez, E. , Snider, J., Wolinski, H. , Stagljar, I. , Granato, J. T. , Ruggles, K. V. , DeGiorgis, J. A. , Kohlwein, S. D. , Schon, E. A. , Sturley, S. L. ATP‐binding cassette transporters and sterol O‐acyltransferases interact at membrane microdomains to modulate sterol uptake and esterification. FASEB J. 29, 4682‐4694 (2015). www.fasebj. org
A Homogeneous, High-Throughput-Compatible, Fluorescence Intensity–Based Assay for UDP-N-Acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine Reductase (MurB) with Nanomolar Product Detection

A novel assay for the NADPH-dependent bacterial enzyme UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine reductase (MurB) is described that has nanomolar sensitivity for product formation and is suitable for high-throughput applications. MurB catalyzes an essential cytoplasmic step in the synthesis of peptidoglycan for the bacterial cell wall, reduction of UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine to UDP-N-acetylmuramic acid (UNAM). Interruption of this biosynthetic pathway leads to cell death, making MurB an attractive target for antibacterial drug discovery. In the new assay, the UNAM product of the MurB reaction is ligated to L-alanine by the next enzyme in the peptidoglycan biosynthesis pathway, MurC, resulting in hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to adenosine diphosphate (ADP). The ADP is detected with nanomolar sensitivity by converting it to oligomeric RNA with polynucleotide phosphorylase and detecting the oligomeric RNA with a fluorescent dye. The product sensitivity of the new assay is 1000-fold greater than that of the standard assay that follows the absorbance decrease resulting from the conversion of NADPH to NADP+. This sensitivity allows inhibitor screening to be performed at the low substrate concentrations needed to make the assay sensitive to competitive inhibition of MurB.
Polynucleotide circular dichroism calculations: Use of an all‐order classical coupled oscillator polarizability theory

An all‐order classical coupled oscillator theory in which monomer band shapes are explicity taken into account is applied to the calculations of polynucleotide circular dichroism. Calculations are shown for ApA and oligoadenylic acid of varying chain lengths, in both RNA and B‐DNA geometry, and the advantages of this theory are assessed. By introducing an effective dielectric constant, good agreement with measured spectra is obtained. Variations in monomer parameters are tested in an attempt to eliminate remaining discrepancies between calculated and measured spectra.
Performance Improvement of Optimized Link State Routing ( OLSR ) Protocol

OLSR, a leading proactive protocol of MANET maintains consistent and up to date network topology at all the times and has emerged as the choice for MANETs due to low latency for route determination. Hence, OLSR generate a large amount of control overhead in order to maintain an up-to-date routing table which consumes bandwidth that should have been employed by user data traffic instead. This paper addresses this issue by optimizing OLSR under specific network and mobility conditions which are actually more of practical interest and thereby, our work does have a valuable contribution to provide guidelines for large number of cases of general interest. The proposal has shown to consistently outperform the default implementation by reducing the routing overhead under specific network and mobility conditions considered at no extra cost. Other parameters like data traffic and end-to-end delay also improved with the approach presented in this study which shows the efficiency of the scheme selected.
Distributed queries without distributed state

Traditionally, distributed queries have been optimized centrally and executed synchronously. We outline a framework that relaxes both of these constraints using mutant query plans: XML representations of query plans that can also include verbatim XML data, references to resource locations (URLs), or abstract resource names (URNs). Servers work using local, possibly incomplete knowledge, partially evaluate as much of the query plan as they can, incorporate the partial results into a new, mutated query plan and transfer it to some other server that can continue processing. We present preliminary performance results, and discuss issues and strategies for mutant query optimization.
N-type Schottky barrier source/drain MOSFET using ytterbium silicide

Ytterbium silicide, for the first time, was used to form the Schottky barrier source/drain (S/D) of N-channel MOSFETs. The device fabrication was performed at low temperature, which is highly preferred in the establishment of Schottky barrier S/D transistor (SSDT) technology, including the HfO/sub 2/ gate dielectric, and HaN/TaN metal gate. The YbSi/sub 2 - x/ silicided N-SSDT has demonstrated a very promising characteristic with a recorded high I/sub on//l/sub off/ ratio of /spl sim/10/sup 7/ and a steep subthreshold slope of 75 mV/dec, which is attributed to the lower electron barrier height and better film morphology of the YbSi/sub 2 - x//Si contact compared with other self-aligned rare earth metal-(Erbium, Terbium, Dysprosium) silicided Schottky junctions.
Evaluating Readiness for ERP Adoption in Manufacturing SMEs

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are now being implemented in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper presents the results of a study that proposes and validates a framework for evaluating the level of readiness for ERP adoption in manufacturing SMEs. The framework conceptualizes readiness to adopt an ERP including four dimensions: the organizational context, external forces, perception of ERP, and business processes. A field study of 11 manufacturing SMEs was conducted. The framework led to the classification of these firms in three clusters: â€œcommitted adoptersâ€ , â€œuncommitted adoptersâ€ , and â€œlate adoptersâ€ .
Photonics-Based Broadband RF Spectrum Measurement With Sliced Coherent Detection and Spectrum Stitching Technique

A novel photonics-based channelization approach is proposed for broadband radio frequency (RF) spectrum measurement with a single optical frequency comb, sliced coherent detection (SCD), and improved fast fourier transform-based digital signal processing. Through SCD, channel estimation and spectrum stitching, a broadband and complex RF spectrum can be detected and reconstructed with vector information in a high fidelity. A two-channel architecture as a proof of concept is characterized numerically with up to 40 GHz operation bandwidth, ≤12.5 GHz analysis bandwidth per channel, 113 dB·Hz2/3 spurious free dynamic range, and 161 dB·Hz linear dynamic range. The potentials for further system developments in practice are also discussed.
Layered structure of bacterial aggregates produced in an upflow anaerobic sludge bed and filter reactor

The ultrastructure of bacterial granules that were maintained in an upflow anaerobic sludge bed and filter reactor was examined. The reactor was fed a sucrose medium, and it was operated at 35 degrees C. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the granular aggregates were three-layered structures. The exterior layer of the granule contained a very heterogeneous population that included rods, cocci, and filaments of various sizes. The middle layer consisted of a slightly less heterogeneous population than the exterior layer. A more ordered arrangement, made up predominantly of bacterial rods, was evident in this second layer. The third layer formed the internal core of the granules. It consisted of large numbers of Methanothrix-like cells. Large cavities, indicative of vigorous gas production, were evident in the third layer. On the basis of these ultrastructural results, a model that presents a possible explanation of granule development is offered.
Dynamic population gratings in highly doped erbium fibers

In this work, we study the effect of ion concentration in the dynamic population grating recorded in highly doped erbium fibers. In order to characterize the dynamic grating, we performed a transient TWM experiment. We analyze in detail the grating efficiency in terms of the increase in the transmitted signals due to the self-diffraction of the recording signals. We have also analyzed the grating formation time. The results are compared to the predictions of a coupled-mode model for the two counterpropagating beams. It is shown that inter-ion interaction effects play a significant role in the TWM process in the case of considering highly doped Er 3þ fibers.