Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Light-Induced Changes in the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) in Leaves of Pea, Wheat, and Pumpkin Using Pulses of Green-Yellow Measuring Light

The photochemical reflectance index (PRI) is a widely used spectral index which can show stress-induced changes in photosynthesis (e.g., increase of the nonphotochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence (NPQ)). The artificial illumination of plants improves the efficiency of estimation of photosynthetic processes on the basis of PRI measurements. However, the simultaneous activity of different light sources with different locations can disturb the measurement of PRI. Using pulses of a green-yellow measuring light can potentially solve this problem. The aim of the present work was to investigate the possibility of using green-yellow light pulses for the investigation of light-induced changes in PRI in higher plants (pea, wheat, and pumpkin) and for the analysis of connection between PRI and the energy-dependent component of NPQ (NPQF). First, we showed that using green-yellow light pulses eliminated shifts of reflected light, which were connected with the application of a red actinic light. Second, analysis of light dependences of NPQF, the absolute value of PRI, and changes in PRI (the difference between the PRI under the actinic light and the initial value of PRI without this light, ΔPRI) showed that the dynamics of the increase of NPQF and the decrease of PRI and ΔPRI were similar. Changes in NPQF and ΔPRI were found to be significant. In contrast, changes in the absolute value of PRI were not significant in most of the variants of the experiments. Third, scatter plots between NPQF and ΔPRI showed similar linear correlations for investigated species; moreover, a total set of experimental points (for pea, wheat, and pumpkin) were also described by the same linear regression. Thus, our results show that (i) pulses of green-yellow measuring light can be used for measurements of PRI, and (ii) ΔPRI is a more effective indicator for the estimation of NPQ than the absolute value of PRI.
The influence of chemical agents on the level of ionized [Ca2+] in squid axons

Squid giant axons injected with either aequorin or arsenazo III and bathed in 3 mM Ca (Na) seawater were transferred to 3 mM Ca (K) seawater and the response of the aequorin light or the change in the absorbance of arsenazo III was followed. These experimental conditions were chosen because they measure the change in the rate of Na/Ca exchange in introducing Ca into the axon upon depolarization; [Ca]o is too low to effect a channel-based system of Ca entry. This procedure was applied to axons treated with a variety of compounds that have been implicated as inhibitors of Na/Ca exchange. The result obtained was that the substances tested could be placed in three groups. (a) Substances that were without effect on Ca entry effected by Na/Ca exchange were: D600 at 10-100 microM, nitrendipine at 1-5 microM, Ba2+ and Mg2+ at concentrations of 10-50 mM, lidocaine at 0.1-10 mM, cyanide at 2 mM, adriamycin at a concentration of 3 microM, chloradenosine at 35 microM, 2,4-diaminopyridine at 1 mM, Cs+ at 45-90 mM, and tetrodotoxin at 10(-7). (b) Substances that had a significant inhibitory effect on Na/Ca exchange were: Mn2+, Cd2+, and La3+ at 1-50 mM, and quinidine at 50 microM. (c) There were also blocking agents and biochemical inhibitors whose action appeared to be the inhibition of nonmitochondrial Ca buffering in axoplasm rather than an inhibition of Na/Ca exchange. These were the general anesthetic l-octanol at 0.1 mM and 1 mM orthovanadate plus apyrase.
Two extensions of service description to enhance the scalability of SOA

Service description is the underlying basis of different service tasks. In this paper, we proposed two service description extensions to enhance the scalability of SOA. First we proposed multi-input operation to increase the flexibility of service interface. Second, we encode service dependency into service description. Service dependency is not only an empirical knowledge for reliable service composition, but it is also a distributed service recommendation and discovery mechanism, which is more scalable than centralized service discovery mechanisms such as UDDI.
Impairment of endothelial SKCa channels and of downstream hyperpolarizing pathways in mesenteric arteries from spontaneously hypertensive rats

Background and purpose: Previous studies have shown that endothelium‐dependent hyperpolarization of myocytes is reduced in resistance arteries from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). The aim of the present study was to determine whether this reflects down‐regulation of endothelial K+ channels or their associated pathways.
Using Dynamics to Consider Torque Constraints in Manipulator Planning With Heavy Loads

Input constraints are active in robot trajectory planning when a mobile robot traverses mobility challenges such as steep hills that limit the acceleration of the robot due to the torque constraints of the motor or engine or in manipulator lifting tasks when the load is sufficiently heavy that the torque constraints of the robot’s motor prevent it from statically supporting the load in regions of the robot’s workspace. This paper presents a general methodology for solving these planning tasks using a minimum time cost function and applies it to the problem of a multiple degree of freedom manipulator lifting a heavy load. Planning for these types of problems requires use of the robot’s dynamic model. Here, we plan using Sampling-Based Model Predictive Optimization, which is only practical if the planning can be done quickly. Hence, substantial attention is given to efficient computations by 1) using the dynamic model without integrating it, 2) using optimal control theory to develop an “optimistic A∗ estimate of cost-to-goal”, which is in this case a rigorous lower bound on the minimum time from a current state to a goal state, and 3) using prior experience to speed up the computation of a new trajectory. The methodology is experimentally verified for heavy lifting using a two-link manipulator.
Estimating object region from local contour configuration

In this paper, we explore ways to combine boundary information and region segmentation to estimate regions corresponding to foreground objects. Boundary information is used to generate an object likelihood image which encodes the likelihood that each pixel belongs to a foreground object. This is done by combining evidence gathered from a large number of boundary fragments on training images by exploiting the relation between local boundary shape and relative location of the corresponding object region in the image. A region segmentation is used to generate a likely segmentation that is consistent with the boundary fragments out of a set of multiple segmentations. A mutual information criterion is used for selecting a segmentation from a set of multiple segmentations. Object likelihood and region segmentation are combined to yield the final proposed object region(s).
Clinical Implications of a Link Between Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and Autism or Asperger’s Disorder – A Neurodevelopmental Frame for Helping Understanding and Management

The teratogenic effect of alcohol was first observed by paediatrician Paul Lemoine in Nantes, France in 1968, when he linked facial dysmorphic and growth features with maternal use of alcohol (wine) in pregnancy. His initial series was 127 infants. Subsequently the syndrome Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was defined in 2 classic papers in 1973 by David smith and Ken Jones in Seattle. Their initial case series were 8 patients. The recognition that prenatal alcohol exposure did not just cause dysmorphic facial features and growth delay was made by Sterling Clarren in Seattle in 1978 with the introduction of the term Fetal Alcohol Effect ( FAE) to describe children with alcohol exposure but no facial features. This descriptive clinical term was changed to Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND) by the Institute of Medicine in 1996.
Monitoring Nonstationary Signals

This paper presents a wavelet based technique for monitoring and measuring nonstationary power system disturbances. A significant improvement in monitoring efficiency is achieved by processing signals through Kaiser's window. This improvement is characterized by sparsity, separation, super-resolution, and stability. The maximum expansion coefficient extracted at each resolution level, the indices and sign of these coefficients at a super-resolution are used to monitor and measure the nonstationary behavior of signals. The proposed tool depends on the expansion coefficients and no reconstruction of these coefficients is required. The proposed monitoring technique is evaluated using large data sets. of randomly variable magnitudes and frequencies.
Revealing Rembrandt

The power and significance of artwork in shaping human cognition is self-evident. The starting point for our empirical investigations is the view that the task of neuroscience is to integrate itself with other forms of knowledge, rather than to seek to supplant them. In our recent work, we examined a particular aspect of the appreciation of artwork using present-day functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Our results emphasized the continuity between viewing artwork and other human cognitive activities. We also showed that appreciation of a particular aspect of artwork, namely authenticity, depends upon the co-ordinated activity between the brain regions involved in multiple decision making and those responsible for processing visual information. The findings about brain function probably have no specific consequences for understanding how people respond to the art of Rembrandt in comparison with their response to other artworks. However, the use of images of Rembrandt's portraits, his most intimate and personal works, clearly had a significant impact upon our viewers, even though they have been spatially confined to the interior of an MRI scanner at the time of viewing. Neuroscientific studies of humans viewing artwork have the capacity to reveal the diversity of human cognitive responses that may be induced by external advice or context as people view artwork in a variety of frameworks and settings.
Multiple marker analysis at the promoter region of the DRD4 gene and ADHD: Evidence of linkage and association with the SNP −616

Abnormalities of dopamine neurotransmission have been hypothesized to play an important role in the pathophysiology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Support for this has come from numerous association studies on candidate genes including the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4). One of the most replicated associations between ADHD and the dopaminergic system is the 7‐repeat allele of the VNTR polymorphism of this gene. A lack of association between this marker and ADHD has also been reported in several investigations. In the absence of a firm link between the number of the VNTR repeats and the function of the gene, we sought to investigate several additional markers at the 5′‐end of the gene with potential influence on the expression of the DRD4. We observed a significant over transmission of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (χ2 = 7.45, P = 0.008, OR = 1.63). In addition, an excess transmission of the A allele of the −521 SNP was observed, although it did not attain statistical significance (χ2 = 2.14, P = 0.17, OR = 1.25). Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis demonstrated a weak level of D' between any of the tested markers implying that this may be a region of high recombination. It also raises the possibility that the new association with ADHD may be independent of the 7‐repeat allele. Further analyses, preferably in samples demonstrating association with the VNTR, or in other ethnic groups, are required to confirm these observations. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Tectonic and Anthropogenic Deformation at the Cerro Prieto Geothermal Step-Over Revealed by Sentinel-1A InSAR

The Cerro Prieto geothermal field (CPGF) lies at the step-over between the imperial and the Cerro Prieto faults in northern Baja California, Mexico. While tectonically this is the most active section of the southern San Andreas Fault system, the spatial and temporal deformation in the area is poorly resolved by the sparse global positioning system (GPS) network coverage. Moreover, interferograms from satellite observations spanning more than a few months are decorrelated due to the extensive agricultural activity in this region. Here we investigate the use of frequent, short temporal baseline interferograms offered by the new Sentinel-1A satellite to recover two components of deformation time series across these faults. Following previous studies, we developed a purely geometric approach for image alignment that achieves better than 1/200 pixel alignment needed for accurate phase recovery. We construct interferometric synthetic aperture radar time series using a coherence-based small baseline subset method with atmospheric corrections by means of common-point stacking. We did not apply enhanced spectral diversity because the burst discontinuities are generally small (<1.4 mm) and can be effectively captured during the atmospheric corrections. With these algorithms, the subsidence at CPGF is clearly resolved. The maximum subsidence rate of 160 mm/yr, due to extraction of geothermal fluids and heat, dominates the ~40 mm/yr deformation across the proximal ends of the imperial, the Cerro Prieto, and the indiviso faults.
Folding Alternant and Goppa Codes With Non-Trivial Automorphism Groups

The main practical limitation of the McEliece public-key encryption scheme is probably the size of its key. A famous trend to overcome this issue is to focus on subclasses of alternant/Goppa codes with a non-trivial automorphism group. Such codes display then symmetries allowing compact parity-check or generator matrices. For instance, a key-reduction is obtained by taking quasi-cyclic (QC) or quasi-dyadic (QD) alternant/Goppa codes. We show that the use of such symmetric alternant/Goppa codes in cryptography introduces a fundamental weakness. It is indeed possible to reduce the key-recovery on the original symmetric public-code to the key-recovery on a (much) smaller code that has no symmetry anymore. This result is obtained thanks to an operation on codes called folding that exploits the knowledge of the automorphism group. This operation consists in adding the coordinates of codewords which belong to the same orbit under the action of the automorphism group. The advantage is twofold. The reduction factor can be as large as the size of the orbits, and it preserves a fundamental property: folding the dual of an alternant (respectively, Goppa) code provides the dual of an alternant (respectively, Goppa) code. A key point is to show that all the existing constructions of alternant/Goppa codes with symmetries follow a common principal of taking codes whose support is globally invariant under the action of affine transformations (by building upon prior works of Berger and Dür). This enables not only to present a unified view but also to generalize the construction of QC, QD, and even quasi-monoidic Goppa codes. Finally, our results can be harnessed to boost up any key-recovery attack on McEliece systems based on symmetric alternant or Goppa codes, and in particular algebraic attacks.
Reduced Narcotic Requirement by Clonidine with Improved Hemodynamic and Adrenergic Stability in Patients Undergoing Coronary Bypass Surgery

The authors examined the effect of clonidine, a preferential alpha2-adrenergic agonist, upon narcotic requirements, hemodynamics, and adrenergic responses during the perioperative period in patients undergoing CABG surgery. Anesthesia was provided by sufentanil supplemented with isoflurane; sodium nitroprusside was given as needed for hemodynamic control. Ten patients received oral clonidine preoperatively at the time of premedication, and again intraoperatively by nasogastric tube. Another group of ten untreated patients were otherwise managed identically. Intergroup differences in required anesthetic and vasoactive drug doses and recovery times were measured and evaluated, as well as hemodynamics and plasma catecholamines prior to induction, after intubation, and at intervals intra- and postoperatively. Patients who received clonidine required less diazepam prior to induction, and received 40% less sufentanil during the anesthetic period, than did untreated controls. More control patients required the addition of isoflurane to prevent hypertension. Mean blood pressures and heart rates were elevated at many sampling points in patients not treated with clonidine. Four of the clonidine-treated group required atropine for treatment of bradycardia in the pre-incision period. Plasma catecholamines were significantly lower throughout most of the study period in patients treated with clonidine. After cardiopulmonary bypass and postoperatively, cardiac outputs were significantly higher in the treated group. Patients who had received clonidine were extubated significantly earlier, and fewer of them shivered postoperatively. We conclude that perioperative treatment with clonidine reduced narcotic and anesthetic requirements, improved hemodynamics, reduced plasma catecholamines, and shortened the period of postoperative ventilation in patients undergoing coronary artery surgery.
Folate Improves Endothelial Function in Coronary Artery Disease: An Effect Mediated by Reduction of Intracellular Superoxide?

Homocysteine is a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). Folic acid lowers homocysteine and may improve endothelial function in CAD, although the mechanism is unclear. We investigated the effect of folic acid on endothelial function, homocysteine, and oxidative stress in patients with CAD. We also examined the acute effect of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), the principal circulating folate, on endothelial function in vivo and on intracellular superoxide in cultured endothelial cells. A randomized crossover study of folic acid (5 mg daily) for 6 weeks was undertaken in 52 patients with CAD. Ten further patients were given intra-arterial 5-MTHF. Endothelial function was assessed by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD). Folic acid increased plasma folate (P <0.001), lowered homocysteine by 19% (P <0.001), and improved FMD (P <0.001). FMD improvement did not correlate with homocysteine reduction. Malondialdehyde and total plasma antioxidant capacity, markers of oxidative stress, were unchanged. 5-MTHF acutely improved FMD (P <0.001) without altering homocysteine (P =0.47). In vitro, 5-MTHF abolished homocysteine-induced intracellular superoxide increase (P <0.001); this effect was also observed with folic acid and tetrahydrobiopterin. Our data support the beneficial effect of folic acid on endothelial function in CAD but suggest that the mechanism is independent of homocysteine. Reduction of intracellular endothelial superoxide may have contributed to the effect.
Spatial re-organization of myogenic regulatory sequences temporally controls gene expression

During skeletal muscle differentiation, the activation of some tissue-specific genes occurs immediately while others are delayed. The molecular basis controlling temporal gene regulation is poorly understood. We show that the regulatory sequences, but not other regions of genes expressed at late times of myogenesis, are in close physical proximity in differentiating embryonic tissue and in differentiating culture cells, despite these genes being located on different chromosomes. Formation of these inter-chromosomal interactions requires the lineage-determinant MyoD and functional Brg1, the ATPase subunit of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling enzymes. Ectopic expression of myogenin and a specific Mef2 isoform induced myogenic differentiation without activating endogenous MyoD expression. Under these conditions, the regulatory sequences of late gene loci were not in close proximity, and these genes were prematurely activated. The data indicate that the spatial organization of late genes contributes to temporal regulation of myogenic transcription by restricting late gene expression during the early stages of myogenesis.
Interaction déformation-sédimentation en contexte de sédimentation gravitaire : exemples sismiques (marge angolaise) et de terrain (Grès d'Annot)

Ce travail traite des interactions entre les topographies du fond marin, liees a la deformation, a l'echelle locale ou regionale, et les ecoulements gravitaires, depuis l'ecoulement elementaire jusqu'a l'appareil sedimentaire. Il a necessite l'etude d'une zone au large de la marge angolaise et d'affleurements dans les Gres d'Annot. A partir de donnees de subsurface, nous avons confirme que les variations eustatiques exercent un controle de premier ordre sur le developpement des appareils sedimentaires, a l'echelle de 1-5 Ma. Notre etude a egalement permis de valider le controle des anomalies topographiques locales (10-20 km) engendrees par la deformation sur les ecoulements sedimentaires ainsi que de demontrer l'effet d'une deformation beaucoup plus regionale sur les morphologies des chenaux turbiditiques. L'etude des interactions entre les topographies engendrees par la deformation et la sedimentation gravitaire nous conduit a proposer un modele predictif de leurs interactions.
Hétérogénéités de fabrication des aluminiures de titane : caractérisation et maîtrise de leurs formations en coulée centrifuge

Le systeme Ti-Al est prometteur pour la substitution aux superalliages base-Ni aeronautiques. Dans la gamme de compositions d’interet pour ces applications, la solidification de ces alliages debute par la phase s (structure cubique centree) suivie d’une transition peritectique s + L → α (structure hexagonale). En fonction de la teneur en Al, les proportions des phases s et α au cours de la solidification varient, et le procede de coulee centrifuge pour fabriquer des aubes de turbine pour l’aeronautique introduit d’autres variations structurales. Le present travail explore l’influence de la teneur en Al et de la centrifugation sur la solidification de ces alliages. Des experiences de refusion en creuset froid sous induction, de solidification dirigee en centrifugeuse de grand diametre et de coulee centrifuge sont presentees et caracterisees. Des mecanismes potentiels pour les differences structurales observees sont proposes. Une fragmentation assistee par une teneur en Al plus elevee est observee dans les essais en creuset froid, et une reaction peritectique demarrant plus tot est associee a une fragmentation plus efficace pour provoquer la transition colonnaire-equiaxe (TCE). Une competition entre la convection et la sedimentation est observee lors des essais de solidification dirigee sous centrifugation, et la refusion des bras secondaires est responsable de la TCE. En coulee centrifuge, des structures heterogenes en « ailes de mouette » a faibles teneurs en Al dependent de la cinetique de refroidissement et de la convection. Un comportement different sous les memes conditions est constate a plus fortes teneurs en Al, transition qui semble coincider avec le peritectique
Moving-Target Tracking by Cognitive RF Stealth Radar Using Frequency Diverse Array Antenna

Inspired by a cognitive radar in exploiting its environment to update current operation parameters and frequency diverse array (FDA) in offering a range-dependent beampattern due to the employment of frequency increments across the elements, this paper proposes a moving-target tracking approach to achieve cognitive radio frequency stealth using an FDA antenna for surveillance applications. Since surveillance systems are highly visible to intercept receivers, a traditional high-gain phased-array antenna beam is replaced by a series of low-gain FDA beams with spoiled frequency increments to reduce the system visibility, without degrading the surveillance system performance. Moreover, a cognitive closed-loop update scheme is presented to update the operation parameters in real time for improved moving-target tracking performance. All of the proposed methods are verified by simulation results.