Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Marginal Damage Costs of Different Greenhouse Gases: An Application of FUND

Abstract The authors use FUND 3.9 to estimate the social cost of four greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and sulphur hexafluoride—with sensitivity tests for carbon dioxide fertilization, terrestrial feedbacks, climate sensitivity, discounting, equity weighting, and socioeconomic and emissions assumptions. They also estimate the global damage potential for each gas—the ratio of the social cost of the non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gas to the social cost of carbon dioxide. For all gases, they find the social costs and damage potentials sensitive to alternative assumptions. The global damage potentials are compared to global warming potentials (GWPs), a key metric used to compare gases. The authors find that global damage potentials are higher than GWPs in nearly all sensitivities. This finding suggests that previous papers using GWPs may be underestimating the relative importance of reducing noncarbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions from a climate damage perspective. Of particular interest is the sensitivity of results to carbon dioxide fertilization, which notably reduces the social cost of carbon dioxide, but only has a small effect on the other gases. As a result, the global damage potentials for methane and nitrous oxide are much higher with carbon dioxide fertilization included, and higher than many previous estimates.
Neuroform Stent-Assisted Embolization of Incidental Anterior Communicating Artery Aneurysms: Long-term Clinical and Angiographic Follow-up

BACKGROUND:Anterior communicating artery (A-comm) aneurysm is one of the most common intracranial aneurysms. Treatments include neurosurgical clipping or endovascular embolization. OBJECTIVE:To retrospectively examine the long-term results of Neuroform stent-assisted coil embolization of incidental A-comms, with a focus on stent-associated stenosis, long-term angiographic aneurysm occlusion outcome, delayed stent-related thromboembolus, subsequent subarachnoid hemorrhage from the treated aneurysm, and procedural complications. METHODS:Between January 7, 2003 and June 16, 2009, 44 Neuroform stents were placed as an adjunct to embolization of A-comms. Patient charts were reviewed retrospectively. Angiographic follow-up of at least 3 months (up to 6.5 years, mean 65 weeks) was available for 33 patients. Aneurysm occlusion success was determined using the Raymond classification for aneurysm remnants. RESULTS:Referencing the last angiogram in the follow-up course, complete occlusion, dog-ear residual, residual neck, and residual aneurysm were found in 24, 2, 3, and 4 patients, respectively. Stenosis (45% and asymptomatic) of the artery where the stent had been placed was found in 1 patient. One patient had delayed transient ischemic attack after dual antiplatelet therapy was stopped prematurely. Retreatment based on the presence of residual aneurysm was performed or recommended in 2 patients. In 2 patients with residual or recurrent aneurysm filling, their age or clinical condition did not warrant retreatment. CONCLUSION:Neuroform stent-assisted embolization provides long-term control of A-comms with a low incidence of aneurysm growth after treatment. The need for retreatment is uncommon, and retreatment is safe if performed. Subsequent bleeding from treated aneurysms was not observed in this study.
Toward Power-Sensitive Ne in Wireless Communi es , and

Transmitter power control can be used to concurrently achieve several key objectives in wireless networking, including minimizing power consumption and prolonging the battery life of mobile nodes, mitigating interference and increasing the network capacity, and maintaining the required link QoS by adapting to node movements, fluctuating interference, channel impairments, and so on. Moreover, power control can be used as a vehicle for implementing on-line several basic network operations, including admission control, channel selection and switching, and handoff control. We consider issues associated with the design of power-sensitive wireless network architectures, which utilize power efficiently in establishing user communication at required QoS levels. Our focus is mainly on the network layer and less on the physical one. Besides reviewing some recent developments in power control, we also formulate some general associated concepts which have wide applicability to wireless network design. A synthesis of these concepts into a framework for power-sensitive network architectures is done, based on some key justifiable points. Various important relevant issues are highlighted and discussed, as well as several directions for further research in this area. Overall, a first step is taken toward the design of power-sensitive network architectures for next-generation wireless networks. eless networking is rapidlv s a becoming a major component of the modern communications infrastructure and could compete with wireline networking in terms of business volume in the near future. Such developments are mainly driven by strong market demand for personal communications systems and services. The unique aspect of wireless networking is that it provides ubiquitous, tetherless access to the users which, coupled with the high bandwidth provided by wireline networks, can offer a comprehensive solution to modern communication needs. Contrary to the controlled environment of the wire, the wireless channel may be highly erratic and essentially stochastic; interference is an omnipresent fact one has to cope with. Historically, networking science has evolved based on the wireline network paradigm, where concepts such as routing, admission control, packet and circuit switching , and congestion management first emerged. Modern applications (multimedia) are rapidly driving wireless communication to the point where advanced networking capabilities , previously limited t o the wireline world (active congestion control, guaranteed quality of service, connection reliability etc.), need to be readily available. However, they have to be supported by the highly erratic radio channel in the presence of node mobility in urban environments, where sporadic connectivity and unpredictable propagation events (shadowing, multipath fading, …
Granular Knowledge Representation and Inference Using Labels and Label Expressions

This paper is a review of the label semantics framework as an epistemic approach to modeling granular information represented by linguistic labels and label expressions. The focus of label semantics is on the decision-making process that a rational communicating agent must undertake in order to establish which available labels can be appropriately used to describe their perceptual information in such a way as they are consistent with the linguistic conventions of the population. As such, it provides an approach to characterizing the relationship between labels and the underlying perceptual domain which, we propose, lies at the heart of what is meant by information granules. Furthermore, it is then shown that there is an intuitive relationship between label semantics and prototype theory, which provides a clear link with Zadeh's original conception of information granularity. For information propagation, linguistic mappings are introduced, which provide a mechanism to infer labeling information about a decision variable from the available labeling information about a set of input variables. Finally, a decision-making process is outlined whereby from linguistic descriptions of input variables, we can infer a linguistic description of the decision variable and, where required, select a single expression describing that variable or a single estimated value.
High Glucose Causes Upregulation of Cyclooxygenase-2 and Alters Prostanoid Profile in Human Endothelial Cells: Role of Protein Kinase C and Reactive Oxygen Species

Background—Prostaglandins generated by cyclooxygenase (COX) have been implicated in hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction. However, the role of individual COX isoenzymes as well as the molecular mechanisms linking oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction in diabetes remains to be clarified. Methods and Results—Human aortic endothelial cells were exposed to normal (5.5 mmol/L) and high (22.2 mmol/L) glucose. Glucose selectively increased mRNA and protein expression of COX-2. Its upregulation was associated with an increase of thromboxane A2 and a reduction of prostacyclin (PGI2) release. Glucose-induced activation of PKC resulted in the formation of peroxynitrite and tyrosine nitration of PGI2 synthase. NO release was reduced despite 2-fold increase of endothelial NO synthase expression. Phorbol ester caused an increase of COX-2 and endothelial NO synthase expression similar to that elicited by glucose. These effects were prevented by the PKC inhibitor calphostin C. N-acetylcysteine, vitamin C, and calphostin C prevented ROS formation, restored NO release, and reduced colocalization of nitrotyrosine and PGI2 synthase. Expression of p22phox, a subunit of NAD(P)H oxidase, was increased, and diphenyleneiodonium inhibited ROS formation. By contrast, indomethacin did not affect glucose-induced ROS generation. Conclusions—Thus, high glucose, via PKC signaling, induces oxidative stress and upregulation of COX-2, resulting in reduced NO availability and altered prostanoid profile.
Blunted rise in platelet count in critically ill patients is associated with worse outcome

ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that a low rate of change of platelet counts (PCs) after admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) is associated with mortality. Low PCs are known to be associated with disease severity in critically ill patients, but the relevance of time-dependent changes of PCs has not been investigated. DesignRetrospective study. SettingA 12-bed surgical ICU of a university hospital. PatientsAll adult patients admitted to the ICU for at least 4 days during a 7-yr period. InterventionsAt admission, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation scores were calculated. PCs and leukocyte counts were analyzed from admission to day 10. The daily rise of the PCs (&Dgr;PC/&Dgr;t) from day 2 to day 10 was calculated. Rates for 30-day mortality as well as hospital mortality were determined. Measurements and Main ResultsA total of 1415 admissions were studied. Median PCs (interquartile range) initially decreased and subsequently increased, with a higher PC in 1203 survivors than in 212 nonsurvivors from day 2 onward (302 [range,181–438]·103/mm3/day vs. 129 [range, 62–228]·103/mm3 at day 10;p < 0.001). After stratification of patients per type of surgery, within each group PC was also higher in survivors. Mean &Dgr;PC/&Dgr;t was more than five times higher in survivors compared with nonsurvivors: 30 ± 46·103/mm3/day vs. 6 ± 28·103/mm3/day (p < 0.001). The area under the receiving operating characteristic curve of &Dgr;PC/&Dgr;t for 30-day survival was 0.743 compared with 0.728 for the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation. Leukocyte counts showed marginal differences between nonsurvivors and survivors. ConclusionA blunted or absent rise in PCs in critically ill patients is associated with increased mortality. &Dgr;PC/&Dgr;t is a readily available and simple parameter to improve assessment of critically ill patients.
An Investigation onto Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Printing Plate of Multiple Functional Solid Line by Flexographic

Recently low cost production is vital to produce printed electronics by roll to roll manufacturing printing process like a flexographic. Flexographic has a high speed technique which commonly used for printing onto large area flexible substrates. However, the minimum feature sizes achieved with roll to roll printing processes, such as flexographic is in the range of fifty microns. The main contribution of this limitation is photopolymer flexographic plate unable to be produced finer micron range due to film that made by Laser Ablation Mask (LAMs) technology not sufficiently robust and consequently at micron ranges line will not be formed on the printing plate. Hence, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is used instead of photopolymer. Printing trial had been conducted and multiple solid lines successfully printed for below fifty microns line width with no interference between two adjacent lines of the printed images.
Ultra Low Voltage Operations in Bulk CMOS Logic Circuits with Dopant Segregated Schottky Source/Drain Transistors

Ultra low power circuit operation is demonstrated with dopant segregated Schottky (DSS) source/drain transistors for the first time. DSS greatly improves propagation delay in multiple fan-in NAND gates at constant standby current. The delay is enhanced to 21% at 0.8V for 3-input NAND gates. Energy delay product (EDP) is improved by more than 50% with DSS at 0.8V
Six Common Mistakes in Conservation Priority Setting

A vast number of prioritization schemes have been developed to help conservation navigate tough decisions about the allocation of finite resources. However, the application of quantitative approaches to setting priorities in conservation frequently includes mistakes that can undermine their authors’ intention to be more rigorous and scientific in the way priorities are established and resources allocated. Drawing on well‐established principles of decision science, we highlight 6 mistakes commonly associated with setting priorities for conservation: not acknowledging conservation plans are prioritizations; trying to solve an ill‐defined problem; not prioritizing actions; arbitrariness; hidden value judgments; and not acknowledging risk of failure. We explain these mistakes and offer a path to help conservation planners avoid making the same mistakes in future prioritizations.
EL2 deep level defects and above-band gap two-photon absorption in high gain lateral semi-insulating GaAs photoconductive switch

Experiments of a lateral semi-insulating GaAs photoconductive switch, both linear and nonlinear mode of the switch were observed when the switch was triggered by 1064 nm laser pulses, with energy of 1.9 mJ and the pulse width of 60 ns, and operated at biased electric field of 4.37 kV/cm. It’s wavelength is longer than 876nm, but the experiments indicate that the semi-insulating GaAs photoconductive switches can absorb 1064 nm laser obviously, which is out of the absorption range of the GaAs material. It is not possible to explain this behavior by using intrinsic absorption mechanism. We think that there are two mostly kinds of absorption mechanisms play a key part in absorption process, they are the two-steps-single-photon absorption that based on the EL2 energy level and two-photon absorption.
Impact of Age Groups on Fingerprint Recognition Performance

Ever since introduction of automated fingerprint recognition in law enforcement in the 1970s it has been utilized in applications ranging from personal authentication to civilian border control. The increasing use of automated fingerprint recognition puts on it a challenge of processing a diverse range of fingerprints. The quality control module is important to this process because it supports consistent fingerprint detail extraction which helps in identification / verification. Inherent feature issues, such as poor ridge flow, and interaction issues, such as inconsistent finger placement, have an impact on captured fingerprint quality, which eventually affects overall system performance. Aging results in loss of collagen; compared to younger skin, aging skin is loose and dry. Decreased skin firmness directly affects the quality of fingerprints acquired by sensors. Medical conditions such as arthritis may affect the user's ability to interact with the sensor, further reducing fingerprint quality. Because quality of fingerprints varies according to the user population's ages and fingerprint quality has an impact on overall system performance, it is important to understand the significance of fingerprint samples from different age groups. This research examines the effects of fingerprints from different age groups on quality levels, minutiae count, and performance of a minutiae-based matcher. The results show a difference in fingerprint image quality across age groups, most pronounced in the 62-and-older age group, confirming the work of [7].
Transactional Flash

Transactional flash (TxFlash) is a novel solid-state drive (SSD) that uses flash memory and exports a transactional interface (WriteAtomic) to the higher-level software. The copy-on-write nature of the flash translation layer and the fast random access makes flash memory the right medium to support such an interface. We further develop a novel commit protocol called cyclic commit for TxFlash; the protocol has been specified formally and model checked. Our evaluation, both on a simulator and an emulator on top of a real SSD, shows that TxFlash does not increase the flash firmware complexity significantly and provides transactional features with very small overheads (less than 1%), thereby making file systems easier to build. It further shows that the new cyclic commit protocol significantly outperforms traditional commit for small transactions (95% improvement in transaction throughput) and completely eliminates the space overhead due to commit records.
Applying Dynamic Conditions to an Auction Behavior-Based Robotic Architecture

Robotic systems in the real world will work in dynamic environments and have to choose between multiple, and occasionally conflicting goals. In order to facilitate these two requirements an Auction Behavior-Based Robotic Architecture (ABBRA) was developed that allowed different behaviors to compete by bidding for control of a robot. Each behavior would bid with an activation level calculated from metrics based on the environment. This paper introduces two new features to the Auction Behavior-Based Robotic Architecture, which are the dynamic addition of a goal at run time and the ability to set time constraints on more than one behavior. Dynamic situations may require these new features in order to ensure a strict critical timing and adaptability to the environment. Coupling these two features together with the existing ABBRA system increased the goal selection performance across six test scenarios.
Encapsulation technologies and delivery systems for food ingredients and nutraceuticals

Part 1 Requirements for food ingredient and nutraceutical delivery systems: Requirements for food ingredient and nutraceutical delivery systems Challenges in developing delivery systems for food additives, nutraceuticals and dietary supplements Interaction of food ingredient and nutraceutical delivery systems with the human gastrointestinal tract. Part 2 Processing technology approaches to produce encapsulation and delivery systems: Spray drying, freeze drying and related processes for food ingredient and nutraceutical encapsulation Spray cooling and spray chilling for food ingredient and nutraceutical encapsulation Coextrusion for food ingredients and nutraceutical encapsulation: Principles and technology Fluid bed microencapsulation and other coating methods for food ingredient and nutraceutical bioactive compounds Microencapsulation methods based on biopolymer phase separation and gelation phenomena in aqueous media. Part 3 Physicochemical approaches to produce encapsulation and delivery systems: Micelles and microemulsions as food ingredient and nutraceutical delivery systems Polymeric amphiphiles as food ingredient and nutraceutical delivery systems Liposomes as food ingredients and nutraceutical delivery systems Colloidal emulsions and particles as micronutrient and nutraceutical delivery systems Structured oils and fats (organogels) as food ingredient and nutraceutical delivery systems Hydrogel particles and other novel protein-based methods for food ingredient and nutraceutical delivery systems. Part 4 Characterization and applications of delivery systems: An industry perspective on the advantages and disadvantages of different flavour delivery systems An industry perspective on the advantages and disadvantages of different fish oil delivery systems An industry perspective on the advantages and disadvantages of iron micronutrient delivery systems Properties and applications of different probiotic delivery systems.
The Impact of the P2P Paradigm on the New Media Industries

In Europe 2006 was the year of Voice-over-IP (VoIP). Almost all telecom providers started to offer VoIP products in combination with a phone flat rate. However, the VoIP technology was mature since 1999. Why was the success of VoIP so many years delayed? Can the enormous success of Skype be a major reason? In this paper we try to answer which influence the peer-to-peer paradigm as technology has on established business models of the new media industries. As new media industries we understand the media and telecom industries as well as Internet Service Providers (ISPs), because these industries start to merge by offering the same products and services to their customers. In three case studies we look at the telecom industry, at the media industry, and at ISPs. For each case study we first identify a reliable set of base figures. This is an important but non-trivial task, as often figures published by companies include abstractions which influence the figures in favor of the company. Having achieved reliable base figures we model the impact of the peer-to-peer paradigm on a specific industry and try to forecast the major trends of the next one to three years.
The Molecular Biology Database Collection: 2006 update

The NAR Molecular Biology Database Collection is a public online resource that contains links to all databases described in this issue of Nucleic Acids Research. In addition, this collection lists databases that have been featured in previous issues of NAR, as well as selected other databases that are freely available to the public and may be useful to the molecular biologist. The 2006 update includes 858 databases, 139 more than the previous one. The databases come with brief summaries, many of which have been updated recently. Each database is assigned a stable accession number that does not change if the database moves to a new location and its URL, authors' names or the contact person address are updated. The complete database list and summaries are available online at the Nucleic Acids Research website .
Imaging-Based Assay for Identification and Characterization of Inhibitors of CXCR4-Tropic HIV-1 Envelope-Dependent Cell-Cell Fusion

Infection of certain cell types by HIV results in formation of syncytia. This process can be blocked by antibodies or compounds that prevent interaction of viral envelope protein with host cell receptors. Here the authors describe an automated imaging-based assay for inhibitors of cell-cell fusion mediated by interaction of HIV gp120 with CXCR4 coreceptor. The assay quantifies syncytia formation between U87MG astrocytoma cells constitutively expressing CD4/CXCR4 and morphologically distinct Jurkat T lymphoma cells inducibly expressing HIV env. Each cell type was differentially labeled with vital dyes. Fusion was quantified by measuring size, shape, and color of Jurkat cells and Jurkat-harboring cell syncytia. Dose–response experiments with reference inhibitors AMD 3100 and KRH-1636 yielded potencies consistent with those obtained using standard antiviral assays. This assay complements virus-based infectivity assays for identification of inhibitors of membrane fusion events triggered by interaction of HIV gp120 with host CXCR4.