Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ANGLE OF REPOSE AND ANGLE OF SLIDING FRICTION: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Earlier studies of factors determining subaerial angles of repose of loose material have produced diverse results. In order to obtain dependable information for use in geomorphic investigations a controlled experimental study was undertaken. Results show that the angle of repose varies (1) inversely with size of fragments in perfectly sorted materials, but directly in those imperfectly sorted; (2) inversely with density of fragments; (3) directly with their angularity, roughness, and degree of compaction; (4) inversely with height of fall of material on free cones; (5) directly with increase of moisture up to the saturation point but inversely beyond that. A slope of repose convex in plan view is gentler than a plane slope, which in turn is gentler than a slope concave in plan view. Irregularities completely buried beneath a pile of loose material have no influence on the angles of repose unless the buried slope continues to a free edge over which the material slumps, when increased slope of the floor decreases the slope of repose of the overlying material. The angle of sliding friction, like the angle of repose, varies inversely with size and density of fragments and directly with their surface roughness. For the same material, however, the angle of sliding friction is definitely lower than the angle of repose. As examples of the practical application of these results to geomorphic studies, the following problems are discussed: the weathering back of a mountain front in a hypothetically “rainless” region; the characteristics of talus slopes; the convexity of divides; and the relation of fragment size to steepness of natural slopes of loose material.
Work disability in rheumatoid arthritis is predicted by physical and psychological health status: a 7‐year study from the Oslo RA register

Objective: To explore the prevalence of work disability (WD) and to identify bio‐psychological factors that predicts future WD in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over a 7‐year period. Methods: Patients were selected from the Oslo RA register. The prevalence of WD was studied cross‐sectionally among respondents <67 years (n = 526) in a postal survey. Mean age (SD) was 51.1 (11.9) years, mean disease duration 11.3 (9.4) years, and 49% of patients were RF‐positive. The patients studied for predictive factors for WD were respondents in postal surveys both at baseline and at the 7‐year follow‐up, in work at baseline and still in working age (<67 years) at follow‐up (n = 159). Mean age at baseline (SD) was 44.5 (9.7) years, mean disease duration 8.4 (6.6) years, mean years of formal education 12.7 (3.1) years, 48% were RF‐positive. Assessments included socio‐demographic variables and health status measures (MHAQ, AIMS2, SF‐36, fatigue and pain on VAS 0–100 mm, self efficacy, and RAI as a measure for helplessness). Results: Among the 526 respondents at baseline <67 years, the prevalence of WD was 40%. A high level of education was a predictor of reduced risk of work disability [odds ratio (OR) = 0.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.1; 0.9], while female gender (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.1; 8.0), physical disability (MHAQ‐score) (OR = 3.9, 95% CI 1.2; 12.5) and helplessness over median RAI‐score (OR = 3.0, 95% CI 1.4; 6.7) were independent predictors of increased risk for new work disability over 7 years. Conclusion: Physical disability, increased helplessness, low formal education, and female gender were found to be independent risk factors for new work disability over the 7‐year study period.
Reducing health inequities in a generation: a dream or reality?

Inequalities in health are an indicator of distributional differences in the health status of populations. Low-income countries, which contribute 56% of global disease burden, account for only 2% of global expenditure on health.1 The WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health has called for “closing the gap” – resolving health inequities between different groups – in the course of a generation. It aims to achieve this by improving conditions of daily living; tackling inequitable distribution of power, money and resources; and measuring and ascertaining the impact of interventions.2 However, there are several challenges to realizing this dream.
Noisy speech enhancement using discrete cosine transform 1

This paper illustrates the advantages of using the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) as compared to the standard Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) for the purpose of removing noise embedded in a speech signal. The derivation of the Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) ®lter based on the statistical modelling of the DCT coecients is shown. Also shown is the derivation of an over-attenuation factor based on the fact that speech energy is not always present in the noisy signal at all times or in all coecients. This over-attenuation factor is useful in suppressing any musical residual noise which may be present. The proposed methods are evaluated against the noise reduction ®lter proposed by Y. Ephraim and D. Malah (1984), using both Gaussian distributed white noise as well as recorded fan noise, with favourable results. Ó 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Numerical Study of Coupling between Coagulators and Electrodes of Cardiac Pacemakers

The paper presents a numerical worst-case study of the coupling between coagulators and cardiac pacemakers under consideration of the human body. For this purpose a special body model has been implemented which meets the geometrical dimensions given in DIN 33402. With this model whose electrical properties correspond to a weighted average of those of different tissues of the human body the influence of the latter can be taken into account in the computations. Different parameters such as position of the pacemaker and its electrode, coagulation frequency, and coagulation point on the surface of the human body are considered. Owing to the results of previous investigations simplified approaches to account for the dielectric coating of the coagulator electrodes and housing of the pacemaker can be used. The investigation shows that for the scenario described above peak-to-peak voltages up to about 20 mV result at the input port of the cardiac pacemaker.
Oxygen-dependent microbial killing by phagocytes (second of two parts).

(First of Two Parts) THE part played by phagocytes in defense against invading pathogens has been recognized since 1883. In that year, Metschnikoff, a Russian zoologist, reported that foreign particles injected into metazoans (in Metschnikoff's experiments, starfish larvae) were taken up by a population of "wandering mesodermal cells" that resided in interstitial tissues.1 He postulated a crucial role in host defense for these wandering cells, which he named "phagocytes. " Since Metschnikoff's discovery, hundreds of scientists studying dozens of species have reported thousands of studies on these cells, perhaps the most widely recognized of which are those of the eminent English .
Regional sea-surface temperatures explain spatial and temporal variation of summer precipitation in the source region of the Yellow River

ABSTRACT The summer precipitation (June–September) in the source region of the Yellow River accounts for about 70% of the annual total, playing an important role in water availability. This study divided the source region of the Yellow River into homogeneous zones based on precipitation variability using cluster analysis. Summer precipitation trends and teleconnections with global sea-surface temperatures (SST) and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) from 1961 to 2010 were investigated by Mann-Kendall test and Pearson product-moment correlation analysis. The results show that the northwest part (Zone 1) had a non-significantly increasing trend, and the middle and southeast parts (zones 2 and 3) that receive the most precipitation displayed a statistically significant decreasing trend for summer precipitation. The summer precipitation in the whole region showed statistically significant negative correlations with the central Pacific SST for 0–4 month lag and with the Southern Indian and Atlantic oceans SST for 5–8 month lag. Analyses of sub-regions reveal intricate and complex correlations with different SST areas that further explain the summer precipitation variability. The SOI had significant positive correlations, mainly for 0–2 months lag, with summer precipitation in the source region of the Yellow River. It is seen that El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have an influence on summer precipitation, and the predominant negative correlations indicate that higher SST in equatorial Pacific areas corresponding to El Niño coincides with less summer precipitation in the source region of the Yellow River. Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Associate editor D. Gerten
Nuclear factor-kappaB activation by the photochemotherapeutic agent verteporfin.

The nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) gene transactivator serves in the formation of immune, inflammatory, and stress responses. In quiescent cells, NF-kappaB principally resides within the cytoplasm in association with inhibitory kappa (IkappaB) proteins. The status of IkappaB and NF-kappaB proteins was evaluated for promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells treated at different intensities of photodynamic therapy (PDT). The action of the potent photosensitizer, benzoporphyrin derivative monoacid ring A (verteporfin), and visible light irradiation were assessed. At a verteporfin concentration that produced the death of a high proportion of cells after light irradiation, evidence of caspase-3 and caspase-9 processing and of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage was present within whole cell lysates. The general caspase inhibitor Z-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone (ZVAD.fmk) effectively blocked these apoptosis-related changes. Recent studies indicate that IkappaB proteins may be caspase substrates during apoptosis. However, the level of IkappaBbeta was unchanged for HL-60 cells undergoing PDT-induced apoptosis. IkappaBalpha levels decreased during PDT-induced apoptosis, though ZVAD.fmk did not affect this change. At a less intensive level of photosensitization, cellular IkappaBalpha levels were transiently depressed after PDT. At these times, p50 and RelA NF-kappaB species were increased within nuclear extracts, as revealed by electrophoretic mobility supershift assays. HL-60 cells transiently transfected with a kappaB-luciferase reporter construct exhibited elevated luciferase activity after PDT or treatment with tumor necrosis factor-alpha, a well-characterized NF-kappaB activator. Productive NF-kappaB activation and associated gene transcription may influence the phenotype and behavior of cells exposed to less intensive PDT regimens. However, IkappaBalpha is not subject to caspase-mediated degradation as a component of PDT-induced apoptosis. (Blood. 2000;95:256-262)
Dissection and cotransplantation of large pieces of RPE and neural retina; effect of protease K on the development.

PURPOSE This study attempts to cotransplant large pieces of the RPE and neural retina in the subretinal space of rabbits by using protease K for dissection of the donor tissue, and to investigate the effect of dissection technique on the development of the grafts. METHODS Eyes from 15-day-old pigmented rabbit embryos were partly digested by protease K to assist dissection of sclera and the choroid from RPE and neural retina. Large pieces of RPE and the neural retina thus obtained were cotransplanted into the eyes of adult albino rabbits who were allowed to survive for up to 63 days. The transplants were examined under light microscope. RESULTS It was possible to transplant large sheets of RPE and neural retina together. Both the RPE and the neural retina survived after cotransplantation. Retinal pigment epithelium survived in layers, but at places formed clusters. In cotransplants neural retina formed rosettes, developed gliosis, and photoreceptors failed to develop outer segments, possibly due to the action of protease K. CONCLUSION Proteases seem to be injurious for the development of the neural retina.
NetSpy: Automatic Generation of Spyware Signatures for NIDS

We present NetSpy, a tool to automatically generate network-level signatures for spyware. NetSpy determines whether an untrusted program is spyware by correlating user input with network traffic generated by the untrusted program. If classified as spyware, NetSpy also generates a signature characterizing the malicious substrate of the spyware's network behavior. Such a signature can be used by network intrusion detection systems to detect spyware installations in large networks. In our experiments, NetSpy precisely identified each of the 7 spyware programs that we considered and generated network-level signatures for them. Of the 9 supposedly-benign programs that we considered, NetSpy correctly characterized 6 of them as benign. The remaining 3 programs showed network behavior that was highly suggestive of spying activity
Drug addiction and its underlying neurobiological basis: neuroimaging evidence for the involvement of the frontal cortex.

OBJECTIVE Studies of the neurobiological processes underlying drug addiction primarily have focused on limbic subcortical structures. Here the authors evaluated the role of frontal cortical structures in drug addiction. METHOD An integrated model of drug addiction that encompasses intoxication, bingeing, withdrawal, and craving is proposed. This model and findings from neuroimaging studies on the behavioral, cognitive, and emotional processes that are at the core of drug addiction were used to analyze the involvement of frontal structures in drug addiction. RESULTS The orbitofrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate gyrus, which are regions neuroanatomically connected with limbic structures, are the frontal cortical areas most frequently implicated in drug addiction. They are activated in addicted subjects during intoxication, craving, and bingeing, and they are deactivated during withdrawal. These regions are also involved in higher-order cognitive and motivational functions, such as the ability to track, update, and modulate the salience of a reinforcer as a function of context and expectation and the ability to control and inhibit prepotent responses. CONCLUSIONS These results imply that addiction connotes cortically regulated cognitive and emotional processes, which result in the overvaluing of drug reinforcers, the undervaluing of alternative reinforcers, and deficits in inhibitory control for drug responses. These changes in addiction, which the authors call I-RISA (impaired response inhibition and salience attribution), expand the traditional concepts of drug dependence that emphasize limbic-regulated responses to pleasure and reward.
AdSIP: Decentralized SIP for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

SIP signaling protocol relies on centralized SIP servers deployed on the infrastructure of the network to route SIP messages in order to enable user endpoints to discover each other. However, the lack of the infrastructure in ad hoc networks requires that the network nodes support the tasks of participants discovery and SIP messages routing. In this paper, we propose AdSIP protocol which is a completely distributed architecture for SIP that implements SIP servers in selected nodes. The SIP servers are selected using a distributed algorithm constructing a connected minimal global offensive alliance. AdSIP is implemented and compared under NS-2 with TCA protocol which uses a cluster based approach. The simulation results show the advantages of AdSIP and confirm that it is adapted to mobile ad hoc networks by giving low session establishment time, low control overhead and high service availability.
Characterization of Bacillus subtilis mutants with a temperature-sensitive intracellular protease

A colony screening procedure was devised to detect Bacillus subtilis mutants containing temperature-sensitive trypsin-like intracellular protease activity. The enzyme was characterized as a non-sulfhydryl serine protease on the basis of inhibitor studies. It was also inhibited by D- or L-histidine but not by any other amino acid tested. The long-term survival at 45 degrees C of these mutants in a minimal salts medium was decreased, with rapid lysis occurring within 24 h. A D-histidine function in long-term survival and inhibition accounted for the presence of additional protease mutants among survivors of histidine auxotrophs selected for their ability to utilize D-histidine. In addition to being lysed when incubated at 45 degrees C under nongrowth conditions, all of the protease mutants had a decreased rate of protein turnover and produced spores deficient in a major low-molecular-weight spore coat polypeptide. The morphology of the undercoat layers was altered, but there was no effect on spore heat resistance or on germination. The missing spore coat polypeptide appeared to be processed from a larger precursor by cleavage to produce N-terminal histidine. A defect in this protease could account for the lack of processing and thus the absence of this polypeptide in spore coats.
A consensus-based secondary control layer for stable current sharing and voltage balancing in DC microgrids

In this paper, we propose a secondary consensus-based control layer for current sharing and voltage balancing in DC microGrids (mGs). To this purpose, we assume that Distributed Generation Units (DGUs) are equipped with decentralized primary controllers guaranteeing voltage stability. This goal can be achieved using, for instance, Plug-and-Play (PnP) regulators. We analyze the behavior of the closed-loop mG by approximating local primary control loops with either unitary gains or first-order transfer functions. Besides proving exponential stability, current sharing, and voltage balancing, we describe how to design secondary controllers in a PnP fashion when DGUs are added or removed. Theoretical results are complemented by simulations, using a 7-DGUs mG implemented in Simulink/PLECS, and experiments on a 3-DGUs mG.
HYDRAstor: A Scalable Secondary Storage

HYDRAstor is a scalable, secondary storage solution aimed at the enterprise market. The system consists of a back-end architectured as a grid of storage nodes built around a distributed hash table; and a front-end consisting of a layer of access nodes which implement a traditional file system interface and can be scaled in number for increased performance. This paper concentrates on the back-end which is, to our knowledge, the first commercial implementation of a scalable, high-performance content-addressable secondary storage delivering global duplicate elimination, per-block user-selectable failure resiliency, self-maintenance including automatic recovery from failures with data and network overlay rebuilding. The back-end programming model is based on an abstraction of a sea of variable-sized, content-addressed, immutable, highly-resilient data blocks organized in a DAG (directed acyclic graph). This model is exported with a low-level API allowing clients to implement new access protocols and to add them to the system on-line. The API has been validated with an implementation of the file system interface. The critical factor for meeting the design targets has been the selection of proper data organization based on redundant chains of data containers. We present this organization in detail and describe how it is used to deliver required data services. Surprisingly, the most complex to deliver turned out to be on-demand data deletion, followed (not surprisingly) by the management of data consistency and integrity.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Mycobacterium marinum Determined by E-test and Agar Dilution

Mycobacterium marinum is recognized as a cutaneous pathogen requiring antibiotic treatment. We compared the E-test with a reference agar dilution method for susceptibility testing of M. marinum to amikacin, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, doxycycline, rifampicin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and ethambutol. MICs obtained after 6 d showed agreement between the E-test and agar dilution within +/- 2 dilutions in 95% of all cases for amikacin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline and rifampicin. Inhibitory concentrations of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were difficult to define using the E-test because of gradually decreased growth in the presence of increasing concentrations. For clarithromycin, results were generally 1-3 dilution steps lower with the E-test and for ethambutol they were often > 3 dilution steps lower. These differences always appeared in the low MIC range and did not affect the categorization of the strains as susceptible to these 2 antimicrobial agents. All strains were interpreted as susceptible to all tested antibiotics, except for doxycycline, according to recommended breakpoints. Overall, our results suggest that the E-test can be considered an alternative for susceptibility testing of certain antibacterial agents against M. marinum.
A Large-Scale Neural Network Which Recognizes Handwritten Kanji Characters

We propose a new way to construct a large-scale neural network for 3.000 handwritten Kanji characters recognition. This neural network consists of 3 parts: a collection of small-scale networks which are trained individually on a small number of Kanji characters; a network which integrates the output from the small-scale networks, and a process to facilitate the integration of these neworks. The recognition rate of the total system is comparable with those of the small-scale networks. Our results indicate that the proposed method is effective for constructing a large-scale network without loss of recognition performance.
IMPLEMENTATION OF BIORETENTION SYSTEMS: A WISCONSIN CASE STUDY 1

ABSTRACT: The implementation of various bioretention systems was analyzed, including rain gardens, vegetated swales, trenches, and infiltration basins in the St. Francis subdivision, Cross Plains, Wisconsin. Through the examination of archival data and interviews with key participants, it was found that although regulatory and political pressures encouraged the inclusion of bioretention, current standards for storm water management prevailed. The developers had to meet both existing requirements and anticipated rules requiring infiltration. As a result, bioretention systems simply supplemented, rather than replaced, traditional storm water practices. The confusion surrounding dual standards contributed to substantial delays in the negotiations among relevant stakeholders in the watershed. It is concluded that the St. Francis subdivision serves as both a cautionary tale and a bioretention success story. As a caution, this situation demonstrates the need for careful review and refinement of existing storm water ordinances to incorporate water quality improvement technologies, such as bioretention. The demonstrated success of the St. Francis development, however, is that it became a positive prototype for best management storm water practices elsewhere in the region. In addition, the water quality monitoring data from the site has contributed to development of a new county ordinance, the first in Wisconsin to address both quantity and quality of storm water runoff.