Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Current knowledge on exocrine glands in carabid beetles: structure, function and chemical compounds

Abstract Many exocrine products used by ground beetles are pheromones and allomones that regulate intra- and interspecific interactions and contribute to their success in terrestrial ecosystems. This mini-review attempts to unify major themes related to the exocrine glands of carabid beetles. Here we report on both glandular structures and the role of secretions in carabid adults, and that little information is available on the ecological significance of glandular secretions in pre-imaginal stages.
Triple-flame propagation against a Poiseuille flow in a channel with porous walls

We present an essentially numerical study of triple-flame propagation in a non-strained two-dimensional mixing layer against a Poiseuille flow, within a thermo-diffusive model. The aim of the study is twofold. First, to examine the recent analytical findings derived in the asymptotic limit of infinite Zeldovich number β for flame fronts thin compared with their typical radius of curvature and to extend these to finite-values of β. Second, to gain insight into the influence of the flow on the flame in situations where the flame in not necessarily thin, as assumed analytically. The study has focused on the effect of two main non-dimensional parameters on flame propagation, namely the flow amplitude A and the flame-front thickness ε. For moderate values of A, the flow is found to have a negligible effect on the structure of the flame, while modifying its speed by an amount proportional to A, in agreement with the asymptotic findings. Two new qualitative behaviours are found however. The first is obtained for sufficiently large values of A where the flow is shown to modify the flame structure significantly for small values of ε; more precisely, the concavity of the triple-flame front is found to turn towards the unburnt gas for A larger than a critical value. This inversion of the front curvature, which cannot be captured by the infinitely-large β asymptotic study, is found to be intimately linked to the finite values of β, which are necessarily found in any realistic model or computational study. The second new behaviour, which is also obtained for small ε, is the existence of termination-points on the flame front, or flame-tips. These termination-points are shown to exist for ε ≪ 1 only if A takes on positive values of order unity or larger; in particular they are absent for thin triple-flames without the presence of a non-uniform flow field. Furthermore, several additional novel contributions are made in the present context of triple-flame interaction with a non-uniform parallel flow. These include a fairly complete description of the flame propagation regimes for a wide range of variations in A and ε. In particular, it is found that larger values of A promote combustion by increasing the ε-range of existence of ignition fronts, while a decrease in the value of A towards zero or negative values increases the ε-range of existence of extinction fronts.
The tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate blocks differentiation of HT-29 human colon cancer cells.

Recently developed HT-29-derived cell lines, which display variable differentiated phenotypes provide an invaluable opportunity to analyze the mechanism by which cell differentiation is regulated in the intestine. We have studied the effects of the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in the differentiation phenotype of mucus-secreting (HT-29 M6) and absorptive (HT-29 M3) cells. TPA prevented the accumulation of differentiation markers such as dipeptidylpeptidase IV, villin or mucins, down-regulated the expression of these molecules in post-confluent differentiated cell cultures and induced the loss of the functional integrity of the tight junction in the monolayer (i.e. decreased transepithelial resistance and inhibited dome formation). These effects were mediated by activation of protein kinase C (PK-C), as demonstrated using the specific inhibitor GF109203x. Analysis by immunoblotting of the PK-C isoforms present in HT-29 M6 cells revealed that the most abundant TPA-sensitive isoform was PK-C epsilon, although low levels of cPK-C were also detected. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the role of the different PK-C isoforms in the differentiation of HT-29 cells.
Automatic Bottleneck DetectionRuss

We describe the diagnosis and treatment of bottlenecks in computer systems using decison theoretic techniques. The techniques rely on a high-level functional model of the interaction between application workloads, the operating system (Windows NT), and system hardware. Given a workload description, the model predicts the values of system counters observable with the Windows NT performance monitoring tool. Uncertainty in workloads, predictions, and counter values are characterized with Gaussian distributions. During diagnostic inference, observed performance monitor values are used to nd the most probable assignment to the workload parameters. In this paper we provide some background on performance modeling and automated bottleneck detection, describe the structure of the system model, and discuss empirical procedures for model veri cation. Our method for inferring the cause of the bottleneck is discussed. Initial results in diagnosing bottlenecks are presented. Based on the diagnosis of the bottleneck we can make both a recommendation of the most coste ective hardware upgrade, and a prediction of the performance counter values and throughput once the upgrade is installed.
Face recognition based on modified discriminant independent component analysis

Independent component analysis (ICA) is a multivariable statistical analysis method which can be applied for face recognition problem. The aim of recognition is to approximately estimate the components from the raw image. Components plays an important role in face recognition systems. Consequently, these components are used for extraction of face image features. However, these features may not be appropriate for classification, since the ICA method does not consider the class information. For the purpose of optimizing the performance of ICA, the discriminant ICA (dICA) method, which is a combination of ICA and LDA methods, is utilized for face recognition in this study. We have also proposed particle swarm optimization method to improve the dICA performance, in which PSO is used instead of the gradient approach for learning dICA. The results of PSO-dICA method confirm our idea in classification experiments compared to other methods. Using proposed method on Yale B dataset, gives an average classification accuracy of 92.169% compared with an accuracy of 91.322% using when dICA and accuracy of 89.77% compared with ICA and accuracy of 86.18% using PCA and also accuracy of 84.76% using LDA.
Groupware Support for Requirements Management in New Product Development

Large high-technology companies operate in fiercely competitive international markets. To succeed, they need to shorten the cycle time of new product development (NPD) while improving product quality and maintaining or reducing the total resources required. Their abilities to meet these business goals depend on how extensively and effectively they collect, analyze, and utilize requirements in their product development. Creating and sharing such knowledge is complicated partly because the NPD activities of large companies are geographically distributed. Groupware technologies allow knowledge to be created and shared more effectively. Thus, they hold considerable potential as means of meeting the goals. Yet, little theory-based guidance is available to help design groupware-based requirements management systems (RMS) for large geographically distributed organizations. In this article, we draw on existing literature and experiences from large-scale distributed industrial development projects at Nokia to start building a design theory that answers the following question: What are the necessary and sufficient properties of RMS, and how should RMS be designed and introduced in large high-technology companies to best achieve the business goals? The main contributions of the article are (a) the creation of a generic set of requirements for RMS, (b) the development of the RMS design, and (c) the empirical validation of the design by analyzing instantiations of the design at various product lines of Nokia.
Ultrafast Red Light Activation of Synechocystis Phytochrome Cph1 Triggers Major Structural Change to Form the Pfr Signalling-Competent State

Phytochromes are dimeric photoreceptors that regulate a range of responses in plants and microorganisms through interconversion of red light-absorbing (Pr) and far-red light-absorbing (Pfr) states. Photoconversion between these states is initiated by light-driven isomerization of a bilin cofactor, which triggers protein structural change. The extent of this change, and how light-driven structural changes in the N-terminal photosensory region are transmitted to the C-terminal regulatory domain to initiate the signalling cascade, is unknown. We have used pulsed electron-electron double resonance (PELDOR) spectroscopy to identify multiple structural transitions in a phytochrome from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 (Cph1) by measuring distances between nitroxide labels introduced into the protein. We show that monomers in the Cph1 dimer are aligned in a parallel ‘head-to-head’ arrangement and that photoconversion between the Pr and Pfr forms involves conformational change in both the N- and C-terminal domains of the protein. Cryo-trapping and kinetic measurements were used to probe the extent and temporal properties of protein motions for individual steps during photoconversion of Cph1. Formation of the primary photoproduct Lumi-R is not affected by changes in solvent viscosity and dielectric constant. Lumi-R formation occurs at cryogenic temperatures, consistent with their being no major structural reorganization of Cph1 during primary photoproduct formation. All remaining steps in the formation of the Pfr state are affected by solvent viscosity and dielectric constant and occur only at elevated temperatures, implying involvement of a series of long-range solvent-coupled conformational changes in Cph1. We show that signalling is achieved through ultrafast photoisomerization where localized structural change in the GAF domain is transmitted and amplified to cause larger-scale and slower conformational change in the PHY and histidine kinase domains. This hierarchy of timescales and extent of structural change orientates the histidine kinase domain to elicit the desired light-activated biological response.
Research on virtual training simulation for intra-cardiac intervention

Obtaining the expertise to perform minimally invasive cardiac interventions requires thorough training. We developed a real-time system for training in catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation, which can simulate the sheath/catheter movement and deformation in the left atrium. The behavior of the sheath/catheter is simulated using a hybrid bilayer deformation model based on geometric deformation technology and a mass-spring model. The geometric deformation technology reproduces the bending of the catheter more accurately, while the mass-spring model makes the deformation caused by collision with the heart more realistic. Our results show that the behavior of the catheter matches the practical situation to a degree that can satisfy medical training requirements.
Osmoregulation by Gills of Euryhaline Crabs: Molecular Analysis of Transporters1

Abstract The physiological mechanisms by which aquatic animals regulate the osmoconcentration of their body fluids remain unclear despite many excellent studies of tissue and cell function. This review summarizes the current status of an ongoing molecular biological approach to investigating transporters and transport-related enzymes in ion-transporting gills of osmoregulating crustaceans. We have identified cDNAs coding for six candidate proteins in gills of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus and the green shore crab Carcinus maenas, including a Na+ + K+-ATPase α-subunit, a V-type H+-ATPase B-subunit, a Na+/H+ exchanger, a Na+/K+/2Cl− cotransporter, two isoforms of carbonic anhydrase, and arginine kinase. Although our account is far from complete, examination of mRNA abundance by quantitative reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR) has identified candidates that are preferentially expressed in gill epithelium, including the Na+ + K+-ATPase α-subunit and Na+/H+ exchanger. The osmoregulatory response to salinity reduction includes enhanced mRNA expression of at least one form of carbonic anhydrase.
Context-Aware Software Ecosystem for Industrial Products

As software on embedded devices is becoming increasingly important, manufacturers are interested in new ways for continuous deployment of software to embedded devices. The success of app stores on smartphones has also created interest for a software ecosystem that would enable external developers to create add-on applications for embedded devices. These opportunities provide the motivation for this project. The project works on challenges in introducing a software ecosystem with continuous deployment of software components to physical and software-intensive industrial products. It is based on a collaboration with an industrial partner. So far, the work has focused on modeling the variability and capabilities of software components in the ecosystem. In our future work, we will focus on the overall architecture of the ecosystem and the components, interoperability of the applications within the Internet of Things and the user interaction with the ecosystem.
Joint graph-decoder design of IRA codes on scalable architectures [LDPC codes]

Channel coding is an important building block in communication systems since it ensures the quality of service. Irregular repeat-accumulate (IRA) codes belong to the class of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes and even outperform the recently introduced turbo-codes of current communication standards. The advantage of IRA codes over LDPC codes is that they come with a linear-time encoding complexity. IRA codes can be represented by a Tanner graph with arbitrary connections between nodes of given degrees. The implementation complexity of IRA decoders is dominated by the randomness of these connections. In this paper, we present a scalable partly parallel IRA decoder architecture. We present a joint graph-decoder design to parallelize IRA codes which can be efficiently processed by this decoder without any RAM access conflicts. We show design examples of these IRA codes which outperform the UMTS turbo-code by 0.2 dB.
O(6,22) BPS configurations of the heterotic string.

We present a static multicenter magnetic solution of toroidally compactified heterotic string theory, which is {ital T}-duality covariant. The space-time geometry depends on the mass {ital M} and on the O(6,22) norm {ital N} of the magnetic charges. For a different range of parameters the ({ital M},{ital N}) solution includes (1) two-independent-positive-parameter extremal magnetic black holes with a nonsingular geometry in a stringy frame ({ital a}=1 black holes included), (2) {ital a}={radical}3 extremal black holes, and (3) singular massive and massless magnetic white holes (repulsons). The electric multicenter solution is also given in an O(6,22)-symmetric form. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society. }
A NEW APPROACH TO INTRUSION DETECTION SYSTEM

The design and implementation of intrusion detection systems (IDS) remain an important area of research in the field of security of information systems. Despite the undeniable progress, much remains to be done to improve the security of computer networks today. For this, many mechanisms have been developed {[1], [2]}. In general, these systems are vulnerable to attack from unauthorized users (external attacks) as well as attacks by authorized users (internal attacks) who abuse the privileges granted to them. In this paper, our contribution consists of the design of an intrusion detection system based on security policy at three levels. This approach, very interesting even for complex information systems, allows administrators of information systems and responsibles of network security, the protection from external attacks and internal attacks.
Assessing Uncertainty in Spatial Exposure Models for Air Pollution Health Effects Assessment

Background Although numerous epidemiologic studies now use models of intraurban exposure, there has been little systematic evaluation of the performance of different models. Objectives In this present article we proposed a modeling framework for assessing exposure model performance and the role of spatial autocorrelation in the estimation of health effects. Methods We obtained data from an exposure measurement substudy of subjects from the Southern California Children’s Health Study. We examined how the addition of spatial correlations to a previously described unified exposure and health outcome modeling framework affects estimates of exposure–response relationships using the substudy data. The methods proposed build upon the previous work, which developed measurement–error techniques to estimate long-term nitrogen dioxide exposure and its effect on lung function in children. In this present article, we further develop these methods by introducing between- and within-community spatial autocorrelation error terms to evaluate effects of air pollution on forced vital capacity. The analytical methods developed are set in a Bayesian framework where multistage models are fitted jointly, properly incorporating parameter estimation uncertainty at all levels of the modeling process. Results Results suggest that the inclusion of residual spatial error terms improves the prediction of adverse health effects. These findings also demonstrate how residual spatial error may be used as a diagnostic for comparing exposure model performance.
Opioid receptor efficacy during normal and pathological conditions

contributions of peripheral versus supraspinal or spinal opioid receptors to the antinociception of systemic opioids. Contributions: B.I. K. contributed to the concept of the study, performed the required surgeries, pharmacological treatments, behavioral and immunohistochemical experiments; moreover analyzed the data, prepared the figures and contributed considerably to the writing of the manuscript. silencing prevents μ-opioid receptor lysosomal targeting and rescues opioid responsiveness to strengthen diabetic neuropathic pain therapy. Schäfer M. Reduced Number, G protein coupling, and antinociceptive efficacy of spinal mu-opioid receptors in diabetic rats are reversed by nerve growth factor.
D1–D2 Interaction in Feedback Control of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons

Dopamine (DA) D1-like receptors are present in pathways implicated in feedback control of midbrain DA neurons. However, stimulation of these receptors either produces no effect on DA cells, or the effect is inconsistent. It is possible that the expression of a D1 feedback effect requires co-activation of D2-like receptors. To test this hypothesis, we recorded extracellularly the spontaneous activity of nigral DA cells in a low cerveau isolé rat preparation. SKF38393 and dyhydrexidine, two D1 agonists, were administered systemically to animals pretreated with different doses of the D2 agonist quinpirole. Supporting the hypothesis, the two D1 agonists consistently inhibited DA cells in animals given high doses of quinpirole (≥40 μg/kg, i.v.). However, no significant D1 effect was observed in animals pretreated with only low doses (≤20 μg/kg) of quinpirole. Because low doses of D2 agonists preferentially act on DA autoreceptors, and because the D1 inhibition persisted in animals whose DA autoreceptors were blocked by intranigral application of raclopride, our results suggest that the expression of D1 feedback inhibition requires co-activation of D2-like receptors on DA target neurons, instead of DA neurons themselves. These results, together with the finding that chloral hydrate completely blocked the D1 inhibition, may explain why previous studies have failed to show a consistent D1 effect on DA cells and suggest that drugs designed to act specifically on one subtype of DA receptor may, via feedback pathways, influence the action of endogenous DA on other DA receptor subtypes as well.
Sports Picks eXpert System

This paper presents a web based Sports Picks eXpert System (SPXS). The SPXS is an Expert System (ES) which knowledge is the database since 1990 of all the National Basketball Association (NBA) games and analysis of betting variables such as, against the spread points (ATS), total points line (TPL), difference of points; among others, from a team perspective. The SPXS try to mimic the sports handicappers, who give advice for selecting a specific team due to certain characteristics or properties of a game match. These virtual handicappers are represented as a knowledgedriven decision support system (DSS). Moreover, SPXS include an explanation of the logic behind the advice and transparency of the picking results. The system embeds several Artificial Intelligence (AI) prediction algorithms which represent different human handicapper experts, who have for priority different variables from the system, creating a group of experts competing for the best prediction results.
Widespread Modulation of Cerebral Perfusion Induced during and after Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Applied to the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex

Noninvasive neuromodulatory techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are attracting increasing interest as potential therapies for a wide range of neurological and psychiatric conditions. When targeted to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), anodal, facilitatory tDCS has been shown to improve symptoms in a range of domains including working memory, mood, and pain perception (Boggio et al., 2008a; Dockery et al., 2009; Kalu et al., 2012). However, the mechanisms underlying these promising behavioral effects are not well understood. Here, we investigated brain perfusion changes, as assessed using whole-brain arterial spin labeling (ASL), during tDCS applied to the left DLPFC in healthy humans. We demonstrated increased perfusion in regions closely anatomically connected to the DLPFC during anodal tDCS in conjunction with a decreased functional coupling between the left DLPFC and the thalami bilaterally. Despite highly similar effects on cortical excitability during and after stimulation (Nitsche and Paulus, 2000, 2001), cortical perfusion changes were markedly different during these two time periods, with widespread decreases in cortical perfusion being demonstrated after both anodal and cathodal tDCS compared to the period during stimulation. These findings may at least partially explain the different effects on behavior in these time periods described previously in the motor system (Stagg et al., 2011). In addition, the data presented here provide mechanistic explanations for the behavioral effects of anodal tDCS applied to the left DLPFC in terms of modulating functional connectivity between the DLPFC and thalami, as has been hypothesized previously (Lorenz et al., 2003).
SPREADSHEET PROGRAM USAGE FOR TEN JOB TASKS IN ORGANIZATIONS — AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION

The technology acceptance model and the tasktechnology fit model are used as the underlying theoretical base for generating hypotheses about spreadsheet program usage for different tasks for which computers are used. Data collected from businesses in South Texas are used to test hypotheses about the probability of spreadsheet program usage for different job tasks for which computers are used by individuals working in organizations. Computer use for ten job tasks with which spreadsheet usage is positively correlated are: (1)producing report, (2) letters and memos, (3)data storage/retrieval, (4) making decisions, (5)analyzing trends, (6) planning/forecasting, (7)analyzing problems/ alternatives, (8)budgeting, (9)controlling and guiding activities, (10)electronic communications with others.