Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Science, Technology, and Society on the Eve of the New Century

No other area of human activity than science and technology has achieved as much intellectually and in terms of technical innovation. Nevertheless, despite these unchallengeable advances, science and technology do not inevitably lead to moral and social progress for humanity: The dreams of reason may also imply nightmares. As this century draws to a close, the most crucial change is occurring in science and technology policy, altering in particular the special status that science has enjoyed since World War II, affecting the conditions under which academic research is carried out, compelling to more collaborative international research efforts and leading at the same time to growing ethical issues at the forefront of choices in relation to the environment, to the new technologies, and even to scientific research per se. Future generations will observe the twists and turns of history partly because of and partly in spite of these choices.
Hardware/software co-design for energy-efficient seismic modeling

Reverse Time Migration (RTM) has become the standard for high-quality imaging in the seismic industry. RTM relies on PDE solutions using stencils that are 8th order or larger, which require large-scale HPC clusters to meet the computational demands. However, the rising power consumption of conventional cluster technology has prompted investigation of architectural alternatives that offer higher computational efficiency. In this work, we compare the performance and energy efficiency of three architectural alternatives the Intel Nehalem X5530 multicore processor, the NVIDIA Tesla C2050 GPU, and a general-purpose manycore chip design optimized for high-order wave equations called "Green Wave. " We have developed an FPGA-accelerated architectural simulation platform to accurately model the power and performance of the Green Wave design. Results show that across highly-tuned high-order RTM stencils, the Green Wave implementation can offer up to 8× and 3.5× energy efficiency improvement per node respectively, compared with the Nehalem and GPU platforms. These results point to the enormous potential energy advantages of our hardware/software co-design methodology.
Celecoxib Inhibits Prostate Cancer Growth: Evidence of a Cyclooxygenase-2-Independent Mechanism

Purpose: Selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors may suppress carcinogenesis by both COX-2-dependent and COX-2-independent mechanisms. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate whether celecoxib or rofecoxib, two widely used selective COX-2 inhibitors, possess COX-2-independent antitumor activity. Experimental Design: PC3 and LNCaP human prostate cancer cell lines were used to investigate the growth inhibitory effects of selective COX-2 inhibitors in vitro. To complement these studies, we evaluated the effect of celecoxib on the growth of PC3 xenografts. Results: COX-1 but not COX-2 was detected in PC3 and LNCaP cells. Clinically achievable concentrations (2.5-5.0 μmol/L) of celecoxib inhibited the growth of both cell lines in vitro, whereas rofecoxib had no effect over the same concentration range. Celecoxib inhibited cell growth by inducing a G1 cell cycle block and reducing DNA synthesis. Treatment with celecoxib also led to dose-dependent inhibition of PC3 xenograft growth without causing a reduction in intratumor prostaglandin E2. Inhibition of tumor growth occurred at concentrations (2.37-5.70 μmol/L) of celecoxib in plasma that were comparable with the concentrations required to inhibit cell growth in vitro. The highest dose of celecoxib led to a 52% reduction in tumor volume and an ∼50% decrease in both cell proliferation and microvessel density. Treatment with celecoxib caused a marked decrease in amounts of cyclin D1 both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: Two clinically available selective COX-2 inhibitors possess different COX-2-independent anticancer properties. The anticancer activity of celecoxib may reflect COX-2-independent in addition to COX-2-dependent effects.
Combination of NEP 1-40 Treatment and Motor Training Enhances Behavioral Recovery After a Focal Cortical Infarct in Rats

Background and Purpose— Although myelin-associated neurite outgrowth disinhibitors have shown promise in restoring motor function after stroke, their interactive effects with motor training have rarely been investigated. The present study examined whether a combinatorial treatment (NEP 1-40+motor rehabilitation) is more effective than either treatment alone in promoting motor recovery after focal ischemic injury. Methods— Adult rats were assigned to one of 3 treatment groups (infarct/NEP 1-40+motor training, infarct/NEP 1-40 only, infarct/motor training only) and 2 control groups (infarct/no treatment, intact/no treatment). A focal ischemic infarct was induced by microinjecting endothelin-1 into the motor cortex. Therapeutic treatments were initiated 1 week postinfarct and included intraventricular infusion of the pharmacological agent NEP 1-40 and motor training (skilled reach task). Behavioral assessments on skilled reach, foot fault, and cylinder tests were conducted before the infarct and for 5 weeks postinfarct. Results— Rats demonstrated significant forelimb impairment on skilled reach and foot fault tests after the infarct. Although all infarct groups improved over time, motor training alone and NEP 1-40 alone facilitated recovery on the skilled reach task at the end of treatment Weeks 2 and 4, respectively. However, only NEP 1-40 paired with motor training facilitated recovery after 1 week of treatment in addition to treatment at Weeks 2 and 4. Finally, only the NEP 1-40+motor training group maintained a performance level equivalent to that of the intact group over the entire period of posttreatment assessment. Conclusions— This study suggests that behavioral training interacts with the effects of the axonal growth promoter, NEP 1-40, and may accelerate behavioral recovery after focal cortical ischemia.
Sampling-Based Coverage Path Planning for Inspection of Complex Structures

We present several new contributions in sampling-based coverage path planning, the task of finding feasible paths that give 100% sensor coverage of complex structures in obstaclefilled and visually occluded environments. First, we establish a framework for analyzing the probabilistic completeness of a sampling-based coverage algorithm, and derive results on the completeness and convergence of existing algorithms. Second, we introduce a new algorithm for the iterative improvement of a feasible coverage path; this relies on a samplingbased subroutine that makes asymptotically optimal local improvements to a feasible coverage path based on a strong generalization of the RRT* algorithm. We then apply the algorithm to the real-world task of autonomous in-water ship hull inspection. We use our improvement algorithm in conjunction with redundant roadmap coverage planning algorithm to produce paths that cover complex 3D environments with unprecedented efficiency.
Purification and Characterization of a Nuclear DMA-binding Phosphoprotein in Fetal and Tumor Tissues 1

The basic nonhistone phosphoprotein 110/8.4 (M.W. x 10~3/pl) was found in 0.35 M NaCI nuclear extracts of four tumor tissues, i.e., fast-growing Novikoff hepatoma, Morris hepatoma 3924A, HeLa cells, and Namalwa cells; it was also found in fetal rat liver. This protein was not detected in normal or regenerating liver and thus may represent an "oncofetal" protein of potential interest as a cancer "marker. " Protein 110/8.4 was purified approximately 4000to 5000-fold under nondenaturing condition from 0.35 M NaCI nuclear extracts of Novikoff hepatoma cells or Namalwa cells by ammonium sulfate fractionation, calcium phosphate gel treatment, and phosphocellulose chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate:polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified native protein revealed a single polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of approxi mately 110,000. The pi of the protein was estimated to be 8.4 by nonequilibrium pH gradient electrophoresis in 9 M urea; accordingly, this protein was designated 110/8.4. Amino acid analysis showed that Protein 110/8.4 had an acidic:basic amino acid ratio of 1.25 and a high lysine and serine content; approximately 20% of the serine residues were found to be phosphorylated. Hydrazinolysis indicated that the carboxyl-terminal amino acid was serine; the amino terminus appeared to be blocked. Binding of Protein 110/8.4 to DNA was studied by the nitrocellulose filter assay. High-affinity binding occurred at ionic strength equal to or below 0.15 M.
Rigorous movement of convex polygons on a path using multiple robots

This paper describes an approach for pushing a convex polygonal object with rigor using multiple robots, along a desired rectilinear path in a two-dimensional polygonal environment. The goal is to rigorously push the object along the path while preserving its orientation and alignment, as well as precisely rotating it about its center when necessary. A path planning algorithm is presented which computes a shortest-path approximation between two points in the environment. In general, the path requires both translations and rotations of the object along the way. Robots are arranged into three groups, where each group is assigned a task of either pushing the object towards its goal or adjusting it as it veers off from the desired path. Each robot is computationally simple in that it merely moves towards a target point somewhere on the boundary of the object. As the robots move towards these target points, they cooperatively push the object with no interaction between one another. The robots rely on only three parameters to push the object: the orientation of the object, the current target point and the task they are required to perform. The target points are provided by a global control & monitoring system that monitors the progress and stability of the robots as they push the object along the path, providing direction to the robots in terms of tasks such as pushing, rotating, re-alignment, re-orientation or repositioning commands. We verified our algorithm with a number of simulations that address the usefulness of the solution as well as the effects that an increase in the number of robots will have on the runtime and the data communication load.
The effect of mild depression on time discrimination

Depressed mood states affect subjective perceptions of time but it is not clear whether this is due to changes in the underlying timing mechanisms, such as the speed of the internal clock. In order to study depression effects on time perception, two experiments using time discrimination methods with short (<300 ms) and long (>1,000 ms) durations were conducted. Student participants who were categorized as mildly depressed by their scores on the Beck Depression Inventory were less able than controls to discriminate between two longer durations but were equally able to discriminate shorter intervals. The results suggest that mildly depressed or dysphoric moods do not affect pacemaker speed. It is more likely that depression affects the ability to maintain attention to elapsing duration.
Channel Sensing-Order Setting in Cognitive Radio Networks: A Two-User Case

This paper investigates the sensing-order problem in two-user multichannel cognitive medium access control. When adaptive modulation is not adopted, although brute-force search can be used to find the optimal sensing-order setting of the two users, it has huge computational complexity. Accordingly, we propose two suboptimal algorithms, namely, the greedy search algorithm and the incremental algorithm, which have comparable performance with that of brute-force search and have much less computational complexity. It is shown that, with a high probability, either suboptimal algorithm can reach an optimal point if a backoff mechanism is used for contention resolution. When adaptive modulation is adopted, it is observed that the traditional stopping rule does not lead to an optimal point in the two-user case. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the adoption of adaptive modulation affects the optimal sensing-order setting of the two users, compared with the case without adaptive modulation. These findings imply that the stopping rule and the sensing-order setting should be jointly designed from a systematic point of view.
Light Collages: lighting design for effective visualization

We introduce Light Collages - a lighting design system for effective visualization based on principles of human perception. Artists and illustrators enhance perception of features with lighting that is locally consistent and globally inconsistent. Inspired by these techniques, we design the placement of light sources to convey a greater sense of realism and better perception of shape with globally inconsistent lighting. Our algorithm segments the objects into local surface patches and uses a number of perceptual heuristics, such as highlights, shadows, and silhouettes, to enhance the perception of shape. We show our results on scientific and sculptured datasets.
Fat metabolism in higher plants. I. Biogenesis of higher fatty acids by slices of peanut cotyledons in vitro.

Although considerable research has been conducted in recent years on the mechanisms of fatty acid synthesis and oxidation in animal tissues (1) and in microorganisms (2), no similar studies of higher plants have yet been reported, despite the great importance of fat-storing seeds and fruits in the economy of nature and the value to comparative biochemistry of an understanding of fatty acid biogenesis and oxidation in their development and germination. In this study, the first in a series on fat metabolism in plants, the ability of cotyledon slices from both developing and germinating seeds to utilize a variety of substrates in the synthesis of higher fatty acids has been examined. These substrates include formate-C14, acetate-l , 2-C14, acetate-1-CY4, acetate-2-CY4, propionate-1-C14, butyrate-1-Ci4, valerate-lC14, valerate-3-CY4, caproate-l-C14, succinate-1 ,4-CY4, pyruvate-2-C14, and Cl4 uniformly labeled glucose and fructose. The rate of appearance of Cl4 in the respiratory CO2 and of incorporation of radioactivity into fatty acids from acetate-land 2-CY4, as well as the effect of anaerobic conditions and of 2,4-dinitrophenol on fatty acid synthesis from acetate-2-C14, is also reported for cotyledon slices from both maturing and germinating peanuts.
Carinal reconstruction with a Y-shaped collagen-conjugated prosthesis.

BACKGROUND Carinal reconstruction by direct suturing is associated with a high mortality because high tension at the anastomosis can lead to tracheobronchial fistula. A new tracheal prosthesis was therefore designed for reconstruction of the tracheal bifurcation and applied for experimental carinal replacement in dogs. METHODS The main frame of the new prosthesis consists of a Y-shaped Marlex mesh tube (C.R. Bard, Inc, Billerica, Mass) reinforced with polypropylene spirals, to which collagen extracted from porcine skin is chemically conjugated to provide biocompatibility and airtightness. This conjugated collagen is composed of amorphous and sponge collagen layers. The tracheobronchial bifurcation was replaced with the prosthesis in 10 beagle dogs. RESULTS Eight dogs survived the postoperative period, and 2 dogs died within 4 days after the operation. Bronchoscopic examination revealed that the tracheal prosthesis was covered with smooth whitish tissue and that no stenosis or dehiscence was present in the 8 dogs even 6 months after the operation. Slight mesh exposure was recognized in 1 dog. Histologic examination revealed that approximately one half of the luminal surface was covered with ciliated columnar epithelium or nonciliated squamous epithelium. In the remaining lumen, especially in the middle portion of the prosthesis, connective tissue without epithelium was observed. CONCLUSIONS These long-term results indicate that our bifurcated tracheal prosthesis can be used for reconstruction of the tracheobronchial bifurcation with long-term safety.
An overview of HYRISE - a Main Memory Hybrid Storage Engine

HYRISE is a new relational storage engine for main memory database systems. It is built on the premise that enterprise application workloads can benefit from a dedicated main-memory storage engine. The key idea behind HYRISE is that it provides dynamic vertical partitioning of the tables it stores. Since enterprise applications typically use a large number of very wide tables, we designed a novel layout algorithm specifically tailored for enterprise data. Our algorithm uses a main memory cost model that is able to precisely estimate the physical access cost of database operators and to determine a vertical partitioning that yields the best execution performance.
Revisiting the Construct of Expatriate Adjustment

This article identifies concerns regarding the current conceptualization and operationalization of the construct "expatriate adjustment" that we believe are preventing our field from advancing further. Three central concerns, stemming from a lack of theoretical and methodological rigor surrounding the construct of expatriate adjustment, are discussed: (1) the ambiguity of the adjustment construct in both conceptualization and operationalization; (2) the lack of understanding of the full content domain of expatriate adjustment facets; and (3) the implicit assumption that expatriates perceive all environmental aspects to be of equal importance. Suggestions to address each concern are offered.
SEXUAL SELECTION WHEN FERTILIZATION IS NOT GUARANTEED

Abstract Much of the theory of sexual selection assumes that females do not generally experience difficulties getting their eggs fertilized, yet sperm limitation is occasionally documented. How often does male limitation form a selection for female traits that improve their mating rate? The question is difficult to test, because if such traits evolve to be efficient, sperm limitation will no longer appear to be a problem to females. Here, we suggest that changes in choosiness between populations, and in particular between virgin and mated females, offer an efficient way to test this hypothesis. We model the “wallflower effect,” that is, changes in female preferences due to time and mortality costs of remaining unmated (for at least some time). We show that these costs cause adaptive reductions of female choice, even if mate encounter rates appear high and females only rarely end their lives unfertilized. We also consider the population consequences of plastic or fixed mate preferences at different mate encounter rates. If mate choice is plastic, we confirm earlier verbal models that virgins should mate relatively indiscriminately, but plastic increase of choosiness in later matings can compensate and intensify sexual selection on the male trait, particularly if there is last male sperm precedence. Plastic populations will cope well with unusual conditions: eagerness of virgins leads to high reproductive output and a relaxation of sexual selection at low population densities. If females lack such plasticity, however, population-wide reproductive output may be severely reduced, whereas sexual selection on male traits remains strong.
Phylogenetic signal in plant pathogen–host range

What determines which plant species are susceptible to a given plant pathogen is poorly understood. Experimental inoculations with fungal pathogens of plant leaves in a tropical rain forest show that most fungal pathogens are polyphagous but that most plant species in a local community are resistant to any given pathogen. The likelihood that a pathogen can infect two plant species decreases continuously with phylogenetic distance between the plants, even to ancient evolutionary distances. This phylogenetic signal in host range allows us to predict the likely host range of plant pathogens in a local community, providing an important tool for plant ecology, design of agronomic systems, quarantine regulations in international trade, and risk analysis of biological control agents. In particular, the results suggest that the rate of spread and ecological impacts of a disease through a natural plant community will depend strongly on the phylogenetic structure of the community itself and that current regulatory approaches strongly underestimate the local risks of global movement of plant pathogens or their hosts.
Comparative activities of the beta-lactamase inhibitors YTR 830, sodium clavulanate, and sulbactam combined with amoxicillin or ampicillin

YTR 830, a new beta-lactamase inhibitor, was compared with clavulanic acid and sulbactam against aminopenicillin-resistant clinical isolates. At a concentration of 8 micrograms/ml, YTR 830 was as effective as clavulanate or sulbactam in reducing the aminopenicillin MICs. Combined with amoxicillin, YTR 830 is a potentially useful agent for therapy of many bacterial infections.
Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-3 Is a Functional Ligand for CC Chemokine Receptors 1 and 2B (*)

The CC chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-3 (MCP-3) activates human monocytes, lymphocytes, basophils, and eosinophils. MCP-3 has been reported to induce [Ca] changes in cells transfected with the monocyte-selective MCP-1 receptor 2B (CC CKR2B) and competes for I-MCP-1 binding on CC CKR2B, suggesting that it may mediate monocyte responses to MCP-3. However, we now show that MCP-3 is a ligand and potent agonist for the macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α)/regulated on activation, normal T expressed, and secreted protein (RANTES) receptor CC CKR1 (rank order for [Ca] changes = MIP-1α > MCP-3 > RANTES), which is expressed in monocytes > neutrophils > eosinophils. I-MCP-3 bound directly to CC CKR1 and CC CKR2B (K = 8 and 7 nM, respectively). Binding to CC CKR1 was competed by all CC chemokines tested except MCP-1. In contrast, binding to CC CKR2B was competed only by MCP-3 and MCP-1. Both MCP-1 and MCP-3 were equipotent agonists (EC = 10 nM for [Ca] changes). Thus, MCP-3 is a functional ligand for both CC CKR1 and CC CKR2B, which otherwise have distinct selectivities for CC chemokines. These data suggest that monocyte responses to MCP-3 could be mediated by both CC CKR2B and CC CKR1, whereas eosinophil responses to MCP-3 could be mediated by CC CKR1.
Risk factors for community-acquired pneumonia in adults in Europe: a literature review

Background Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) causes considerable morbidity and mortality in adults, particularly in the elderly. Methods Structured searches of PubMed were conducted to identify up-to-date information on the incidence of CAP in adults in Europe, as well as data on lifestyle and medical risk factors for CAP. Results The overall annual incidence of CAP in adults ranged between 1.07 to 1.2 per 1000 person-years and 1.54 to 1.7 per 1000 population and increased with age (14 per 1000 person-years in adults aged ≥65 years). Incidence was also higher in men than in women and in patients with chronic respiratory disease or HIV infection. Lifestyle factors associated with an increased risk of CAP included smoking, alcohol abuse, being underweight, having regular contact with children and poor dental hygiene. The presence of comorbid conditions, including chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, dementia, dysphagia, HIV or chronic renal or liver disease all increased the risk of CAP by twofold to fourfold. Conclusion A range of lifestyle factors and underlying medical conditions are associated with an increased risk of CAP in European adults. Understanding of the types of individual at greatest risk of CAP can help to ensure that interventions to reduce the risk of infection and burden of disease are targeted appropriately.