Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydrologic Significance of Carbon Monoxide Concentrations in Ground Water

Dissolved carbon monoxide (CO) is present in ground water produced from a variety of aquifer systems at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 20 nanomoles per liter (0.0056 to 0.56 μg/L). In two shallow aquifers, one an unconsolidated coastal plain aquifer in Kings Bay, Georgia, and the other a fractured‐bedrock aquifer in West Trenton, New Jersey, long‐term monitoring showed that CO concentrations varied over time by as much as a factor of 10. Field and laboratory evidence suggests that the delivery of dissolved oxygen to the soil zone and underlying aquifers by periodic recharge events stimulates oxic metabolism and produces transiently high CO concentrations. In between recharge events, the aquifers become anoxic and more substrate limited, CO is consumed as a carbon source, and CO concentrations decrease. According to this model, CO concentrations provide a transient record of oxic metabolism affecting ground water systems after dissolved oxygen has been fully consumed. Because the delivery of oxygen affects the fate and transport of natural and anthropogenic contaminants in ground water, CO concentration changes may be useful for identifying predominantly anoxic ground water systems subject to periodic oxic or microaerophilic conditions.
Noise reduction for hearing aids: combining directional microphones with an adaptive beamformer.

Many hearing aid users complain about a reduced intelligibility of speech in noisy environments. Directional systems are a successful approach for noise reductions in hearing aids. These systems transmit signals from acoustic sources lying in front of the hearing aid user while suppressing signals from other directions, which are assumed to be noise. Several methods are known to obtain directivity. One is to use directional microphones, another is digital postprocessing of several microphone signals. In this letter, the combination of directional microphones with the adaptive beamformer, a directional signal processing approach, is discussed. Intelligibility tests with both normal‐hearing and hearing‐impaired subjects are presented. It is shown that the combination of directional microphones with digital postprocessing is able to improve the intelligibility of speech in a noisy environment significantly, when compared to any one of these two approaches by itself.
An Efficient Method for Automatic Video Annotation and Retrieval in Visual Sensor Networks

Automatic video annotation has become an important issue in visual sensor networks, due to the existence of a semantic gap. Although it has been studied extensively, semantic representation of visual information is not well understood. To address the problem of pattern classification in video annotation, this paper proposes a discriminative constraint to find a solution to approach the sparse representative coefficients with discrimination. We study a general method of discriminative dictionary learning which is independent of the specific dictionary and classifier learning algorithms. Furthermore, a tightly coupled discriminative sparse coding model is introduced. Ultimately, the experimental results show that the provided method offers a better video annotation method that cannot be achieved with existing schemes.
Multi-Device Authentication using Wearables and IoT

The paper presents a novel cryptographic authentication scheme that makes use of the presence of electronic devices around users. The scheme makes authentication more secure by involving devices that are usually worn by users (such as smart-watches, fitness bracelets and smart-cards) or are in their proximity (such as sensors, home appliances, etc.). In our scheme, the user private key is distributed over all personal devices thus cannot be compromised by breaking into only a single device. Furthermore, involving wearables and IoT devices makes it possible to use multiple authentication factors, such as user's position, his behavior and the state of the surrounding environment. We provide the full cryptographic specification of the protocol, its formal security analysis and the implementation results in this paper.
Review of Cellular Mechanisms of Tumor Osteolysis

The cellular and biochemical mechanisms that direct the destruction of bone at sites of tumor osteolysis are unknown. To better understand the mechanisms through which tumors direct bone resorption, research has focused on developing in vivo and in vitro experimental models that are useful for studying this process. In vivo experimental systems have been developed that permit study of tumor osteolysis from human and murine tumors, and that permit the study of tumors that arise from (sarcoma) or can metastasize (breast cancer) to bone. Recent research has focused on three questions: (1) Are osteoclasts or tumor cells responsible for bone resorption during tumor osteolysis? (2) What are the cellular mechanisms that are responsible for bone resorption during tumor osteolysis, and (3) what are the tumor cell products that regulate the cellular mechanisms that are responsible for tumor osteolysis? It has been determined that osteoclasts are responsible for bone resorption at sites of tumor osteolysis by enhancing the binding of osteoclast to bone, by inducing osteoclastic bone resorption, and by stimulating osteoclast formation. Attempts to identify tumor cell products that regulate these cellular mechanisms are in progress, and findings suggest that production of macrophage colony stimulating factor may be required for tumor osteolysis to occur with some tumors.
Anti‐GM1 ganglioside antibodies in Parkinson's disease

Objectives– To determine whether anti‐GM1 antibodies are increased in Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods– Serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG anti‐GM1 antibodies were detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 147 patients with PD and in 186 age‐matched normal control subjects. Sera were assayed at initial dilution of 1:800 for IgM and 1:200 for IgG and were considered positive at absorbance values exceeding the value of 0.05 for IgM and 0.1 for IgG. Results– Forty patients with PD (27.2%) had sera positive for IgM anti‐GM1 antibodies, whereas only five normal controls (2.7%) resulted positive (P < 0.0001). Most of patients (75%) with positive sera had a tremor‐dominant form of PD. Only two patients with PD (1.4%) and none of normal controls had sera positive for IgG anti‐GM1 antibodies. Conclusion– A consistent portion of parkinsonians, mainly with a tremor‐dominant form of PD, may have increased circulating IgM anti‐GM1 antibodies.
Definitive angiographic detection of subarachnoid haemorrhage compared with laboratory assessment of intracranial bleed in CT-negative patients

Background: Between 2·5% and 5% of cases of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) give negative results for computed tomography (CT) scanning. Recent UK guidelines make recommendations as to standardization of laboratory methodology for the detection of SAH in individuals with a negative CT scan. We have compared this approach with our routine assessment using first-order derivative spectrophotometry, a recently reported iterative computer prediction model and measurement of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ferritin concentration. All methods were judged against cerebral angiography as the definitive means of determining patient outcome. Methods: Scanning spectrophotometry of CSF is necessary for both the UK guidelines and our in-house method. Absorbance measurements at 360, 405, 414 and 455 nm are required for the computer model. CSF ferritin concentration was measured using a serum method on a DPC Immulite 2000. This gave a value of <12 µg/L for normal CSF. Ethical approval and informed patient consent to additional investigation were obtained. Results: The sensitivity and specificity for the UK guidelines method, derivative spectrophotometry (in-house), iterative computer model and CSF ferritin were, respectively: 0·8, 1·0; 0·9, 1·0; 0·9, 0·5; 1·0, 0·78. Conclusion: First-order derivative spectrophotometry had best concordance with angiography. Combination of this with CSF ferritin measurement may improve sensitivity, although the zero-order method recommended in the UK guidelines for the detection of an intracranial bleed is more amenable and has comparable performance.
Extinction coefficients of chlorophyll a and B in n,n-dimethylformamide and 80% acetone.

We found inconsistencies in the commonly used data for chlorophyll analysis in 80% acetone. Recently developed extinction coefficients for chlorophyll b in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) based on values from 80% acetone are low as a result of these inconsistencies. We determined extinction coefficients of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and chlorophyll b (Chl b) in DMF for wavelengths of 618 to 665 nanometers. The simultaneous equations necessary for quantifying Chl a, Chl b, or total Chl in DMF in the absence of other chlorophyllous pigments are: Chl a = 12.70A(664.5) - 2.79A(647); Chl b = 20.70 A(647) - 4.62A(664.5); total Chl = 17.90A(647) + 8.08A(664.5), where A = absorbance in 1.00 centimeter cuvettes and Chl = milligrams per liter.N,N-Dimethylformamide is a very convenient solvent for Chl extraction since it is effective on intact plant parts and Chl is quite stable in DMF. There was no difference in the amount of Chl extracted when plant tissue was stored for 1 or 3 days at three temperatures, with or without solvent added.
Evaluation of learning environments for object-oriented programming: measuring cognitive load with a novel measurement technique

Various methods and tools have been proposed to overcome the learning obstacles for Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). However, it remains difficult especially for novice learners. The problem may be not only adopting an instructional method, but also an Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Learners employ IDEs as a means to solve programming problems and an inappropriate IDE may impose additional cognitive load. Therefore, this quasi-experimental study tried to identify the cognitive effects of a more visually supportive and functional IDE. It was explored by the functional near-infrared spectroscopy method, which is a relatively new physiological tool for measuring cognitive load. Novice students participated in the study in two experimental groups and they were required to write a Java application using two different IDEs. The results indicated a significant difference between the experimental groups and the findings are discussed in view of the principles of Cognitive Load Theory and Multimedia Learning.
Improving Visual Performance through Volitional Focus Control

Nine undergraduate students were trained to control eye accommodation volitionally and, by exercising that acquired ability, to improve by varying amounts their visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and flash target resolution. Six of the nine received auditory biofeedback of focusing responses measured automatically by a complex infrared tracking optometer and monocular focus stimulator, whereas the remaining three used a relatively simple polarized vernier optometer that provides visual feedback of eye accommodation, and an even simpler binocular focus stimulator. Performance improvements were elicited by both methods, but larger gains were attained in far less time with the simpler approach, in which training is mainly self-administered.
Real-world patterns of endocrine therapy for metastatic hormone-receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-negative (HER2−) breast cancer patients in the United States: 2002–2012

Abstract Objective: Clinical guidelines recommend that patients with HR+/HER2− metastatic breast cancer (mBC), the most prevalent mBC subtype, receive three lines of endocrine therapy (ET) prior to transitioning to chemotherapy (CT) in the absence of need for rapid response, symptomatic visceral disease, or suspected endocrine resistance. Little is known about real-world ET treatment patterns among HR+/HER2− mBC patients. Research design and methods: Post-menopausal women with HR+/HER2− mBC were identified in the MarketScan databases (2002Q3–2012Q2). Patients were classified as receiving either ET or CT as their first therapy post-mBC diagnosis. Those receiving ET were studied further and stratified into three subgroups based on which of the following events occurred first: transition to CT, discontinuation of ET (90 days without evidence of ET), or end of data or insurance eligibility. Main outcome measures: Mean numbers of lines of ET and median durations of each line were summarized for the overall sample and subgroups. Results: Among a total of 19,120 HR+/HER2− mBC patients, 11,545 (60%) initiated an ET; median follow-up time for these patients was 17 months. Seventy-four percent did not receive a second ET. The average patient received 1.36 lines of ET. Among patients with 2+ lines of ET, the duration of each subsequent line was significantly shorter than the previous line. Results were similar in all subgroups. Limitations: Clinical characteristics and reasons for treatment choices are unavailable in claims data. Conclusions: Fewer than two thirds of patients initiated treatment for HR+/HER2− mBC with ET. Among those who did, most received only one line of ET before discontinuation or transition to CT. Patients who received multiple lines of ET experienced shorter durations of therapy with each line. Real-world treatment with ET falls short of the targets recommended by guidelines, representing unmet need for treatment options that improve the effectiveness of endocrine therapy.
Physical map of the Rhodobacter sphaeroides bacteriophage phi RsG1 genome and location of the prophage on the host chromosome

We constructed a physical map of the 50-kilobase-pair (kb) DNA of the temperate Rhodobacter sphaeroides bacteriophage phi RsG1, with the relative positions of the cleavage sites for the nine restriction endonucleases KpnI, HindIII, XbaI, ClaI, BclI, EcoRV, EcoRI, BglII, and BamHI indicated. Using biotinylated phi RsG1 DNA as a probe in hybridization studies, we detected homologies with virus DNA and fragments of restriction endonuclease-digested host chromosomal DNA but not with plasmid DNA. This indicates that the prophage is integrated into the host chromosome. In addition, the use of specific probes such as the 10.4-kb BglII A fragment and the 2.65-kb BamHI H fragment allowed the determination of the position of phage attachment site (attP).
Prolongation of Anesthetic Action by BNPP (Bis‐[P‐Nitrophenyl] Phosphate)

Bis-[p-nitrophenyl] phosphate, BNPP, an enzyme inhibitor of the organophosphate class, has been used to inhibit the enzyme, carboxylic ester hydrolase EC3.1.1. 1. Esterases play a major role in the rapid metabolism of propanidid in viro; in fact, the short duration of action of this intravenous anesthetic agent is due to this rapid hydrolysis. The duration of anesthesia with propanidid alone in healthy mongrel dogs was 10.1 = 2.1 (SEM) minutes. When the dogs were pretreated with BNPP, propanidid anesthesia time was prolonged to 38.2 = 7.9 (SEM) minutes. Measurements of serum propanidid concentration demonstrated that prolonged high levels of propanidid were associated with the extended anesthesia time. Therefore. BNPP can significantly alter the anesthetic action of propanidid by inhibition of the enzyme system responsible for the rapid hydrolysis of the agent. The experimental model used in the present study provides a means for investigation of effects of certain drugs when their metabolism is impaired.
How much does the expected number of citations for a publication change if it contains the address of a specific scientific institute? A new approach for the analysis of citation data on the institutional level based on regression models

Citation data for institutes are generally provided as numbers of citations or as relative citation rates (as, for example, in the Leiden Ranking). These numbers can then be compared between the institutes. This study aims to present a new approach for the evaluation of citation data at the institutional level, based on regression models. As example data, the study includes all articles and reviews from the Web of Science for the publication year 2003 (n = 886,416 papers). The study is based on an in‐house database of the Max Planck Society. The study investigates how much the expected number of citations for a publication changes if it contains the address of an institute. The calculation of the expected values allows, on the one hand, investigating how the citation impact of the papers of an institute appears in comparison with the total of all papers. On the other hand, the expected values for several institutes can be compared with one another or with a set of randomly selected publications. Besides the institutes, the regression models include factors which can be assumed to have a general influence on citation counts (e.g., the number of authors).
Trafficking of α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid Receptor (AMPA) Receptor Subunit GluA2 from the Endoplasmic Reticulum Is Stimulated by a Complex Containing Ca2+/Calmodulin-activated Kinase II (CaMKII) and PICK1 Protein and by Release of Ca2+ from Internal Stores*

Background: ER exit is a rate-limiting step for GluA2 synaptic delivery, which regulates AMPAR trafficking and synaptic calcium dynamics. Results: ER calcium release, CaMKII activity and PICK1 are important for GluA2 ER exit. Conclusion: ER-mediated intracellular calcium dynamics regulate GluA2 trafficking out of the ER. Significance: Novel Ca2+-dependent signaling pathways underlie the regulation of GluA2 trafficking from the ER. The GluA2 subunit of the AMPA receptor (AMPAR) dominantly blocks AMPAR Ca2+ permeability, and its trafficking to the synapse regulates AMPAR-dependent synapse Ca2+ permeability. Here we show that GluA2 trafficking from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the plasma membrane of cultured hippocampal neurons requires Ca2+ release from internal stores, the activity of Ca2+/calmodulin activated kinase II (CaMKII), and GluA2 interaction with the PDZ protein, PICK1. We show that upon Ca2+ release from the ER via the IP3 and ryanodine receptors, CaMKII that is activated enters a complex that contains PICK1, dependent upon the PICK1 BAR (Bin-amphiphysin-Rvs) domain, and that interacts with the GluA2 C-terminal domain and stimulates GluA2 ER exit and surface trafficking. This study reveals a novel mechanism of regulation of trafficking of GluA2-containing receptors to the surface under the control of intracellular Ca2+ dynamics and CaMKII activity.
Developmental Expression Pattern of the Myelin ProteolipiMAL Indicates Different Functions of MAL for Immature Schwann Cells and in a Late Step of CNS Myelinogenesis

Abstract : The myelin and lymphocyte protein MAL is a small proteolipid of 17 kDa and is expressed by oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells. We have characterized the embryonic and postnatal expression of MAL in the rat nervous system by in situ hybridization, immunocytochemistry, and western blotting and compared it with that of other myelin constituents. In the CNS, MAL is expressed during late steps of myelination : MAL protein appears ~3‐5 days later than myelin basic protein and proteolipid protein. In contrast, in the PNS, MAL transcript and protein expression is detected prior to the onset of myelination, as early as embryonic day 17. Our results demonstrate that MAL is differentially expressed in oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells, likely reflecting different functions of the MAL proteolipid : (1) The late expression of MAL protein in the CNS points to a role in the final steps of myelin sheath formation, such as stabilization of the compacted myelin membranes. (2) The early expression of MAL protein in immature Schwann cells suggests an important role of MAL in the terminal differentiation step of the Schwann cell lineage and in the onset of peripheral myelination.
Backward masking: stimulus energy and positional uncertainity.

Backward masking functions were obtained for recognition of single letters off or on foveal center or of one of 12 letters in a circular display; stimulus energy was high (no-mask performance above 95% for the single letters) or low. Stimulus energy, but not foveal location, affected masking ranges for the single letters, yet the same 4:1 energy ratio did not produce differential masking ranges or no-mask performance for the 12-letter displays.
Granulomatous Pneumonia in a Captive Freshwater Crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni) Caused by Mycobacterium szulgai

Abstract A 25-yr-old male freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni) was diagnosed with pulmonary mycobacteriosis caused by Mycobacterium szulgai. Necropsy revealed fibrinous exudate in the right pleural cavity and white miliary nodules in the right lung lobe. Histopathologic examination revealed well-demarcated granulomas consisting of multinucleated giant cells and epithelioid cells surrounded by fibrous connective tissue. Atypically, lymphocytes had accumulated in the outer region of fibrous connective tissue. Mycobacterial infection was confirmed by nested polymerase chain reaction targeting the hsp65 gene and by Fite's method for detection of acid-fast bacilli within formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lung tissue. Sequence analysis of the DNA amplicon revealed that the species of mycobacterium shared 98% homology with the gene encoding the hsp65 gene of M. szulgai. This is the first report of M. szulgai as the causative agent of mycobacteriosis in a reptile.
An altered Atlantic atmospheric circulation regime during Last Glacial Maximum : 1 . Evidence from a coupled climate model

The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), 21 thousand years before pre sent, was the time of maximum land ice extent during the last ice age. A recent simulat ion of LGM climate by a state-ofthe-art fully coupled global climate model is shown to exhib it strong, steady atmospheric jets and weak transient eddy activity in the Atlantic sector compare d to today’s climate. In contrast, previous work based on uncoupled atmospheric model simulation s has shown that the LGM jets and eddy activity in the Atlantic sector are similar to those obs erved today, with the main difference being a northeastward extension of their maxima. The couple d model simulation is shown to agree better with paleoclimate proxy records, and thus, is taken a s the more reliable representation of LGM climate. The existence of this altered atmospheric circ ulation state during LGM in the model has implications for our understanding of the stability of g lacial climates, for the possibility of multiple atmospheric circulation regimes, and for the inte rpr tation of paleoclimate proxy records.
A guaranteed cost congestion control strategy for a network of multi-agent systems subject to differentiated services traffic

In this paper, a novel guaranteed cost congestion control (GCC) strategy is developed for a network of multi-agent systems with Differentiated Services (Diff-Serv) traffic. The network is represented by a nonlinear fluid flow model corresponding to two classes of traffic, namely the premium traffic and the ordinary traffic. The proposed congestion controller does take into account the associated physical network resource limitations and is shown to be robust to the unknown and time-varying network delays. Our proposed decentralized congestion control strategy is developed on the basis of Diff-Serv architecture by utilizing a guaranteed cost control technique. A Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) condition is obtained to guarantee the ultimate boundedness of the closed-loop system. Numerical simulation results are presented by utilizing the QualNet and Matlab software tools to illustrate the effectiveness and capabilities of our proposed decentralized congestion control strategy.