Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the spectrum and eigenfunctions of the Schrödinger operator with Aharonov-Bohm magnetic field

<jats:p>We explicitly compute the spectrum and eigenfunctions of the magnetic Schrödinger operator<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3. org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="$H(\vec{A},V)=(i\nabla+\vec{A})^2+V$"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>H</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mo>(</mml:mo><mml:mrow><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi>A</mml:mi><mml:mo>→</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:mo>,</mml:mo><mml:mi>V</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mo>)</mml:mo></mml:mrow><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:msup><mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>(</mml:mo><mml:mrow><mml:mi>i</mml:mi><mml:mo>∇</mml:mo><mml:mo>+</mml:mo><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi>A</mml:mi><mml:mo>→</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow><mml:mo>)</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msup><mml:mo>+</mml:mo><mml:mi>V</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:math>in<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3. org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="$L^2(\mathbb{R}^2)$"><mml:mrow><mml:msup><mml:mi>L</mml:mi><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msup><mml:mrow><mml:mo>(</mml:mo><mml:mrow><mml:msup><mml:mi>ℝ</mml:mi><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msup></mml:mrow><mml:mo>)</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:mrow></mml:math>, with Aharonov-Bohm vector potential,<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3. org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="$ \vec{A}(x_1,x_2) =\alpha(-x_2,x_1)/|x|^2 $"><mml:mrow><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi>A</mml:mi><mml:mo>→</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:mrow><mml:mo>(</mml:mo><mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mi>x</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mo>,</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:msub><mml:msub><mml:mi>x</mml:mi><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:mrow><mml:mo>)</mml:mo></mml:mrow><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:msup><mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi>α</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mo>(</mml:mo><mml:mrow><mml:mo>−</mml:mo><mml:msub><mml:mi>x</mml:mi><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msub><mml:mo>,</mml:mo><mml:msub><mml:mi>x</mml:mi><mml:mn>1</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:mrow><mml:mo>)</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:mrow><mml:mo>/</mml:mo><mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>|</mml:mo><mml:mi>x</mml:mi><mml:mo>|</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:mrow></mml:mrow></mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msup></mml:mrow></mml:math>, and either quadratic or Coulomb scalar potential<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3. org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="$V$"><mml:mi>V</mml:mi></mml:math>. We also determine sharp constants in the CLR inequality, both dependent on the fractional part of<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3. org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="$\alpha$"><mml:mi>α</mml:mi></mml:math>and both greater than unity. In the case of quadratic potential, it turns out that the LT inequality holds for all<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3. org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="$\gamma\geq 1$"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>γ</mml:mi><mml:mo>≥</mml:mo><mml:mn>1</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:math>with the classical constant, as expected from the nonmagnetic system (harmonic oscillator). </jats:p>
A high performance reconfigurable flash management framework

In recent years, Solid State Devices (SSDs) have begun to compete with, and replace, mechanical storage devices in terms of reliability and performance. The increased reliability and performance comes mainly from the Flash Translation Layer and flash bus architecture, allowing for multi-chip parallelism. In this paper we present our new FPGA based flash management framework for high performance NAND flash storage systems. Our dynamic scheduler manages flash operations (including chip conflicts) on a shared bus architecture using well-known out-of-order execution techniques. Our FPGA implementation of the flash management framework using synthesizable Verilog enables us to construct a highly concurrent system at a hardware level in the flash controller including the flash translation layer. The results of this highly concurrent system show significant improvement in response time and throughput in terms of read/write operations over existing systems.
Diffusion of carbon dioxide through lipid bilayer membranes. Effects of carbonic anhydrase, bicarbonate, and unstirred layers

Diffusion of (14)C-labeled CO(2) was measured through lipid bilayer membranes composed of egg lecithin and cholesterol (1:1 mol ratio) dissolved in n-decane. The results indicate that CO(2), but not HCO(3-), crosses the membrane and that different steps in the transport process are rate limiting under different conditions. In one series of experiments we studied one-way fluxes between identical solutions at constant pCO(2) but differing [HCO(3-)] and pH. In the absence of carbonic anhydrase (CA) the diffusion of CO(2) through the aqueous unstirred layers is rate limiting because the uncatalyzed hydration-dehydration of CO(2) is too slow to permit the high [HCO(3-)] to facilitate tracer diffusion through the unstirred layers. Addition of CA (ca. 1 mg/ml) to both bathing solutions causes a 10-100-fold stimulation of the CO(2) flux, which is proportional to [HCO(3-)] over the pH range 7-8. In the presence of CA the hydration- dehydration reaction is so fast that CO(2) transport across the entire system is rate limited by diffusion of HCO(3-) through unstirred layers. However, in the presence of CA when the ratio [HCO(3-) + CO(3=)]:[CO(2)] more than 1,000 (pH 9-10) the CO(2) flux reaches a maximum value. Under these conditions the diffusion of CO(2) through the membrane becomes rate limiting, which allows us to estimate a permeability coefficient of the membrane to CO(2) of 0.35 cm s(-1). In a second series of experiments we studied the effects of CA and buffer concentration on the net flux of CO(2). CA stimulates the net CO(2) flux in well buffered, but no in unbuffered, solutions. The buffer provides a proton source on the upstream side of the membrane and proton sink on the downstream side, thus allowing HCO(3-) to facilitate the net transport of CO(2) through the unstirred layers.
A Local Region-based Approach to Gender Classi.cation From Face Images

We present a novel appearance-based method for gender classification from face images. To circumvent the problem of local variations in appearance that may be caused by pose, expression, or illumination variability, we use local region analysis of the face to extract the gender classi? cation features. Given a new face image, a normalized feature vector is formed by matching N local regions of the face against some fixed set of M face images using the FaceIt algorithm, then applying the Karhunen-Loeve transform to reduce the dimensionality of this MN-dimensional vector. For the purpose of comparison, we have also implemented a holistic feature extraction method based on the well-known Eigenfaces. Gender classification is performed in a compact feature space via two standard binary classifiers; SVM and FLD. The classifier is tested via cross-validation on a database of approximately 13,000 frontal and nearly frontal face images, and the best performance of 94.2% is achieved with the local region-based feature extraction and SVM classification methods.
Preschoolers' Observed Temperament and Psychiatric Disorders Assessed with a Parent Diagnostic Interview

Evidence supports the role of temperament in the origins of psychiatric disorders. However, there are few data on associations between temperament and psychiatric disorders in early childhood. A community sample of 541 three-year-old preschoolers participated in a laboratory temperament assessment, and caregivers were administered a structured diagnostic interview on preschool psychopathology. In bivariate analyses, temperamental dysphoria and low exuberance were associated with depression; fear, low exuberance, and low sociability were associated with anxiety disorders; and disinhibition and dysphoria were associated with oppositional defiant disorder. Although there were no bivariate associations between temperament and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, disinhibition emerged as a unique predictor in multivariate analyses. Findings indicate that the pattern of relations between temperament and psychopathology in older youth and adults is evident as early as age 3.
Submitted to " Il Nuovo Cimento C " Gyro-magnetic Relations and Masses of Stars

The calculations in Thomas-Fermi approximation show that in a gravitational field each cell of ultra dense matter inside celestial bodies obtains a very small positive electric charge. A celestial body is electrically neutral as a whole, because the negative electric charge exists on its surface. On the order of magnitude the positive volume charge is very small (10 −18 e only). But it is sufficient to explain the occurrence of magnetic fields of celestial bodies and the existence of a discrete spectrum of steady-state values of masses of stars and pulsars.
State exports and the Asian crisis

The Asian crisis caused a decline in most states' exports of manufactured goods to East Asia during 1998, but the severity of the decline varied across states. In this article, Cletus C. Coughlin and Patricia S. Pollard estimate the size of this export shock for all states. Primarily because western states tend to be more dependent on East Asian markets for export sales, they were hit the hardest by the sharp reduction in Asian demand for U.S.-produced manufactured goods. Of the states in which the decline in exports to East Asia lowered the growth of manufacturing output by more than one percent, two-thirds were western states. ; The export changes caused by the Asian crisis, however, were found to matter little for manufacturing employment growth across states during 1998. Meanwhile, states with a high concentration of manufacturing industries that use petroleum products extensively as an input tended to have larger manufacturing employment increases during 1998 than other states. Consequently, the authors conclude that the oil price declines during late 1997 and 1998, some portion of which can be attributed to the Asian crisis, appear to be more important than the export effects in influencing manufacturing employment across states.
Ant Colony Optimization based hierarchical data dissemination in WSN

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) consist of nodes with limited power deployed in the area of interest. Nodes cooperate to collect, transmit and forward data to a base station. In WSN, clustering and scheduling techniques ensure collecting data in an energy efficient manner. In this paper, we present a Power Aware Scheduling and Clustering algorithm based on Ant Colony Optimization (PASC-ACO). In the proposed approach, energy is saved by scheduling some nodes in the active state to generate data and keep network connectivity, while putting others in the sleep state. Then, ACO algorithm is used for routing data packets in the network in order to minimize the energy wasted in transferring the redundant data sent by sensors in a densely deployed network. ACO scheme can play a significant role in the enhancement of network lifetime by selecting the optimum path to reach the base station. The PASC-ACO algorithm was studied by simulation for various network scenarios. The results confirm that our proposed scheme outperforms other existing techniques such as LEACH, M-GEAR and our pervious work PASC. PASC-ACO achieves better performances in terms of lifetime by balancing the energy load among all the nodes.
A solution to outdated neighbor problem in wireless sensor networks

Hello protocol is widely used in geographic routing protocols to obtain and maintain neighbor table. However in highly dynamic networks, the information stored in the neighbor table is often outdated causing retransmissions and rerouting. A novel Two-hop Hello protocol (T-Hello) is proposed aiming to improve the accuracy of neighbor table. By exchanging beacon messages within two-hop scope, location information can be obtained even if a neighbor node has moved out of communication range, so that the corresponding entry in neighbor table can be removed explicitly rather than waiting for time out. The conclusion is that the T-Hello protocol can shorten the lifetime of outdated neighbors by 50%, and hereby improve the performance of GPSR protocol significantly.
Visualization of Lattice-Based Protein Folding Simulations

Analysis of the spatial structure of proteins including folding processes is a challenge for modern bioinformatics. Due to limited experimental access to folding processes, computer simulations are a standard approach. Since realistic continuous (all-atom) simulations are far too expensive, lattice based protein folding simulations are a common coarse-graining. In this paper, we present a visualization tool for lattice based protein folding simulations. The system is based on Shneiderman's mantra "Overview first, zoom and filter, details on demand" and uses a collection of information visualization techniques including multiple views, focus+context and table lenses which have been tailored towards our data. We demonstrate the potential of information visualization techniques for providing insight into such simulations
Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor–Mediated Reduction of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Activity in the Brain Impairs Baroreflex Function in Hypertensive Mice

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a new component of the brain renin-angiotensin system, has been suggested to participate in the central regulation of blood pressure (BP). To clarify the relationship between ACE2 and other brain renin-angiotensin system components, we hypothesized that central angiotensin II type 1 receptors reduce ACE2 expression/activity in hypertensive mice, thereby impairing baroreflex function and promoting hypertension. To test this hypothesis, chronically hypertensive mice (RA) with elevated angiotensin II levels were treated with losartan (angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker) or PD123319 (angiotensin II type 2 antagonist; 10 mg/kg per day, SC) for 2 weeks. Baseline spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity and brain ACE2 activity were dramatically decreased in RA compared with nontransgenic mice, whereas peripheral ACE2 activity/expression remained unaffected. Losartan, but not PD123319, increased central ACE2 activity, spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity, and normalized BP in RA mice. To confirm the critical role of central ACE2 in BP regulation, we generated a triple-transgenic model with brain ACE2 overexpression on a hypertensive RA background. Triple-transgenic–model mice exhibit lower BP and blunted water intake versus RA, suggesting lower brain angiotensin II levels. Moreover, the impaired spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity, parasympathetic tone, and increased sympathetic drive, observed in RA, were normalized in triple-transgenic–model mice. These data suggest that angiotensin II type 1 receptors inhibit ACE2 activity in RA mice brain, thus contributing to the maintenance of hypertension. In addition, overexpression of ACE2 in the brain reduces hypertension by improving arterial baroreflex and autonomic function. Together, our data suggest that angiotensin II type 1 receptor–mediated ACE2 inhibition impairs baroreflex function and support a critical role for ACE2 in the central regulation of BP and the development of hypertension.
Does α-Synuclein use Endocytosis as a Route for Degradation by the Lysosome ?

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an incurable fatal brain disorder linked to three disease-related properties that result from α-synuclein accumulation: its misfolding, aggregation, and cellular toxicity. Accelerating αsynuclein degradation might provide therapy by reducing its accumulation. We tested if the lysosome degrades α-synuclein by a specific route, endocytosis, in a budding yeast model for PD. Specifically, we evaluated if α-synuclein accumulation, aggregation, and toxicity worsened in seven yeast strains that had individual gene deletions, which control specific steps within endocytosis. We report three significant findings. Firstly, all seven genes affected at least one α-synuclein PD-related property, thus providing accumulating genetic evidence for the endosome pathway as a regulator of α-synuclein degradation. Secondly, each gene affected α-synuclein properties to different extents, suggesting substrate specificity for endocytosis steps. Lastly, none of the genes contributed additional α-synuclein-dependent toxicity. Together, our data suggests that α-synuclein is degraded by the lysosome using the endocytosis route. Introduction
Large-Scale Motions in Superclusters: Their Imprint in the Cosmic Microwave Background

We identify high-density regions of supercluster size in high-resolution n-body simulations of a representative volume of three cold dark matter universes. By assuming that (1) the density and peculiar velocities of baryons trace those of the dark matter and that (2) the temperature of plasma is proportional to the velocity dispersion of the dark matter particles in regions where the crossing times are smaller than the supercluster free-fall time, we investigate how the thermal motions of electrons in the intracluster medium and the peculiar velocity of clusters can affect the secondary anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). We show that the thermal effect dominates the kinematic effect and that the largest thermal decrements are associated with the most massive clusters in superclusters. Thus, searching for the presence of two or more nearby large CMB decrements represents a viable strategy for identifying superclusters at cosmological distances. Moreover, maps of the kinematic effect in superclusters are characterized by neighboring large peaks of opposite signs. These peaks can be as high as ~10 μK at the arcminute angular resolution. The simultaneous pointed observations of superclusters in the millimeter and submillimeter bands combined with the upcoming sensitive CMB experiments can separate the thermal effect contributions from the kinematic effect contributions and can constrain the evolution of the velocity field in large overdense regions.
¿De qué hablamos cuando hablamos de justicia social en educación?: el análisis ideacional como estrategia de análisis crítico del discurso

El siguiente artículo surge de una investigación en el campo del currículum, y particularmente, en el ámbito de la formación inicial de profesores. Considerando las actuales condiciones de desigualdad y otras formas de injusticia generadas y sostenidas por políticas neoliberales, este trabajo propone reconsiderar la noción de justicia social como componente de las propuestas formativas de futuros docentes. Para esto, se propone el Análisis Ideacional como una estrategia metodológica de aproximación al estudio de los discursos de justicia social, a fin de proveer una herramienta práctica para revisar los contenidos y nivel de operacionalizaciónque alcanzan las declaraciones ligadas a la justicia social en las instituciones de formación. El trabajo termina problematizando los hallazgos que surgen del ejercicio metodológico, a fin de proveer elementos que aporten a repensar las propuestas curriculares.
Image Categorization using Codebooks Built from Scored and Selected Local Features

This paper introduces a new method of codebook-based image categorization by building the codebook using scored and selected local features in the image. Different from traditional clustering-based codebook generation that may lead to codeword uncertainty and plausibility, the proposed Matching and Consensus (M&C) process follows the paradigm of feature selection: Based on distance metrics, the M&C process examines salient local features recurring over training images and produces scores that quantify the levels of relevance of the features to the image categories. By selecting features with the highest scores into the codebook, the method is expected to filter out non-representative candidates and keeps the most informative codewords for the category. We evaluate on five image sets for tasks of binary object identification and multi-class biological image classification. Experiments show that our method promotes very parsimonious codebooks that contain highly representative features and deliver a robust classification performance.
The Impact of Hypervisor Scheduling on Compromising Virtualized Environments

A virtualized environment (VE) is expected to provide secure logical isolation across the co-located tenants encapsulated in the virtual machines. In particular the VE should prevent covert-channels exploitation stemming from the usage of shared resources. However, as sophisticated covert-and side-channel attacks exist, the logical isolation in a VE is often considered insufficient to raise concerns about the security in VEs e.g., the Cloud. Technically, the actual feasibility of such attacks strongly depends on the specific context of the execution environment and the resource allocation schemas used in the virtualization solution. Addressing these VE aspects, we detail the effect of scheduling parameters on the noise (affecting the information leakage) in the covert-channel and empirically validate the impact on the feasibility of covert-channel attacks, using a real VE.
Preference-learning based Inverse Reinforcement Learning for Dialog Control

Dialog systems that realize dialog control with reinforcement learning have recently been proposed. However, reinforcement learning has an open problem that it requires a reward function that is difficult to set appropriately. To set the appropriate reward function automatically, we propose preference-learning based inverse reinforcement learning (PIRL) that estimates a reward function from dialog sequences and their pairwisepreferences, which is calculated with annotated ratings to the sequences. Inverse reinforcement learning finds a reward function, with which a system generates similar sequences to the training ones. This indicates that current IRL supposes that the sequences are equally appropriate for a given task; thus, it cannot utilize the ratings. In contrast, our PIRL can utilize pairwise preferences of the ratings to estimate the reward function. We examine the advantages of PIRL through comparisons between competitive algorithms that have been widely used to realize the dialog control. Our experiments show that our PIRL outperforms the other algorithms and has a potential to be an evaluation simulator of dialog control.
The Interactive Effects of Cytoskeleton Disruption and Mitochondria Dysfunction Lead to Reproductive Toxicity Induced by Microcystin-LR

The worldwide occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms evokes profound concerns. The presence of microcystins (MCs) in waters and aquatic food increases the risk to human health. Some recent studies have suggested that the gonad is the second most important target organ of MCs, however, the potential toxicity mechanisms are still unclear. For a better understanding of reproductive toxicity of MCs on animals, we conducted the present experimental investigation. Male rats were intraperitoneally injected with MC-LR for 50 d with the doses of 1 and 10 µg/kg body weight per day. After prolonged exposure to MC-LR, the testes index significantly decreased in 10 µg/kg group. Light microscope observation indicated that the space between the seminiferous tubules was increased. Ultrastructural observation showed some histopathological characteristics, including cytoplasmic shrinkage, cell membrane blebbing, swollen mitochondria and deformed nucleus. Using Q-PCR methods, the transcriptional levels of some cytoskeletal and mitochondrial genes were determined. MC-LR exposure affected the homeostasis of the expression of cytoskeletal genes, causing possible dysfunction of cytoskeleton assembly. In MC-LR treatments, all the 8 mitochondrial genes related with oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) significantly increased. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) level significantly increased in 10 µg/kg group. The mitochondria swelling and DNA damage were also determined in 10 µg/kg group. Hormone levels of testis significantly changed. The present study verified that both cytoskeleton disruption possibly due to cytoskeletal reorganization or depolymerization and mitochondria dysfunction interact with each other through inducing of reactive oxygen species and oxidative phosphorylation, and jointly result in testis impairment after exposure to MC-LR.