Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An in vivo role for Rho kinase activation in the tumour vascular disrupting activity of combretastatin A-4 3-O-phosphate

Combretastatin A‐4 3‐O‐phosphate (CA4P) is in clinical trial as a tumour vascular disrupting agent (VDA) but the cause of blood flow disruption is unclear. We tested the hypothesis that activation of Rho/Rho kinase (ROCK) is fundamental to the effects of this drug in vivo.
Heterophilic Binding of L1 on Unmyelinated Sensory Axons Mediates Schwann Cell Adhesion and Is Required for Axonal Survival

This study investigated the function of the adhesion molecule L1 in unmyelinated fibers of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) by analysis of L1- deficient mice. We demonstrate that L1 is present on axons and Schwann cells of sensory unmyelinated fibers, but only on Schwann cells of sympathetic unmyelinated fibers. In L1-deficient sensory nerves, Schwann cells formed but failed to retain normal axonal ensheathment. L1-deficient mice had reduced sensory function and loss of unmyelinated axons, while sympathetic unmyelinated axons appeared normal. In nerve transplant studies, loss of axonal-L1, but not Schwann cell-L1, reproduced the L1-deficient phenotype. These data establish that heterophilic axonal-L1 interactions mediate adhesion between unmyelinated sensory axons and Schwann cells, stabilize the polarization of Schwann cell surface membranes, and mediate a trophic effect that assures axonal survival.
Comparison of nonisolated dc-dc converters from the efficiency point of view

In order to define the most appropriate power electronic converter topology for a specific application, several aspects must be analyzed, such as cost, efficiency, size, and volume of the chosen structure. However this may not be a trivial task in converters with high number of active and passive switches. This work introduces the concept of commutated power applied to six nonisolated dc-dc topologies, that are: buck, boost, buck-boost, Cúk, SEPIC, and Zeta. The study carried out on the paper intends to establish qualitative criteria to determine which type of converter is the most adequate one for a given application and the chosen operating point. Besides, it aims to validate the theoretical assumptions by calculating the conduction and switching losses in the semiconductor devices properly. By using SPICE modeling and related simulation software, the performance of each one of the aforementioned converters is evaluated from the energy efficiency point of view.
Guidelines for Crisis Management.

Abstract Editorial comment: Crisis events in schools do not just occur as isolated episodes. Usually there are significant factors leading to the occurrence of an outburst. Frequently when an outburst does occur, administrators and teachers alike point to each other and state vociferously, “You handle it? ” This article offers a set of guidelines for crisis prediction, preplanning, support team development, and post-crisis management that can reduce counterproductive panic reactions to the aggressive outburst.
A Green Family : Generating Publish / Subscribe Middleware Configurations

We are investigating how to combine modelling, meta-modelling, and reflection to systematically generate middleware configurations that can be targeted at different application domains and deployment environments. We have developed a set of meta-models that captures the fundamental concepts and forms the basis for systematic generation of extensible “middleware families” that can be instantiated differently depending on different requirements. GREEN [[5]] is one of the families of middleware developed at Lancaster University. GREEN is a configurable and reconfigurable publish-subscribe middleware to support pervasive computing applications. In this article we investigate, how we can systematically generate valid GREEN configurations based upon requirements and constraint specifications; thus eliminating the heavy burden on the application programmer while guaranteeing that the ultimately configured middleware will offer the required functionality.
Functional Traits and Water Transport Strategies in Lowland Tropical Rainforest Trees

Understanding how tropical rainforest trees may respond to the precipitation extremes predicted in future climate change scenarios is paramount for their conservation and management. Tree species clearly differ in drought susceptibility, suggesting that variable water transport strategies exist. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, we examined the hydraulic variability in trees in a lowland tropical rainforest in north-eastern Australia. We studied eight tree species representing broad plant functional groups (one palm and seven eudicot mature-phase, and early-successional trees). We characterised the species’ hydraulic system through maximum rates of volumetric sap flow and velocities using the heat ratio method, and measured rates of tree growth and several stem, vessel, and leaf traits. Sap flow measures exhibited limited variability across species, although early-successional species and palms had high mean sap velocities relative to most mature-phase species. Stem, vessel, and leaf traits were poor predictors of sap flow measures. However, these traits exhibited different associations in multivariate analysis, revealing gradients in some traits across species and alternative hydraulic strategies in others. Trait differences across and within tree functional groups reflect variation in water transport and drought resistance strategies. These varying strategies will help in our understanding of changing species distributions under predicted drought scenarios.
Stakeholder identification in the requirements engineering process

Adequate, timely and effective consultation of relevant stakeholders is of paramount importance in the requirements engineering process. However, the thorny issue of making sure that all relevant stakeholders are consulted has received less attention than other areas which depend on it, such as scenario-based requirements, involving users in development, negotiating between different viewpoints and so on. The literature suggests examples of stakeholders, and categories of stakeholder, but does not provide help in identifying stakeholders for a specific system. In this paper, we discuss current work in stakeholder identification, propose an approach to identifying relevant stakeholders for a specific system, and propose future directions for the work.
What causes intraspecific variation in resting metabolic rate and what are its ecological consequences?

Individual differences in the energy cost of self-maintenance (resting metabolic rate, RMR) are substantial and the focus of an emerging research area. These differences may influence fitness because self-maintenance is considered as a life-history component along with growth and reproduction. In this review, we ask why do some individuals have two to three times the ‘maintenance costs’ of conspecifics, and what are the fitness consequences? Using evidence from a range of species, we demonstrate that diverse factors, such as genotypes, maternal effects, early developmental conditions and personality differences contribute to variation in individual RMR. We review evidence that RMR is linked with fitness, showing correlations with traits such as growth and survival. However, these relationships are modulated by environmental conditions (e.g. food supply), suggesting that the fitness consequences of a given RMR may be context-dependent. Then, using empirical examples, we discuss broad-scale reasons why variation in RMR might persist in natural populations, including the role of both spatial and temporal variation in selection pressures and trans-generational effects. To conclude, we discuss experimental approaches that will enable more rigorous examination of the causes and consequences of individual variation in this key physiological trait.
Interaction between Respiration and Low-Frequency Cardiovascular Rhythms

The interaction between respiration and lowfrequency rhythms of the cardiovascular system is studied. The obtained results count in favor of the hypothesis that low-frequency rhythms in blood pressure and R-R intervals are generated in different central neural structures involved in the autonomic control of the cardiovascular system. Keywords—Cardiovascular system, R-R intervals, blood pressure, synchronization.
The Imagination Station: A Drama Education Program for Preschool Teachers

Twelve years ago I first encountered the power of drama in the preschool setting. As an assistant pre-kindergarten teacher, I was responsible for a science unit on animals, specifically farm animals. To introduce the lesson, I tried a new approach. I pushed aside the informational farm animal books and generic worksheets and, instead, donned a pair of overalls and a farmer's hat. Adopting a slight Southern drawl, I entered the classroom as a character called "Farmer Jess," and for the next 40 minutes, both the children and I experienced an amazing new level of teaching and learning. Transfixed by this visitor, the students were quick to join me in the imaginative context. They adopted roles as farmers' helpers busily feeding the chickens and exercising the horses. Soon, a barn-building project was started in the dramatic play comer through the use of pantomime. The children contributed ideas as to where the animals might live and how their food might be stored. Together, we brainstormed unusual names for the farm. I did not know it then but through this "Farmer Jess" lesson, I had begun to introduce my students to the worlds of creative drama and story drama. By adopting the teacher in role strategy, I brought myself to the center of the children's imaginative experience (Heathcote & Bolton, 1995). A framework was established for a type of teacher-led dramatic play that, regardless of the subject matter, stimulates spontaneous and playful contributions from the students involved (Brown, 1990). Creative or guided drama, as defined by McCaslin (1990) in her text, Creative Drama in the Classroom is a "nonexhibitional" and "processcentered" approach. Participants are prompted by an adult leader to "imagine, enact, and reflect upon human experiences" (p. 5). This type of drama experience differs from spontaneous dramatic play in its scope and intent. Within the context of creative drama, when an adult facilitates the experience, an elaborate story line can develop with a concrete beginning, middle, and end. Imaginative dialogue and problem-solving can be taken to a high level. Barton and Booth (1990) add that under the umbrella of guided drama, there is a more specific literature-based approach called story drama. "Story Drama" involves "the exploration of the essence of (children's literature) through improvised action and role play" (p. 135). The children are helped to understand the
Introduction de la gradualité dans le jugement utilisateur

Cet article rentre dans le cadre de la recherche d'information (RI) flexible. Une technique de reformulation de requete par reinjection de pertinence graduelle est presentee. L'utilisateur donne des preferences graduelles aux documents prealablement selectionnes par le systeme. Ainsi il pourra formuler son jugement par « tel document est moyennement pertinent » ou « tres pertinent ». Pour evaluer ce travail, nous avons procede a des tests sur la collection TREC10. Les experimentations ont ete faites pour montrer l'apport de notre approche par rapport a la methode classique de reinjection de pertinence.
Responsibility and Workplace Democracy

A de nitive case for workplace democracy can be made based on  rst principles that descend to modern times from the democratic, anti-slavery, and inalienable rights theories of the Enlightenment and the Reformation, with antecedents traceable to Stoic thought. By the twentieth century, these arguments had been lost, partly due to misconceptions, mental blocks, and misinterpretations embodied in Marxism, liberalism, and economic theory. Working through some of these intellectual roadblocks may enable a reassembling of “responsibility” as the basis for the case for workplace democracy.
Experimental Characterization of I2V Wi-Fi Connections in an Urban Testbed

A city-wide platform of sensing devices, or Data Collection Units (DCUs), can harness vehicular networks installed in public transports to gather sensor data at a backend server. Selection of DCU deployment sites must consider connectivity patterns and achievable transfer rates to the vehicles' On-Board Units (OBUs). In this work, we characterize experimentally the connectivity patterns and the achievable data rates and volumes using WiFi between a DCU and passing OBUs of a 400 node vehicular network. measurements were taken over approximately one month and reveal a strong correlation between connection duration and transferrable data volume. We also evaluate the impact of speed and distance on throughput. Finally, multiple linear regression is used to model attainable data volumes and identify the features that best predict the potential data volume of a tentative deployment site.
Pose Determination of a Robot Manipulator Based on Monocular Vision

This paper presents an approach to determine the pose of a robot manipulator by using a single fixed camera. Conventionally, the pose determination is usually achieved by using the encoders to sense the joint angles, and then the pose of the end effector is obtained by using the direct kinematics of the manipulator. However, when the encoders or the manipulators are malfunctioning, the pose may not be accurately determined. This paper presents an approach based on machine vision, where a single camera is fixed away from the base of the manipulator. Besides, based on the kinematics of the manipulator and a calibrated camera, the pose of the manipulator can be determined. Furthermore, a graphical user interface is developed, which is convenient for users to operate the entire system. Two examples are demonstrated, and the estimated results are compared with those from the encoders. The proposed approach does not compete with the encoders. Instead, the approach can be treated as a backup method, which can provide a reference solution.
The first poem of the financial year

Purpose – To reflect on the way that wellbeing is measured.Design/methodology/approach – Fictional poem.Findings – The poem reflects on the measurement of wellbeing, contrasting the natural world with that created by humankind. It suggests a differential enjoyment of benefits within humankind, and incidentally asks how the fruits of the creative mind can be weighed against material accounts.Research implications – Encourages consideration of the worth of systems of accounting when individual lives can be so disparate in their sharing of social wealth.Originality/value – A unique interpretation of the practice of accounting.
Television and Political Participation Among Adolescents: The Impact of Television Viewing, Entertainment and Information Preferences

Although sweeping statements about the effect of television viewing on political participation could still be found in the literature in the 1990s, it is now commonly held that the effect of television should be studied as a multidimensional phenomenon. Not only the time spent watching television but also the kinds of programs being watched and even the preference for particular stations are assumed to have an effect. In this article, we report on a survey among 6,330 Belgian adolescents allowing for a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between various dimensions of television viewing and political participation. We focus on adolescents, because research suggests that the decline in participation levels clearly manifests itself in this age group. The results of the analysis confirm a negative impact of the amount of television viewing, which is partly counterbalanced by a positive impact of a preference for information and for public broadcasting. We discuss the implications of these findings among adolescents for adult participation behavior.
Essential Environmental and Spatial Concerns for the Congenitally Visually Impaired

Environmental design recommendations based entirely on sighted people's use and apprehension of environments frequently fall short of facilitating and supporting even the basic needs of visually impaired individuals and appear unlikely to assist the process by which they ordinarily experience surround ings. This discussion examines fundamental information needs of visually impaired individuals engaged in ordinary activities in immediate surroundings. It also explores exceptional circumstances that such individuals are likely to face in their acquisition of information and speculates about the influences such circumstances might then have on their activity. Emphasis is on the congenitally visually impaired.
Difficulties with discourse

Abstract Recent research into aphasia therapy has tended to focus either on the single word (e.g. Nettleton and Lesser 1991) or the sentence (e.g. Nickels et al. 1991). Treatments for language beyond the sentence are rare (although see Lesser and Milroy 1993). Of course, this is partly in response to the specific difficulties of the people involved, but also reflects the sheer complexity of the area. We do not understand the nature of discourse and how it can break down in aphasia, and we lack techniques for either treating or evaluating it.
Decision Issues in Building Perceptual Product Spaces with Multi-attribute Rating Data

This paper considers decisions that face consumer researchers as they implement a perceptual product space analysis based on multi-attribute rating data. Decisions that affect the structure of the derived perceptual product space solution can be grouped into six major categories relating to issues of (1) data input, (2) mode, (3) preprocessing transformation, (4) choice/preference modeling, (5) technique, and (6) solution. The major difficulties of each decision area are explicated, and specific recommendations are provided whenever possible.
Robust stability of interval bidirectional associative memory neural network with time delays

In this paper, the conventional bidirectional associative memory (BAM) neural network with signal transmission delay is intervalized in order to study the bounded effect of deviations in network parameters and external perturbations. The resultant model is referred to as a novel interval dynamic BAM (IDBAM) model. By combining a number of different Lyapunov functionals with the Razumikhin technique, some sufficient conditions for the existence of unique equilibrium and robust stability are derived. These results are fairly general and can be verified easily. To go further, we extend our investigation to the time-varying delay case. Some robust stability criteria for BAM with perturbations of time-varying delays are derived. Besides, our approach for the analysis allows us to consider several different types of activation functions, including piecewise linear sigmoids with bounded activations as well as the usual C/sup 1/-smooth sigmoids. We believe that the results obtained have leading significance in the design and application of BAM neural networks.
Brand Name Translation in China: An Overview of Practice and Theory

Les marques de fabrique representent une partie importante du langage publicitaire, dont la traduction joue un role crucial dans la pratique de commercialisation internationale, mais elle est un peu negligee du fait que peu a ete ecrit sur ce sujet. Cet article, qui fait un expose detaille de la traduction des marques de fabrique en caracteres chinois vers l'anglais, tente d'examiner la pratique et la theorie de la traduction des marques de fabrique en Chine du point de vue linguistique, culturel, commercial et juridique. Deux etapes, qui se situent approximativement avant et apres la Reforme et l'Ouverture de la Chine a la fin des annees 70 et au debut des annees '80, sont resumes. Quatre facons d'aborder le probleme sont identifiees qui incluent Pinyin, traduction litterale, translitteration et invention, illustrant le developpement de la theorie de la traduction et de la science de commercialisation en Chine. Dans cet article, les auteurs presentent le processus de la traduction d'une marque de fabrique, les conditions requises pour les traducteurs de ces marques et les criteres pour que les marques de fabrique soient idealement traduites. Selon l'opinion des auteurs, celui-ci ne s'applique pas seulement a la traduction des marques de fabrique du chinois vers l'anglais mais aussi a leur traduction a partir d'autres langues vers le chinois.
Landuse status investigation and analysis by multi-information technology for the development area

In this paper, QuickBird high resolution satellite image data, combined with the prior landuse maps, the landuse major planning map and other basic datum was adopted to extract landuse information of Nanchang Hi-Tech Industrial Development Area through the human-computer interaction approach, and the results were verified by plot in field to do meta-analysis. The results show that the multi-information method can objectively and accurately reflect the landuse types, structure and the degree of utilization in development area, and provide timely, accurate and detailed basic information for analysis of intensive landuse situation of national development area for the national macro-control.
The Boundaries of Lexical Innovation within a Question-Defined Semantic Cohort

Abstract This study explores the amount of lexical innovation (hapax legomena or non repeated words) during a question-led (i.e. semi spontaneous) spoken word production task. Native adult non-impaired Spanish speakers (n = 8) were asked the same question 8 times with an interval of one day each; 4 participants answered the stimulus question in L1 and 4 did so in English. Participants were also given specific instructions to avoid conscious verbal monitoring, specially trying to evade or emphasise word repetition. Their responses were not time controlled. Quantitative word analysis reveals all subjects have recourse to an increased percentage of lexical recycling (vocabulary repetition), idiomatic and phraseology recurrence, as well as a limited percentage of lexical innovation or hapax. These findings are of interest to foreign language acquisition research, curricula design and idiolect re-encoding because they suggest that thematic-bound unities of thought elicited in word production are stable and comprise a major portion of all verbal content. These results may call into question the pertinence and efficacy of traditional syllabi focusing on linguistic points rather than on the role of recycling thematic-dependent learners’ verbal repertoire.