Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surface Properties and Photocatalytic Activities of the Colloidal ZnS:Mn Nanocrystals Prepared at Various pH Conditions

Water-dispersible ZnS:Mn nanocrystals (NC) were synthesized by capping the surface with mercaptoacetic acid (MAA) molecules at three different pH conditions. The obtained ZnS:Mn-MAA NC products were physically and optically characterized by corresponding spectroscopic methods. The UV-Visible absorption spectra and PL emission spectra showed broad peaks at 310 and 590 nm, respectively. The average particle sizes measured from the HR-TEM images were 5 nm, which were also supported by the Debye-Scherrer calculations using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) data. Moreover, the surface charges and the degrees of aggregation of the ZnS:Mn-MAA NCs were determined by electrophoretic and hydrodynamic light scattering methods, indicating formation of agglomerates in water with various sizes (50–440 nm) and different surface charge values accordingly the preparation conditions of the NCs (−7.59 to −24.98 mV). Finally, the relative photocatalytic activities of the ZnS:Mn-MAA NCs were evaluated by measuring the degradation rate of methylene blue (MB) molecule in a pseudo first-order reaction condition under the UV-visible light irradiation. As a result, the ZnS:Mn-MAA NC prepared at the pH 7 showed the best photo-degradation efficiency of the MB molecule with the first-order rate constant (kobs) of 2.0 × 10−3·min−1.
Nigral Inhibition of GABAergic Neurons in Mouse Superior Colliculus

The current dominant concept for the control of saccadic eye movements by the basal ganglia is that release from tonic GABAergic inhibition by the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) triggers burst firings of intermediate gray layer (SGI) neurons in the superior colliculus (SC) to allow saccade initiation. This hypothesis is based on the assumption that SNr cells inhibit excitatory projection neurons in the SGI. Here we show that nigrotectal fibers are connected to local GABAergic neurons in the SGI with a similar frequency to non-GABAergic neurons. This was accomplished by applying neuroanatomical tracing and slice electrophysiological experiments in GAD67–green fluorescent protein (GFP) knock-in mice, in which GABAergic neurons specifically express GFP. We also found that GABAA, but not GABAB, receptors subserve nigrotectal transmission. The present results revealed a novel aspect on the role of the basal ganglia in the control of saccades, e.g., the SNr not only regulates burst initiation but also modulates the spatiotemporal properties of premotor neurons via connections to local GABAergic neurons in the SC.
The supremal p-negative type of a finite semi-metric space cannot be strict

Doust and Weston [5] introduced a new method called " enhanced negative type " for calculating a non trivial lower bound ℘ T on the supremal strict p-negative type of any given finite metric tree (T, d). (In the context of finite metric trees any such lower bound ℘ T > 1 is deemed to be non trivial.) In this paper we refine the technique of enhanced negative type and show how it may be applied more generally to any finite semi-metric space (X, d) that is known to have strict p-negative type for some p ≥ 0. This allows us to significantly improve the lower bounds on the supremal strict p-negative type of finite metric trees that were given in Doust and Weston [5] and, moreover, leads in to our main result: The supremal p-negative type of a finite semi-metric space cannot be strict. By way of application we are then able to exhibit large classes of finite metric spaces (such as finite isometric subspaces of Hadamard manifolds) that must have strict p-negative type for some p > 1. We also show that if a semi-metric space (finite or otherwise) has p-negative type for some p > 0, then it must have strict q-negative type for all q ∈ [0, p).
Biometry of the Corpus Callosum in Children: MR Imaging Reference Data

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The availability of data relating to the biometry of the CC in children that are easy to use in daily practice is limited. We present a reference biometry of the CC in MR imaging in a large cohort of children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cerebral MR imaging studies of children with normal examination findings were selected retrospectively. Children born preterm and those with or at risk of developing cerebral malformations were excluded. The following parameters were measured: FOD, APD, LCC, GT, BT, IT, ST, and the S/T. Inter- and intraobserver agreement and sex effect were evaluated. RESULTS: Six hundred twenty-two children were included (320 boys, 302 girls), ranging from 1 day to 15 years of age. Normal values (from the 3rd to 97th percentile) are provided for each parameter. All parameters showed rapid growth up to 3 years of age followed by slower (FOD, APD, LCC, GT and ST) or absent (S/T) growth. Growth of BT and IT was completed by 7–8 years. CC modeling (IT/ST) was completed by 3 years. FOD was larger in boys from the age of 1 year (statistically significant). The other parameters did not show any sex effect. Inter- and intraobserver agreement was excellent for all parameters except for IT. CONCLUSIONS: As measured, our data result in easy and reproducible MR imaging biometry of the CC in children.
Effectiveness and feasibility of a humor training in a routine care setting for people suffering from mental disorders

Abstract The study tested effectiveness and feasibility of a humor training for members of a community mental health center suffering from schizophrenia, personality disorders, depression, or anxiety. The training group (n=28) was compared to a treatment-as-usual control group (n=26). Outcomes were divided into primary (coping humor and cheerfulness) and secondary ones (well-being, depression, anxiety, and symptomatology), and were assessed prior to and after treatment and at a six-week follow-up. Additionally, gelotophobia was explored as a confounding variable of the training outcome. Linear mixed models showed improvements in coping humor and cheerfulness compared to the control group. However, effects did not remain stable at follow-up, and secondary outcomes were unaffected by the training. Interestingly, people with higher levels in gelotophobia tended to score worse on many outcomes before training. These differences disappeared after completion but recurred in the follow-up. Feedback indicated feasibility of the training within the institution. Summarizing the results, this is one of the first studies that tried to implement humor training in a routine care setting for people with mental disorders. Results are promising, however further research is needed to investigate humor trainings in clinical samples more profoundly.
Performance Evaluation of Two-Dimensional Distributed Factoring Self-Scheduling Scheme for Heterogeneous Computer Systems

A major characteristic of distributed computing systems is their heterogeneity. In practical computing, the computers or processing elements that make up any given distributed system may have varying processing speeds. Efficient loop scheduling schemes for concurrent processing of computational tasks on such systems need to take into consideration, the varying speeds of the component processors. In this paper we evaluate the performance of a twodimensional distributed factoring self-scheduling scheme for parallel loops by comparing with its onedimensional counterpart. The schemes are implemented on the Ranger Computer Cluster at the Texas Advanced Computing Center with varying number of processors and problem sizes.
Nonatherosclerotic Regions of Human Arteries in Atherosclerotic and 2 Ultrastructural Localization of Secretory Type II Phospholipase A

We recently reported on the immunolocalization of type II secretory nonpancreatic phospholipase A 2 (snpPLA2) in human atherosclerotic lesions. In the present study, we present data on the distribution and ultrastructural localization of snpPLA2 in adjacent nonatherosclerotic and atherosclerotic regions of human arteries. Electron microscopy (EM) of immunogold labeling techniques with a monoclonal antibody was used to analyze arterial tissue. The human specimens analyzed were obtained from autopsy and surgery cases. The results with EM showed a stronger snpPLA 2 immunoreactivity in regions of arteries with atherosclerotic lesions than in regions without lesions from the same individual. snpPLA2 immunoreactivity was stronger in the arterial intima of atherosclerotic than of nonatherosclerotic tissue. EM-immunogold examination revealed that the majority of snpPLA 2 was localized along the extracellular matrix, associated with collagen fibers and other extracellular matrix structures. Intracellular snpPLA 2 was observed in electron-dense vesicles in intimal cells. snpPLA 2 was also found in contact with large, extracellular lipid droplets. These results support the hypothesis that extracellular snpPLA 2 is localized at sites where it may hydrolyze phospholipids from lipoproteins and lipid aggregates retained in the extracellular matrix of the arterial wall. This may be a mechanism for in situ release of proinflammatory lipids, free fatty acids, and lysophosphatidylcholine in regions of apolipoprotein B accumulation, which are abundant in atherosclerotic lesions. (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol . 1998;18:519-525.)
PREDICTING KEY HABITAT AND POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF NORTHERN BOTTLENOSE WHALES (HYPEROODON AMPULLATUS) IN THE NORTHWEST ATLANTIC OCEAN

The distribution, status and specific habitat requirements of northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus) in the Northwest Atlantic are unknown beyond the well-studied small population that uses the Scotian Shelf. The population in the Labrador Sea is believed to be distinct from that of the Scotian Shelf, with the potential for interchange between the populations unclear. Ecological-Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA), a predictive modelling approach is used to identify areas of key habitat for northern bottlenose whales within the Northwest Atlantic, and establish whether a habitat corridor links the Labrador and Scotian Shelf populations. ENFA models species’ distribution in relation to ecogeographical variables (EGVs). A database of 2,103 records was compiled from sightings and catch data and combined with four EGVs: depth, slope, aspect and sea surface temperature. A habitat-suitability (HS) value between 0 (low suitability) and 100 (maximum suitability) was calculated for each grid cell within the study area. Northern bottlenose whale habitat was found to be concentrated in steep, shelf-edge waters, with habitat of at least marginal suitability (HS values 34-66) providing a continuous link between the Scotian Shelf and the Labrador Sea, potentially allowing movement of individuals between these two areas. Mean areaadjusted frequency during jack-knife cross-validation showed the model to be a good fit to the data: Fi=11.95 ± 1.884 for high HS values. The model also highlighted the specialisation of this species in terms of their habitat requirements and the limited potential habitat of this species, with predicted ‘core’ habitat representing only 2.5% of the study area.
Issues in Process Variants Mining

A method is provided of operating an internal combustion engine comprising subjecting a hydrocarbon fuel of relatively low octane number to in situ reforming at elevated temperatures by passing it through a reaction zone containing a substantially non-acid catalyst comprising a Group VIII hydrogenation/dehydrogenation metallic element, e.g., platinum, and an intermediate pore zeolite, e.g., having an X-ray diffraction pattern similar to that of an acidic zeolite which has a Constraint Index in the approximate range of about 1 to 12, such that the fuel leaving said reaction zone has an increased octane number, and passing the fuel to the combustion chamber of said engine.
Student-Faculty Connection and STEM identity in the Flipped Classroom

Students who arrive at college intending to major in a STEM discipline are often required to complete a college-level precalculus course, despite evidence that these courses are not always successful in preparing students for calculus. The implementation of evidence-based teaching strategies, such as the flipped classroom, provides an avenue for improving the effectiveness of precalculus. This quasi-experimental study explores the effect of a flipped precalculus classroom on students’ degree of connection with their instructor and other students, together with their sense of motivation and enjoyment of mathematics, which we treat as an indicator of a developing STEM identity. Validated survey inventories are used to investigate differences in these affective outcomes between three sections of precalculus, two taught using flipped instruction and a control section in which the instructor delivers traditional lectures. The flipped students report significantly greater interactions with their instructor and peers, but indicate that they feel less connected with their instructor. Attitudes towards mathematics are found to decrease slightly through the semester in both instructional approaches.
Sagan in TAC2009: Using Support Vector Machines in Recognizing Textual Entailment and TE Search Pilot task

This paper describes the Sagan system in the context of the Fifth Pascal Recognizing Textual Entailment (RTE-5) Evaluation Challenge and the new Textual Entailment Search Pilot Task. The system employs a Support Vector Machine classifier with a set of 32 features, which includes lexical and semantic similarity for both two-way and three-way classification tasks. Additionally, we show an approach to deal with the problem of search entailment in a context of a set of document that uses co-reference analysis.
Market Liquidity and Convexity of Order Book (Evidence From China)

Market liquidity plays a vital role in the field of market micro-structure, because it is the vigor of the financial market. This paper uses a variable called convexity to measure the potential liquidity provided by order-book. Based on the high-frequency data of each stock included in the SSE (Shanghai Stock Exchange) 50 Index for the year 2011, we report several statistical properties of convexity and analyze the association between convexity and some other important variables (bid/ask-depth, spread, volatility, return.)
Practical Issues of Raytracing Implicit Surfaces with Interval Analysis

This paper discuss practical issues and implementation details on improving e ciency of ray intersection calculations of implicit surfaces using interval analysis. We examine two methods of improving the basic method described in [8]: a new technique for calculating intervals along a ray; and a method for spatial pruning based on the work in [7]. Comparisons are drawn between the di erent techniques and we have found that using the gradient to perform root isolation does not increase e ciency.
Hybrid Constraint Tightening for Solving Hybrid Scheduling Problems

Hybrid Scheduling Problems (HSPs) contain both temporal and finite-domain variables, as well as constraints between them. A hybrid constraint over temporal and finite-domain variables often models situations where different assignments to a subset of finite-domain variables result in different bounds on temporal constraints. The insight we examine in this paper is that some temporal constraint propagation is possible even before finite-domain variables are assigned, by giving the temporal constraint the tightest bound consistent with all (remaining) feasible finite-domain variable values. We describe a hybrid constraint-tightening algorithm that can proactively prune the search space of HSPs and is run as a preprocessing step independently of the search algorithm used. We examine the efficiency of this algorithm analytically, and give preliminary results showing that it reduces the expected runtime of search by a significant margin in the kinds of HSPs we are studying.
Onset of sheath extension and duration of lamina extension are major determinants of the response of maize lamina length to plant density.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Plants regulate their architecture strongly in response to density, and there is evidence that this involves changes in the duration of leaf extension. This questions the approximation, central in crop models, that development follows a fixed thermal time schedule. The aim of this research is to investigate, using maize as a model, how the kinetics of extension of grass leaves change with density, and to propose directions for inclusion of this regulation in plant models. METHODS Periodic dissection of plants allowed the establishment of the kinetics of lamina and sheath extension for two contrasting sowing densities. The temperature of the growing zone was measured with thermocouples. Two-phase (exponential plus linear) models were fitted to the data, allowing analysis of the timing of the phase changes of extension, and the extension rate of sheaths and blades during both phases. KEY RESULTS The duration of lamina extension dictated the variation in lamina length between treatments. The lower phytomers were longer at high density, with delayed onset of sheath extension allowing more time for the lamina to extend. In the upper phytomers--which were shorter at high density--the laminae had a lower relative extension rate (RER) in the exponential phase and delayed onset of linear extension, and less time available for extension since early sheath extension was not delayed. CONCLUSIONS The relative timing of the onset of fast extension of the lamina with that of sheath development is the main determinant of the response of lamina length to density. Evidence is presented that the contrasting behaviour of lower and upper phytomers is related to differing regulation of sheath ontogeny before and after panicle initiation. A conceptual model is proposed to explain how the observed asynchrony between lamina and sheath development is regulated.
Growth and properties of rare-earth arsenide InGaAs nanocomposites for terahertz generation

We explore the electrical, optical, and structural properties of fast photoconductors of In0.53Ga0. 47As containing a number of different rare-earth arsenide nanostructures. The rare-earth species provides a route to tailor the properties of the photoconductive materials. LuAs, GdAs, and LaAs nanostructures were embedded into InGaAs in a superlattice structure and compared to the relatively well-studied ErAs:InGaAs system. LaAs:InGaAs was found to have the highest dark resistivities, while GdAs:InGaAs had the lowest carrier lifetimes and highest carrier mobility at moderate depositions. The quality of the InGaAs overgrowth appears to have the most significant effect on the properties of these candidate fast photoconductors.
Comment on “ A new nonlinear iterated filter with applications to target tracking ”

Report [1] compares the Extended Kalman Filter [2, 3, 4], the Iterated Extended Kalman Filter, IEKF, [2, 3, 4] and the Linear Regression Kalman Filter [5] (e.g. the Unscented Kalman Filter, UKF, [6, 7, 8]) on (i) consistency and (ii) information content of their results (estimates and covariance matrices). The nonlinear filter proposed by Bellaire et al. in [9] is not discussed in report [1]. This addition to report [1] gives some comments on the consistency and information content of Bellaire’s filter.
What Role Does Interest Rate Defense Play During Speculative Currency Attacks? Some Large-Sample Evidence

Applying basic statistical methods to a large sample of currency crises, it is shown that a variety of measures of monetary policy are significantly related to the outcome of a speculative attack. Unlike in the comparable study of Kraay (1999), discount rates have a significant but unconventional impact. A new measure for domestic credit, by contrast, yields significant and conventional results. The sensitivity of the results to certain country characteristics is analyzed as well. This allows to examine such issues as the endogeneity of policy or Drazen's (1999b) signaling hypothesis for interest rate defense. The paper is basic in terms of methods but broad in terms of sample coverage and 'questions asked', and aims at establishing stylized facts around interest rate defense.
Selected challenges in computational lower bounds

It includes some great diagrams of what-implies-what in trying to get lower bounds for an explicit boolean formula. I invite any reader who has knowledge of some area to contact me and arrange to write a column about open problems in that area. That area can be (1) broad or narrow or anywhere inbetween, and (2) really important or really unimportant or anywhere inbetween.
A Statistical Study of Multiply Imaged Systems in the Lensing Cluster Abell 68

We have carried out an extensive spectroscopic survey with the Keck and VLT telescopes, targeting lensed galaxies in the background of the massive cluster Abell 68. Spectroscopic measurements are obtained for 26 lensed images, including a distant galaxy at z = 5.4. Redshifts have been determined for 5 out of 7 multiple-image systems. Through a careful modeling of the mass distribution in the strongly lensed regime, we derive a mass estimate of 5.3 × 1014 M☉ within 500 kpc. Our mass model is then used to constrain the redshift distribution of the remaining multiply imaged and singly imaged sources. This enables us to examine the physical properties for a subsample of 7 Lyα emitters at 1.7 ≲ z ≲ 5.5, whose unlensed luminosities of ≃1041 ergs s-1 are fainter than similar objects found in blank fields. Of particular interest is an extended Lyα emission region surrounding a highly magnified source at z = 2.6, detected in VIMOS integral field spectroscopy data. The physical scale of the most distant lensed source at z = 5.4 is very small (<300 pc), similar to the lensed z ~ 5.6 emitter reported by Ellis et al. in Abell 2218. New photometric data available for Abell 2218 allow for a direct comparison between these two unique objects. Our survey illustrates the practicality of using lensing clusters to probe the faint end of the z ~ 2-5 Lyα luminosity function in a manner that is complementary to blank-field narrowband surveys.
CloudESE: Energy efficiency model for cloud computing environments

In this paper, we propose two energy models based on a statistical analysis of a server's operational behavior in order to minimize the energy consumption in data centers at cloud computing providers. Based on these models, the Energy Savings Engine (ESE) in the cloud provider decides either to migrate the virtual machines (VMs) from a lightly-loaded server and then turn it off or put it in a sleep mode, or to keep the current server running and ready to receive any new load requests. The main difference between the two models is the energy and time required to put the server in operational mode from a sleep mode or from an off state. Therefore, the decision is a tradeoff between the energy savings and the required performance according to the SLA between the client and the cloud provider. We show results based on actual power measurements taken at the server's AC input, to determine the energy consumed in the idle state, the sleep state, the off state and in the case of switching between any two of these states. In addition, we measured the power consumed by the source and the destination servers during the migration of a VM.