Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ultrastructural in situ hybridization: A review of technical aspects

Detection of nucleic acid sequence at the ultrastructural level has allowed us to better understand the expression of genes in some fields of application in cell biology. In situ hybridization at the ultrastructural level can be carried out using three different methods: on vibratome sections before embedding in epoxy resin, on ultrathin frozen section, or on ultrathin section of tissue embedded in hydrophilic resin such as Lowicryl. Before starting the detection of nucleic acid sequences at the electron microscope level, the experimenter has to choose various parameters: the type of tissue fixation, the probe and its label, and the in situ hybridization method, depending on the sensitivity, the resolution and the ultrastructural preservation required. This review of technical aspects, by describing the different methods of ultrastructural in situ hybridization, will help the experimenter to optimize each step of the hybridization procedure.
Field trials to study the within‐season effects of pesticides on beneficial arthropods in cereals in summer

Two field trial protocols which assess the effects of pesticides on arthropod natural enemies are described. One approach uses large plots (≥ 1 ha) while the other uses small plots (≥100 m2) surrounded by plastic barriers, to prevent re-invasion of treated areas. The advantages and disadvantages of the two methods are discussed and sampling programmes for both described. The analysis and interpretation of the results are discussed in relation to risk classification which determines risk management practices to be undertaken.
Regulation of Human Epidermal Melanocyte Biology By β-Endorphin

β-Endorphin is an opioid peptide cleaved from the precursor pro-hormone pro-opiomelanocortin, from which other peptides such as adrenocorticotropic hormone, β-lipotropic hormone, and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone are also derived. α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone and adrenocorticotropic hormone are well documented to regulate human skin pigmentation via action at the melanocortin-1 receptor. Whereas plasma β-endorphin is reported to increase after exposure to ultraviolet radiation, to date a functional role for β-endorphin in the regulation of human epidermal melanocyte biology has not been demonstrated. This study was designed to examine the involvement of the β-endorphin/μ-opiate receptor system in human epidermal melanocytes. To address this question we employed reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry/cytochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy using β-endorphin and μ-opiate receptor specific antibodies. A functional role for β-endorphin was assessed in epidermal melanocyte cultures by direct stimulation with the peptide. This study demonstrated the expression of μ-opiate receptor mRNA in cultured epidermal melanocytes, as well as mRNA for pro-opiomelanocortin. In addition, we have shown that β-endorphin and μ-opiate receptor are expressed at the protein level in situ in glycoprotein100-positive melanocytes. The expression of both β-endorphin and μ-opiate receptor correlated positively with their differentiation status in vitro. Furthermore, immunoelectron microscopy studies revealed an association of β-endorphin with melanosomes. Functional studies showed that β-endorphin has potent melanogenic, mitogenic, and dendritogenic effects in cultured epidermal melanocytes deprived of any exogenous supply of pro-opiomelanocortin peptides. Thus, we report that human epidermal melanocytes express a fully functioning β-endorphin/μ-opiate receptor system. In the absence of any data showing cross-talk between the μ-opiate receptor and the melanocortin-1 receptor, we conclude that the β-endorphin/μ-opiate receptor system participates in the regulation of skin pigmentation.
A General Model of Functional Constraints on Phenotypic Evolution

A general model of the functional constraints on the rate and direction of phenotypic evolution is developed using a decomposition of the Lande‐Arnold model of multivariate phenotypic evolution. The important feature of the model is the F matrix of performance coefficients reflecting the causal relationship between morphophysiological (m‐p) and functional performance traits. The structure of F, which reflects the functional architecture of the organism, constrains the shape of the adaptive landscape and thus the rate and direction of m‐p trait evolution. The rate of m‐p trait evolution is a function of the pattern of coefficients in a row of F. The sums and variances of these rows are related to current concepts of evolvability. The direction of m‐p trait evolution through m‐p trait space is a function of the functional covariances among m‐p traits. The functional covariance between a pair of m‐p traits is a measure of how much the traits function together and is computed as the covariance between rows of F. Finally, it is shown that genetic covariances between m‐p traits and performance traits are a function of the F matrix, but a G matrix that includes these covariances cannot be used to model functional constraints effectively.
Automated clustering of EM side-channel emissions to detect anomalous device behavior

In this paper, we present a technique to label and record consistent device modes using an isolated system that can sense the side-channel electromagnetic emanations (EM) of the device. This allows us to characterize the device's normal behavior and detect anomalous behavior that is a result of a security breach of the device. Our technique does not require any prior knowledge of the device or its behavior and is based on a new density-based clustering technique. Our clustering technique uses the training data to create a density map over the instance space by approximating the density of any point by counting the number of points in a fixed radius ball centered at that point. The radius is computed to ensure that a majority of the training data has a low relative error density estimate. This density map is used to incrementally build the clusters in order of the density of the training data. Our approach is similar to DBSCAN but our modifications allow us to remove difficult to set parameters and allow the algorithm to discover clusters of greatly different densities. Given that accurate density estimates are difficult in high-dimensional spaces, we perform experiments after applying PCA to reduce the number of dimensions while retaining much of the clustering structure. We have applied this technique to various devices and confirmed the discovery of device behavior by running code with a known looping behavior that is mirrored in our mode predictions. This has allowed us to detect deviations in device behavior that correspond to unauthorized code running on the device.
Prospective Associations Among Youth Assets and Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use in a Hispanic Youth Population

This study’s purpose was to determine whether specific youth assets (conceptualized as influencing health behavior at the individual, family, or community level) were prospectively associated with reduced alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use (ATD) in a sample of Hispanic youth. A longitudinal community-based study was conducted with five waves of data collected annually over 4 years. Participants were Hispanic youth (14.1 years old; 53% female) and their parents (N = 306 youth/parent pairs). Generalized linear mixed models were used to determine the prospective influence of 17 youth assets on ATD over five waves of data. Results indicated that Hispanic youth with three of seven individual-level assets (e.g., educational aspirations), any of four family-level assets (e.g., family communication), or with one of six community-level assets (e.g., positive peer role models) were significantly less likely to engage in ATD. The results suggest that assets protect Hispanic youth from ATD and that family-level assets may be particularly important.
Hybrid Precoding for Massive MIMO With Low Rank Channels: A Two-Stage User Scheduling Approach

To fully reap the benefits of massive multiple-input multiple-output hybrid analog and digital precoding in frequency division duplexing single-cell systems, a two-stage precoder is developed utilizing the signal-to-leakage-plus-noise ratio metric. The main idea of this technique is to jointly design the analog precoder based only on the long-term channel statistics information at the transmitter, i.e., the channel mean and reconstructed reduced rank covariance statistics, while the digital precoder is designed based on the instantaneous channel state information of the reduced dimensionality effective reconstructed channel. Consequently, we can significantly reduce the downlink training and uplink feedback overhead analogously to the rank of the resultant effective channel. The two extremes of full channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT) and statistical CSIT are also investigated. The performance gap between the full and statistical CSIT corroborates the importance of the proposed two-stage CSIT approach. These precoders are then extended to multi-cell systems. It is shown that the digital baseband precoder design problem reduces to the generalized Rayleigh quotient problem, while the analog precoder design problem reduces to the quotient trace problem, also known as the ratio trace problem. These dimensionality reduction problems are solved via the generalized eigenvalue decomposition method. Finally, in the presence of multiuser diversity where only a subset of the users are scheduled, to considerably alleviate the channel estimation and feedback overhead burden, a low-complexity one-stage and two-stage CSIT joint user scheduler and precoder algorithms are developed.
Towards Better Detection and Analysis of Massive Spatiotemporal Co-Occurrence Patterns

With the rapid development of sensing technologies, massive spatiotemporal data have been acquired from the urban space with respect to different domains, such as transportation and environment. Numerous co-occurrence patterns (e.g., traffic speed < 10km/h, weather = foggy, and air quality = unhealthy) between the transportation data and other types of data can be obtained with given spatiotemporal constraints (e.g., within 3 kilometers and lasting for 2 hours) from these heterogeneous data sources. Such patterns present valuable implications for many urban applications, such as traffic management, pollution diagnosis, and transportation planning. However, extracting and understanding these patterns is beyond manual capability because of the scale, diversity, and heterogeneity of the data. To address this issue, a novel visual analytics system called CorVizor is proposed to identify and interpret these co-occurrence patterns. CorVizor comprises two major components. The first component is a co-occurrence mining framework involving three steps, namely, spatiotemporal indexing, co-occurring instance generation, and pattern mining. The second component is a visualization technique called CorView that implements a level-of-detail mechanism by integrating tailored visualizations to depict the extracted spatiotemporal co-occurrence patterns. The case studies and expert interviews are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of CorVizor.
Smartphone-Based Indoor Positioning Using BLE iBeacon and Reliable Lightweight Fingerprint Map

The introduction of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology provides new opportunities that the Global Positioning System (GPS) could not provide for indoor localization. In this article, we propose a real-time indoor tracking and positioning system using BLE beacon and smartphone sensors. Up to now, most of the system is using Pedestrian Dead Reckoning (PDR). The initial position is considered to have a high impact on the accuracy of PDR, so, based on the analysis of received signal strength (RSS), we present a method to estimate the approximate distance, then, estimate the initial position through Trilateration technique. Next, we propose a lightweight and reliable fingerprint method. This method addresses two problems: (1) to correct errors due to the initial position error and orbital drift of PDR, (2) to reduce the amount of data, number of reference points and collecting data time. The proposed system is implemented on the smartphone as an application. To verify the accuracy of the system, we performed some experiments. The results show that the system not only achieves high accuracy but also the high performance with average complexity and low cost.
Measuring the neutral zone of spinal motion segments: Comparison of multiple analysis methods to quantify spinal instability

Neutral zone (NZ) parameters in spinal biomechanics studies are sensitive to spinal instability, disc degeneration, and repair. Multiple methods in the literature quantify NZ, yet no consensus exists on applicability and comparability of methods. This study compares five different NZ quantification methods using two different load‐deflection profiles.
Evaluating the nutritive values and in vitro degradability characteristics of leaves, seeds and seedpods from Moringa stenopetala

BACKGROUND:Moringa stenopetala is a multipurpose tree which has several agricultural, industrial and medicinal uses. The nutritive value of East African M. stenopetala has not been fully investigated and pertinent data for ruminants are lacking. The present study was therefore conducted to fill this gap by providing the latest information on chemical composition and in vitro fermentation of M. stenopetala tree parts. RESULTS: The respective metabolizable energy values for leaves, seeds and seedpods were 10.0, 7.0 and 5.1 g kg−1 dry matter (DM). The crude protein (CP) contents for leaves, seeds and seedpods were 395, 282 and 110 g kg−1 DM, respectively. For leaves and seeds, 88% and 83%, respectively, of the CP was true protein. Fat contents (g kg−1 DM) were relatively high in seeds (334) but not in leaves (84) or seedpods (110). No starch was detected in seeds. Leaves were a potentially useful source of calcium,, sodium and manganese, containing 18.5, 4.1 and 0.086 g kg−1 DM, respectively. The concentrations of essential amino acids in leaves for leucine, valine, phenylalanine, isoleucine and threonine were 8.5, 5.3, 5.3, 4.5, and 4.4 g 16 g N−1, respectively, and were comparable to those found in soybean and Moringa olifera leaves. The contents of total phenols in seeds and leaves were 1.2 and 56.7 g kg−1 DM, respectively. CONCLUSION: The chemical composition of leaves and seeds from M. stenopetala revealed its potential as a protein and energy supplement for ruminant livestock. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
Exploring Firm-Level Antecedents that Drive Motives of Internationalization: A Study of Knowledge Intensive Indian Firms

ABSTRACT We study firm level antecedents that drive different motives of internationalization of emerging economy firms. Based on firm's resource based considerations of asset exploitation versus asset augmentation and locational advantages of host countries, we provide a framework to classify the motives of internationalization of emerging economy firms belonging to knowledge intensive industries. Motives of internationalization have been classified into three broad categories – market-seeking, opportunity-seeking, and strategic asset-seeking. We determine motives behind different modes of internationalization – alliances, acquisitions, and greenfield ventures. Drawing upon the adaptability, amalgamation, and ambidexterity (AAA) advantages from the springboard perspective, we find that firm characteristics like R&D investments, availability of financial slack, firm's ownership structure, and family control shape up its motive of internationalization.
Computer-aided identification of allergenic species of Urticaceae pollen

Plant species of the family Urticaceae have periods of extensive and overlapping flowering. Two genera Urtica (U. urens L., U. membranacea Poir. in Lam) and Parietaria (P. judaica L.) are abundant throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Both have substantial allergenic potential, but patient sensitivity is specific to each genus. As a result, interest from the medical profession in the identification of the pollen from these genera has arisen. It would be useful to be able to estimate the relative percentages of pollen of these genera in the air, which would allow clinicians to recommend the appropriate safety measures to patients. Unfortunately, palynologists are unable to distinguish between the species of genera (Parietaria and Urtica). Additionally, traditional methods of pollen counting are laborious and therefore not optimal for routine on-line analysis. Recent biometrical analysis enables us to discriminate between pollen species of the genera Parietaria and Urtica, but they fail to solve the problem of genera identification. Alternative methods for counting and distinguishing genera of Urticaceae have long been awaited by medical experts among others. In this paper we present a computational system to discriminate between genera by using image analysis. It is based on the definition and computation of digital shape measures on pollen images taken by an optical microscope. The system correctly classifies more than 86% of all experiments done. A set of shape parameters are tested and the subset with the highest discrimination power includes: area (A), diameter (DM), mean distance to centroide (Dmean) and roundness (R) of the pollen grain.
MVP: Detecting Vulnerabilities using Patch-Enhanced Vulnerability Signatures

Recurring vulnerabilities widely exist and remain undetected in real-world systems, which are often resulted from reused code base or shared code logic. However, the potentially small differences between vulnerable functions and their patched functions as well as the possibly large differences between vulnerable functions and target functions to be detected bring challenges to clone-based and function matching-based approaches to identify these recurring vulnerabilities, i.e., causing high false positives and false negatives. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to detect recurring vulnerabilities with low false positives and low false negatives. We first use our novel program slicing to extract vulnerability and patch signatures from vulnerable function and its patched function at syntactic and semantic levels. Then a target function is identified as potentially vulnerable if it matches the vulnerability signature but does not match the patch signature. We implement our approach in a tool named MVP. Our evaluation on ten open-source systems has shown that, i) MVP significantly outperformed state-of-the-art clone-based and function matching-based recurring vulnerability detection approaches; ii) MVP detected recurring vulnerabilities that cannot be detected by general-purpose vulnerability detection approaches, i.e., two learning-based approaches and two commercial tools; and iii) MVP has detected 97 new vulnerabilities with 23 CVE identifiers assigned.
Effects of E2/P4 oral capsules on bone turnover in women with vasomotor symptoms

Abstract Objective: To evaluate bone turnover markers (BTM) in the REPLENISH trial (NCT01942668). Methods: REPLENISH evaluated oral estradiol/progesterone (E2/P4) for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS) in postmenopausal women with a uterus. Eligible women for this analysis had ≥50 moderate to severe VMS/wk, were <5 years since last menstrual period, and had BTM measurements at baseline, and months 6 and 12. Percent changes for three BTM (bone-specific alkaline phosphatase [BSAP], C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen [CTX-1], and N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen [P1NP]) assessed by immunoassay methods were evaluated from baseline to months 6 and 12 for the 1 mg E2/100 mg P4, 0.5 mg E2/100 mg P4, and placebo groups. Results: A total of 157 women (40-61 y, 69% White) were analyzed. Mean baseline values ranged from 14.0 to 14.3 U/L for BSAP, 0.34 to 0.39 ng/mL for CTX-1, and 76.9 to 79.3 ng/mL for PINP. Mean differences in percent change from baseline for both E2/P4 doses versus placebo significantly decreased at months 6 and 12 and ranged from −8% to −16% for BSAP (all, P < 0.05), −30% to −41% for CTX-1 (all, P ≤ 0.001), and −14% to −29% for PINP (all, P < 0.01). Conclusions: REPLENISH data provide support for a potential skeletal benefit of E2/P4 when it is used for the treatment of moderate to severe VMS. Further studies are warranted. Video Summary: http://links.lww. com/MENO/A894.
Measurement of purine derivatives in urine of ruminants using automated methods

Automated methods based on the Auto Analyzer have been developed for the analysis of allantoin, uric acid and xanthine plus hypoxanthine in urine of sheep and cattle. Allantoin is determined by a modification of an existing method. Recovery of allantoin added to urine was 99.7% ± 3.2 SD. Uric acid is determined using a phosphotungstic acid method, and xanthine and hypoxanthine together are determined as uric acid after treatment with xanthine oxidase. The enzymic conversion is integrated into the automated procedure of uric acid analysis. Recovery of uric acid, xanthine and hypoxanthine, all as uric acid, was 97–99%. The relative proportions of allantoin: uricacid: xanthine plus hypoxanthine in urine of sheep differed from those in urine of cattle. Xanthine and hypoxanthine were almost absent from urine of cattle.
Host plant quality and defence against parasitoids: no relationship between levels of parasitism and a geometrid defoliator immunoassay

Host plant quality has a major influence on the performance, and ultimately on the fitness of an herbivorous insect, but may also have indirect effects on the third trophic level by affecting an herbivore's defensive ability against natural enemies. In a three-year field study, we examined the effects of natural food quality on the ability of autumnal moths, Epirrita autumnata (Lepidoptera, Geometridae), to defend themselves against parasitoids. In each year, we confirmed the variation in quality of host trees (mountain birch, Betulapubescens ssp. czerepanovii) by determining the mass of pupae reared in mesh bags attached to the trees and the water content of leaves. Individuals grown on high quality trees possessed significantly higher encapsulation rate of a foreign antigen as pupae compared to those on low quality trees during the first and third study years; a parallel trend was also found in the second study year, although this difference was not statistically significant. However, in spite of observed differences in encapsulation rates, individuals reared on high and low quality trees did not differ in their levels of parasitisation when exposed to hymenopteran parasioids in the wild and thus were equally vulnerable. Accordingly, the encapsulation response seems not to play a major role on the population ecology scale in the studied system. Our findings also stress the importance of direct resistance tests, which should be conducted along with tests of insect immune function.