Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Computational Investigation on Small Punch Test for Evaluating Fracture Toughness of TRIP Steel at Higher Deformation Rate

It is considered that fracture toughness of TRIP steel can be evaluated by means of the small punch (SP) test. However, a mechanism of improving fracture toughness in the SP test for TRIP steel under the impact condition might not be clarified through merely experimental works because the effect of strain-induced martensitic transformation (SIMT) coupled with temperature in TRIP steel becomes quite complicated at high deformation rate. Therefore, a computational simulation on the SP test for an evaluation of the mechanism is indispensable. Since the specimen in the SP test will be fractured at a certain level of deformation, it is necessary to express the fracture by incorporating damage model into constitutive equation of the material in simulation of the SP test. In the present study, a finite element analysis is performed for the SP test with a specimen made of type-304 austenitic stainless steel by an inclusion of damage parameter and its evolution equation. After showing the validity of the computation, the effects of deformation rate, temperature, and SIMT on the force-deflection curve and deformation behavior are examined. Then, the mechanism of rate-sensitive fracture toughness in TRIP steel is challenged to be clarified.
Transcriptional control of flagellar genes in Escherichia coli K-12

Autoregulation of the expression of flagellar genes was investigated by the technique of operon fusion. The results suggested that the flaU gene is a repressor and the flaD gene is an activator of transcription of the hag, flaS, and Mocha operons. The action of the putative flaU repressor appears to be masked by its interaction with other flagellar proteins during assembly; thus, repression is apparent only when the interacting proteins are absent. This hypothesis is supported by the phenotype of an unusual flaU mutant, which represses even though it is unable to promote flagellar assembly. Presumably, the mutant synthesizes a repressor whose activity is no longer masked by interaction with other flagellar proteins.
Estimating Structural Models of Corporate Bond Prices

One of the strengths of structural models (or firm-value based models) of credit (e.g. Merton, 1974) as opposed to reduced-form models (e.g. Jarrow and Turnbull, 1995) is that they directly link the price of equity to default probabilities, and hence to the price of corporate bonds (and credit derivatives). Yet when these models are estimated on actual data, the existence of data other than equity prices is typically ignored. This paper describes how all available price data (equity prices, bond prices, possibly credit derivative prices) can be used in estimation, and illustrates that using e.g. bond price data in addition to equity price data greatly improves estimates. In this context, the issue of possibly noisy data and/or model error is also discussed.
Beetles and flies collected on pig carrion in an experimental setting in Thuringia and their forensic implications

Decomposition processes and insect succession were analysed on a total of eight pig (Sus scrofa) carcasses. The survey was carried out in four different periods between November 2007 and August 2008 and on two different substrates (meadow, concrete floor close to a building). The experiments were placed in a rural site in the surroundings of Jena, Thuringia. The duration and specificity of the different decomposition stages were dependent on season, weather and quality and quantity of insect colonization. Whereas the carrion maintained a bloated appearance even after 133 days in winter, it reached the dry stage within 8 days in the summer months. The type of substrate had few effects on the decaying process, but the insects were generally more abundant on the meadow. In total, more than 57 species of Diptera belonging to 17 families and 48 species of Coleoptera belonging to 14 families were identified. Dominant species belonged to the families of Calliphoridae (n = 11 spp.), Sarcophagidae (n = 8), Muscidae (n = 9), Piophilidae (n = 3), Silphidae (n = 6), Dermestidae (n = 3), Nitidulidae (n = 4), Cleridae (n = 3) and Histeridae (n = 2). Remarkably, the rather common Nicrophorus species were completely absent, whereas the usually rare Necrodes littoralis (L.) was present in larger numbers. No distinct coincidence between the occurrence of a single species and a certain decomposition stage could be confirmed. A main objective of the study is the establishment of a forensic entomological database for Central Europe, especially Thuringia.
Burden of Self-reported Acute Gastrointestinal Illness in Cuba

Acute gastrointestinal illness is an important public-health issue worldwide. Burden-of-illness studies have not previously been conducted in Cuba. The objective of the study was to determine the magnitude, distribution, and burden of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness in Cuba. A retrospective, cross-sectional survey was conducted in three sentinel sites during June-July 2005 (rainy season) and during November 2005–January 2006 (dry season). Households were randomly selected from a list maintained by the medical offices in each site. One individual per household was selected to complete a questionnaire in a face-to-face interview. The case definition was three or more bouts of loose stools in a 24-hour period within the last 30 days. In total, 97.3% of 6,576 interviews were completed. The overall prevalence of acute gastrointestinal illness was 10.6%. The risk of acute gastrointestinal illness was higher during the rainy season (odds ratio [OR]=3.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.18-4.66) in children (OR=3.12, 95% CI 2.24-4.36) and teens (OR=2.27, 95% CI 1.51-3.41) compared to people aged 25-54 years, in males (OR=1.24, 95% CI 1.04-1.47), and in the municipality of Santiago de Cuba (OR=1.33, 95% CI 1.11-1.61). Of 680 cases, 17.1-38.1% visited a physician, depending on sentinel site. Of the cases who visited a physician, 33.3-53.9% were requested to submit a stool sample, and of those, 72.7-100.0% complied. Of the cases who sought medical care, 16.7- 61.5% and 0-31.6% were treated with antidiarrhoeals and antibiotics respectively. Acute gastrointestinal illness represented a substantial burden of health compared to developed countries. Targeting the identified risk factors when allocating resources for education, food safety, and infrastructure might lower the morbidity associated with acute gastrointestinal illness.
Optimization of Sensing Receiver for Cognitive Radio Applications

We propose an optimized dedicated broadband sensing receiver architecture for use in cognitive radios supporting delay sensitive applications. Specifically, we first reason the need for a dedicated sensing receiver that employs a combination of coarse and fine scanning to reduce sensing time over a large bandwidth. We derive an expression for mean acquisition/detection time as a function of a number of parameters including the number of coarse and fine frequency bins employed. We then determine the optimal number of coarse and fine bins that minimize the overall detection time required to identify idle channels under various system conditions. Using analytical and simulation results, we quantify the dependence of optimal coarse and fine bin selection on system parameters such as (1) size of FFT used in scanning; (2) probability of detection and false alarm of the underlying sensing algorithm; (3) signal-to-noise ratio of the received signal, and (4) expected number of available channels. The primary contribution of this work lies in a practical realization of an optimal broadband sensing receiver.
FLAGELLAR REGENERATION IN PROTOZOAN FLAGELLATES

The flagella of populations of three protozoan species (Ochromonas, Euglena, and Astasia) were amputated and allowed to regenerate. The kinetics of regeneration in all species were characterized by a lag phase during which there was no apparent flagellar elongation; this phase was followed by elongation at a rate which constantly decelerated as the original length was regained. Inhibition by cycloheximide applied at the time of flagellar amputation showed that flagellar regeneration was dependent upon de novo protein synthesis. This was supported by evidence showing that a greater amount of leucine was incorporated into the proteins of regenerating than nonregenerating flagella. The degree of inhibition of flagellar elongation observed with cycloheximide depended on how soon after flagellar amputation it was applied: when applied to cells immediately following amputation, elongation was almost completely inhibited, but its application at various times thereafter permitted considerable elongation to occur prior to complete inhibition of flagellar elongation. Hence, a sufficient number of precursors were synthesized and accumulated prior to addition of cycloheximide so that their assembly (elongation) could occur for a time under conditions in which protein synthesis had been inhibited. Evidence that the site of this assembly may be at the tip of the elongating flagellum was obtained from radioautographic studies in which the flagella of Ochromonas were permitted to regenerate part way in the absence of labeled leucine and to complete their regeneration in the presence of the isotope. Possible mechanisms which may be operating to control flagellar regeneration are discussed in light of these and other observations.
Advances in Random Access protocols for satellite networks

In this paper we review key properties of recently proposed high performance protocols for Random Access (RA) satellite channels for both Time Division and Code Division Multiple Access (TDMA/CDMA) techniques. The proposed protocols by far outperform traditional satellite random access techniques without the need for quick feedback from the gateway. This makes possible to avoid the utilization of demand assigned capacity for the transmission of small/medium size bursts of packets. A fair comparative performance of state-of-the-art TDMA and CDMA RA schemes is provided together with a summary of their key performance results. It is shown that the proposed enhanced RA protocols, although different between TDMA and CDMA, share commonalities as they exploit iterative interference cancellation at the demodulator side and demonstrate to provide even better performance in the presence of received carrier power unbalance. Typical application scenarios of these enhanced random access protocols are then illustrated, as well as possible ways to combine random access and demand assigned protocols.
Determinants of Maternal Health Care Utilization in Nigeria: a multilevel approach

Introduction Fourteen percent of maternal deaths globally occur in Nigeria. Low utilization of maternal health services for delivery may partially explain the high maternal mortality. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of community factors in explaining variations in the use of health facilities for delivery in Nigeria. Methods Our sample consisted of 17,542 women aged 15-49 years drawn from 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, who had had their last birth in the five years before the survey. We employed multilevel analysis to identify community factors related to the use of delivery care. Results In addition to several individual factors, region of residence was significantly associated with facility delivery. Women who lived in Northern Nigeria were less likely to deliver in a health facility than those who resided in the Southern part of the country. Residence in communities with a high proportion of women who had secondary and higher education significantly increased the odds of facility delivery whereas ethnic diversity was negatively associated with health facility delivery. Conclusion Interventions aimed at promoting the use of health facility for childbirth should not only be implemented at the individual level but also tailored to the community level as interventions conceived without consideration for community context are likely to have limited impact. Increasing women's education in disadvantaged communities and region-specific interventions that increase access to health facilities are likely to have far-reaching impacts in reducing maternal mortality.
Mode of Action and Functional Significance of 7α-Hydroxypregnenolone Stimulating Locomotor Activity

Previous studies over the past two decades have demonstrated that the brain and other nervous systems possess key steroidogenic enzymes and produces pregnenolone and other various neurosteroids in vertebrates in general. Recently, 7α-hydroxypregnenolone, a novel bioactive neurosteroid, was identified in the brain of newts and quail. Importantly, this novel neurosteroid is produced from pregnenolone through the enzymatic activity of cytochrome P4507α and acts on brain tissue as a neuronal modulator to stimulate locomotor activity in these vertebrates. Subsequently, the mode of action of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone was demonstrated. 7α-Hydroxypregnenolone stimulates locomotor activity through activation of the dopaminergic system. To understand the functional significance of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone in the regulation of locomotor activity, diurnal, and seasonal changes in 7α-hydroxypregnenolone synthesis were further characterized. Melatonin derived from the pineal gland and eyes regulates 7α-hydroxypregnenolone synthesis in the brain, thus inducing diurnal locomotor changes. Prolactin, an adenohypophyseal hormone, regulates 7α-hydroxypregnenolone synthesis in the brain, and also induces seasonal locomotor changes. In addition, 7α-hydroxypregnenolone mediates corticosterone action to modulate locomotor activity under stress. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the mode of action and functional significance of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone, a newly identified bioactive neurosteroid stimulating locomotor activity.
Epidermal growth factor increases tensile strength in intestinal wounds in pigs

Growth factors enhance tensile strength, angiogenesis and collagen synthesis in skin wounds. The effects were studied of a continuous intraperitoneal infusion of epidermal growth factor (EOF) on the mechanical properties of healing in linear full‐thickness wounds of the stomach, ileum and colon of young pigs (n = 16, mean(s.d.) body‐weight 20·1(1·9) kg). In half the animals an osmotic minipump was implanted into the peritoneal cavity to deliver recombinant human EGF at a rate of 0·5 μg kg−1 24 h−1. Animals were killed at 5 days and the integrity of a 20‐mm ring of intestine was tested for tensile strength. Breaking strength (gmm−2) of the intestinal wounds in untreated pigs (n = 8) was: stomach 28·0(2·0), ileum 46·8(4·8), colon 85·6(4·2). Intestinal wounds in pigs (n = 8) receiving supplemental EGF had significantly increased breaking strength: stomach 32·4(2·2) (P<0·05), ileum 56·8(5·4) (P<0·05), colon 96·0(3·8) (P<0·01) compared with untreated animals. At 5 days after the initial injury intraperitoneal EGF increases the tensile strength of intestinal wounds in pigs.
Functional equations of L-functions for symmetric products of the kloosterman sheaf

We determine the (arithmetic) local monodromy at 0 and at ∞ of the Kloosterman sheaf using local Fourier transformations and Laumon's stationary phase principle. We then calculate e-factors for symmetric products of the Kloosterman sheaf. Using Laumon's product formula, we get functional equations of L-functions for these symmetric products and prove a conjecture of Evans on signs of constants of functional equations. © 2010 American Mathematical Society.
Are Private Reserves Effective for Jaguar Conservation?

We present the first study of density and apparent survival for a jaguar (Panthera onca) population in northern Mexico using 13 years of camera trap data from 2000 to 2012. We used the Barker robust design model which combines data from closed sampling periods and resight data between these periods to estimate apparent survival and abundance. We identified 467 jaguar pictures that corresponded to 48 jaguar individuals. We included camera type and field technician as covariates for detection probabilities. We used three covariates to evaluate the effect of reserve on jaguar apparent survival: i) private reserve creation ii) later reserve expansions, and iii) cattle ranches’ conservation activities. We found that the use of digital cameras in addition to film cameras increased detection probability by a factor of 6x compared with the use of only film cameras (p = 0.34 ± 0.05 and p = 0.05 ± 0.02 respectively) in the closed period and more than three times in the open period (R = 0.91 ± 0.08 and R = 0.30 ± 0.13 mixed and film cameras respectively). Our availability estimates showed no temporary emigration and a fidelity probability of 1. Despite an increase of apparent survival probability from 0.47 ± 0.15 to 0.56 ± 0.11 after 2007, no single covariate explained the change in these point estimates. Mean jaguar density was 1.87 ± 0.47 jaguars/100 km2. We found that 13 years of jaguar population monitoring with our sampling size were not enough for detecting changes in survival or density. Our results provide a baseline for studies evaluating the effectiveness of protected areas and the inclusion of ranch owners in jaguar conservation programs and long-term population viability.
An evaluation of orange and clear traps with pear ester to monitor codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in apple orchards

W. Barros-Parada, A.L. Knight, E. Basoalto, and E. Fuentes-Contreras. 2013. An evaluation of orange and clear traps with pear ester to monitor codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in apple orchards. Cien. Inv. Agr. 40(2):307-315. Studies were conducted to evaluate the use of several trap-lure combinations to improve the monitoring of codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in apple, Malus domestica Bordk. The treatments involved the use of clear, orange, and white traps baited with one or more of the following attractants: the major sex pheromone component of the codling moth, (E, E)-8,10-dodecadien-1-ol (codlemone, PH); a primary volatile constituent of ripe pear, ethyl (E, Z)-2,4-decadienoate (pear ester, PE); and acetic acid (AA). The studies were conducted in an orchard treated with sex pheromone dispensers in Washington State (USA) and in four untreated orchards in the Maule Region (Chile). In Washington State, the PE+AA lures caught more females than the PE+PH lure in both the clear and orange traps. The clear traps caught more female moths than the orange traps when each trap was baited with the PE+PH lure. The two lures caught similar total numbers of moths across trap colors. The clear traps baited with PE+PH caught significantly more total moths than the orange traps baited with PE+AA. In Chile, the clear traps baited with PE+AA caught more females than the orange traps baited with PE+PH over both moth flights during two field seasons. The white traps baited with PH and the orange traps baited with PE+PH caught similar total numbers of moths in three of the four flight periods. The clear trap baited with PE+AA caught significantly fewer moths than the two treatments that included a PH lure in two of the four flight periods. These data suggest that the adoption of clear delta traps with PE+AA lures would allow growers to better track the seasonal population dynamics of female codling moths.
Prospective Clinical Evaluation of McCarey-Kaufman and Organ Culture Cornea Preservation Media: 14-Year Follow-up

Purpose: To compare the outcome of corneal grafts preserved in McCarey-Kaufman (MK) medium versus organ culture after penetrating keratoplasties. Methods: Paired corneas were stored in McCarey medium for 2-44 hours (mean 21 hours) and in organ culture (OC) for 144 -240 hours (mean 192 hours). Penetrating keratoplasties were performed by 2 surgeons in 2 groups of patients with keratoconus, matched for age. Each pair was transplanted by the same surgeon using the same technique. Visual acuity, central corneal thickness, and central endothelial cell density were assessed at 166 ± 7.8 months postoperatively. Results: Nine pairs of patients were recovered for a long-term follow-up. The mean endothelial cell densities for the MK and OC groups were 611 ± 155 and 683 ± 168 cells/mm2, respectively, which were not significantly different. A first rapid cell loss rate of 2.07% and 2.52% per month and a second slow of 0.78% and 0.69% per month were observed in the respective groups. Individual values of best corrected visual acuity were all the same (value 1.00) for both groups. Corneal thicknesses were, respectively, 571 ± 52 and 540 ± 35 μm and were significantly different (P = 0.013). Conclusions: After 14 years of penetrating keratoplasties performed with corneas stored in MK versus OC, no significant differences were observed in visual acuity, endothelial cell density, and cell loss. The observed thinner grafts after OC compared with MK could not be explained.
A virtual performance system and its application on a Noh stage

We have developed a virtual performance system that projects visual images and controls them in a theater easily. This system manages videos and 3D models, and users can control the projected image in real-time. We used the system on a Noh stage. We displayed virtual actors and had them act with the real actors. As a result of evaluations by the audience, we verified that using virtual actors acting with real actors can provide effective stage presentations.
Application-driven automatic subgrammar extraction

The space and run-time requirements of broad coverage grammars appear for many applications unreasonably large in relation to the relative simplicity of the task at hand. On the other hand, handcrafted development of application-dependent grammars is in danger of duplicating work which is then difficult to re-use in other contexts of application. To overcome this problem, we present in this paper a procedure for the automatic extraction of application-tuned consistent subgrammars from proved large-scale generation grammars. The procedure has been implemented for large-scale systemic grammars and builds on the formal equivalence between systemic grammars and typed unification based grammars. Its evaluation for the generation of encyclopedia entries is described, and directions of future development, applicability, and extensions are discussed.
Variability of the mesolimbic neuronal activity in a rat model of depression

The Flinders Sensitive Line of rats is a widely accepted and validated model of depression. These rats demonstrate abnormalities in limbic dopamine neurotransmission, suggesting disturbed neuronal activity in the ventral tegmental area. Interspike interval time series were recorded from the ventral tegmental area of the control Sprague–Dawley and Flinders Sensitive Line rats. These data were analyzed for the variance of interspike interval for each group of animals. We found that FSL rats show a significant decrease in the variance of 0.25–0.5-s-long interspike intervals. Moreover, these abnormalities were normalized following 14-day treatment with desipramine. We suggest that the interspike intervals at this range may have an important role in the information encoding of mesolimbic dopaminergic activity. Impaired variance of the length of interspike intervals in this area may correspond to the pathophysiology of depression, and hence be a possible marker for the analysis of the efficiency of antidepressant treatment.
EVALUATION DRIVEN RESEARCH: The Foundation of the TIPSTER Text Program

I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to be associated with the TIPSTER Text Program since its inception in 1989. Preliminary discussions among government researchers who were interested in establishing a major, new interagency text handling, processing, and exploitation program began in the Summer of that year and continued in earnest during the months that followed. Most of our frequent day-long planning meetings during the first year of our TIPSTER Program planning were held at DARPA headquarters in Arlington, VA and were chaired by the Program Manger of DARPA's Speech and Text R&D efforts.