Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variation in Phenolic Profile, β‐Carotene and Flavonoid Contents, Biological Activities of Two Tagetes Species from Pakistani Flora

The objective of present study was to evaluate the variation in phenolic profile, β‐carotene, flavonoid contents, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of Tagetes erecta and Tagetes patula (T. erecta and T. patula) through different in vitro assays. Antioxidant activity was determined through 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation assays and antibacterial and antifungal activities studied using the disc diffusion and resazurin microtiter‐plate assays against bacterial and fungal strains. Moreover, total phenolics (TP), total carotenoids (TC) and total flavonoids (TF) were also determined. Highest (TP 35.8 mg GAE/g) and TF (16.9 mg CE/g) contents were found in MeOH extract of T. patula. T. erecta extract showed higher TC contents (6.45 mg/g) than T. patula extract (6.32 mg/g). T. erecta exhibited the highest DPPH radical‐scavenging activity (IC50) (5.73 μg/mL) and inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation (80.1%). RP‐HPLC revealed the presence of caffeic acid, sinapic acid and ferulic acid in Tagetes extracts, m‐coumaric acid in T. erecta whereas chlorogenic acid in T. patula extract only. Both extracts possessed promising antimicrobial activity compared to the ciprofloxacin and flumequine (+ve controls) against Bacillus subtilis and Alternaria alternate. Both extract were rich source of polyphenols exhibiting excellent biological activities.
An approach for Fault Diagnosis based on bio-inspired strategies

In this work we present a study on the application of bio-inspired strategies for optimization to Fault Diagnosis in industrial systems. The principal aim is to establish a basis for the development of new and viable model-based Fault Diagnosis Methods which improve some difficulties that the current methods cannot avoid. These difficulties are related with fault sensitivity and robustness to external disturbances. To get start the study, we consider the Differential Evolution and the Ant Colony Optimization algorithms. This application is illustrated using simulation data of the Two Tanks System benchmark. In order to analyze the merits of these algorithms to obtain a diagnosis which needs to be sensitive to faults and robust to external disturbances, some experiments with incipient faults and noisy data have been simulated. The results indicate that the proposed approach, basically the combination of the two algorithms, characterizes a promising methodology for Fault Diagnosis.
Effects of pioglitazone versus glipizide on body fat distribution, body water content, and hemodynamics in type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE Pioglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonist and glipizide, an insulin secretagogue, are commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes. Our study was designed to examine the effects of pioglitazone versus glipizide on body water, body composition, and hemodynamic parameters in the presence of comparable glycemic control between groups. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We studied 19 diabetic subjects randomly assigned to either 45 mg pioglitazone (n = 8) or 10 mg (median dose) glipizide (n = 11) for 12 weeks. Body water content was measured with deuterated water, body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography, and cardiac output and systemic vascular resistance by acetylene rebreathing technique both before and after therapy. RESULTS Pioglitazone increased (P < 0.001 from baseline) total body water (+2.4 +/- 0.5 l) accounting for 75% of the total weight gain (+3.1 +/- 2.0 kg) but did not alter vascular endothelial growth factor concentrations. Total abdominal (-32.2 +/- 19 cm(2)) and visceral fat area (-16.1 +/- 8 cm(2)) tended to decrease with pioglitazone but increased (P < 0.02 for differences between groups) with glipizide (+38.4 +/- 17 cm(2) abdominal; +19.1 +/- 9 cm(2) visceral). Pioglitazone tended to reduce (P = 0.05) diastolic (-8.4 +/- 4 mmHg) and mean (-9.5 +/- 5 mmHg; P = 0.08) blood pressure and reduced (P < 0.001) systemic vascular resistance (2,785 +/- 336 vs. 2,227 +/- 136 dynes/s per m(2)), while there were no differences in these parameters with glipizide. Neither therapy altered circulating catecholamine concentrations. CONCLUSIONS When pioglitazone and glipizide are given in doses sufficient to achieve equivalent glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes, pioglitazone increases total body water, thereby accounting for the majority of weight gain, tended to decrease visceral and abdominal fat content and blood pressure, and reduces systemic vascular resistance.
α-Synuclein-Induced Synapse Damage in Cultured Neurons Is Mediated by Cholesterol-Sensitive Activation of Cytoplasmic Phospholipase A2

The accumulation of aggregated forms of the α-synuclein (αSN) is associated with the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy Bodies. The loss of synapses is an important event in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Here we show that aggregated recombinant human αSN, but not βSN, triggered synapse damage in cultured neurons as measured by the loss of synaptic proteins. Pre-treatment with the selective cytoplasmic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) inhibitors AACOCF3 and MAFP protected neurons against αSN-induced synapse damage. Synapse damage was associated with the αSN-induced activation of synaptic cPLA2 and the production of prostaglandin E2. The activation of cPLA2 is the first step in the generation of platelet-activating factor (PAF) and PAF receptor antagonists (ginkgolide B or Hexa-PAF) also protect neurons against αSN-induced synapse damage. αSN-induced synapse damage was also reduced in neurons pre-treated with the cholesterol synthesis inhibitor (squalestatin). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that αSN triggered synapse damage via hyperactivation of cPLA2. They also indicate that αSN-induced activation of cPLA2 is influenced by the cholesterol content of membranes. Inhibitors of this pathway that can cross the blood brain barrier may protect against the synapse damage seen during PD.
Seven Million Years of Glaciation in Greenland

Glacial till, glaciomarine diamictites, and ice-rafted detritus found in marine cores collected off the shore of southeast Greenland record multiple Late Cenozoic glaciations beginning in the Late Miocene. Distinct rock assemblages and seismic stratigraphic control correlate the diamictites with glaciation of the southeast Greenland margin. Glaciers advanced to the sea during several intervals in the Pliocene and Pleistocene. North Atlantic glaciation may have nucleated in southern Greenland rather than further north because of the high mountains and the high levels of precipitation in this region.
E ect of Spectral Irradiance Distribution on the Performance of Solar Cells

In this paper, the global and di use solar radiation incident on solar cells is simulated using a spectral model SMARTS2, for varying atmospheric conditions on the site of Setif. The e ect of changes in total intensity and spectral distribution on the short circuit current and e ciency of di erent kinds of thin lm solar cells (CdTe, nc-Si:H and copper indium gallium selenide, CIGS) is examined. The results show a reduction in the short circuit current due to increasing turbidity. It is 18.82%, 27.06% and 26.80% under global radiation and for CdTe, nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H), and CIGS solar cells, respectively. However it increases under di use radiation. Increasing water vapor in the atmosphere leads to a reduction in the short circuit current of 3.15%, 2.38%, and 2.45%, respectively, for CdTe, nc-Si:H, and CIGS cells under global radiation and it is not in uenced under di use radiation. The performance of the solar cells is notably reduced, both in terms of e ciency and open circuit voltage, with increasing air mass.
Robust Provision of Frequency Reserves by Office Building Aggregations

Abstract Active participation of demand-side resources in power system control tasks, i.e., demand response, is expected to facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources in the grid. In this paper, we present a novel hierarchical control scheme to enable provision of frequency control reserves by a pool of office buildings managed by an aggregator. The reserves are provided by controlling the consumption of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in a robust way. The aggregator determines once a day the optimal amount of reserves and its allocation among the participants. On the building level, a robust MPC controller optimizes the HVAC system consumption every 15 minutes, and a proportional controller provides the reserves in real-time. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed scheme in simulations considering different buildings and reserve product characteristics. The results show that office building aggregations can provide large amounts of frequency reserves in a robust way, while satisfying occupants' comfort and respecting privacy.
Design of advanced leg module for humanoid robotics project of METI

This paper presents an advanced leg module developed for HRP-2. HRP-2 is a new humanoid robotics platform,. which we have been developing in phase two of HRP. HRP is a humanoid robotics project, which has been launched by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan from 1998FY to 2002FY for five years. The ability of the biped locomotion of HRP-2 is improved so that HRP-2 can cope with rough terrain in the open air and can prevent the possible damages to a humanoid robot's own self in the event of tipping over. In this paper the mechanisms and specifications of leg module, electrical system, simulation results utilized for deciding specifications, and experimental results are also introduced.
Examining the Relationship Between Tourists’ Attribute Satisfaction and Overall Satisfaction

The purpose of the study was to investigate the underlying factor structure of tourists' attribute satisfaction, and assess the relationship between attribute satisfaction and overall satisfaction. Based on a comprehensive literature review, seven ‘attribute satisfaction’ factors were identified that might affect tourists' overall satisfaction with their traveling experience. On-site survey was conducted in a major historic destination in the Southern USA, soliciting 345 responses from the visitors. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) supported a seven-factor model as conceptualized a priori by the researchers. A subsequent multiple regression analysis examined the relative impact of these seven factors on tourists' overall satisfaction.
White Gains from Black Subordination in 1960 and 1970

To explore change over time in the basis for realistic racial conflict, Glenn's (1966) analysis of white gains from black subordination in 1960 is replicated with 1970 Census data. Although there are minor differences in the two sets of data, a substantive comparison is possible for occupational and economic benefits. In general, the conclusions point to continued tangible gains to the dominant group from the subordination of blacks in 1970, particularly in the South, and among employers, white managerial and sales workers, and higher income families. These findings are consistent with a number of other studies which have assessed recent changes in American race relations, which tend to show much less change in black-white social and economic inequality than had been assumed. It appears that racial conflict in the U.S. will remain for some time in the future a realistic struggle over unequally distributed goods and resources.
Incorporating linguistic knowledge and automatic baseform generation in acoustic subword unit based speech recognition

A major challenge in speech recognition based on acoustic subword units is creating a lexicon which is robust to inter- and intra-speaker variations. In this paper we present two di(cid:11)erent approaches for incorporating simple word-level linguistic knowledge into the labelling step of the training procedure. The proposed systems also utilise a scheme for combined optimisation of baseforms and subword models. For the TI46 database, these methods are shown to greatly improve the performance compared to an acoustic subword based speech recogniser employing unsupervised labelling, and they are found to perform as well as systems utilising whole-word models and context independent phoneme models.
The Zheng Communities and the Formation of a Transnational Lineage

Transnational business networks and entrepreneurship should not be regarded as the only major theme of Chinese contemporary transnationalism. The transnationalization of traditional social and cultural institutions and the social practices engaged in by agencies facilitated by the networks deserve our attention as well. By narrating the case of a transnational lineage, this article describes how the lineage was constructed historically in a broader structure of relations across borders, how the major concern of the lineage has been revived since the liberalization in China, and how these social and cultural practices are revealing a dynamic process of identity-making of people who are involved in the transnational space.
Postnatal Development of Type I and Type II Hair Cells in the Mouse Utricle: Acquisition of Voltage-Gated Conductances and Differentiated Morphology

The type I and type II hair cells of mature amniote vestibular organs have been classified according to their afferent nerve terminals: calyx and bouton, respectively. Mature type I and type II cells also have different complements of voltage-gated channels. Type I cells alone express a delayed rectifier, gK,L, that is activated at resting potential. We report that in mouse utricles this electrophysiological differentiation occurs during the first postnatal week. Whole-cell currents were recorded from hair cells in denervated organotypic cultures and in acutely excised epithelia. From postnatal day 1 (P1) to P3, most hair cells expressed a delayed rectifier that activated positive to resting potential and a fast inward rectifier, gK1. Between P4 and P8, many cells acquired the type I-specific conductance gK,L and/or a slow inward rectifier, gh. By P8, the percentages of cells expressing gK,L and gh were at mature levels. To investigate whether the electrophysiological differentiation correlated with morphological changes, we fixed utricles at different times between P0 and P28. Ultrastructural criteria were developed to classify cells when calyces were not present, as in cultures and neonatal organs. The morphological and electrophysiological differentiation followed different time courses, converging by P28. At P0, when no hair cells expressed gK,L, 33% were classified as type I by ultrastructural criteria. By P28, ∼60% of hair cells in acute preparations received calyx terminals and expressed gK,L. Data from the denervated cultures showed that neither electrophysiological nor morphological differentiation depended on ongoing innervation.
An Analysis of the Resilience of Enforcement Officers Through Comparative Studies

Individual resilience of enforcement officers is very important in keeping road users abiding by traffic rules. The results of this study showed: a) the level of individual resilience, the possibility to choose positive coping, the perceived positive affectivity, and the work engagement of enforcement officers were lower than those of non-enforcement officers; b) the perceived negative affectivity, the possibility to choose negative coping, and the level of work burnout of enforcement officers were higher than those of non-enforcement officers; c) individual resilience of enforcement officers and their organizational resilience had significant positive correlations with positive coping, positive affectivity, and work engagement; d) individual resilience had significant negative correlation with negative affectivity and work burnout; e) the organizational resilience had significant negative correlation with work burnout; f) the organizational resilience perceived by enforcement officers was lower than that of non-enforcement officers. This study also analyzed the stressors of enforcement officers.
Copper Resistance in Aspergillus nidulans Relies on the PI-Type ATPase CrpA, Regulated by the Transcription Factor AceA

Copper homeostasis has been extensively studied in mammals, bacteria, and yeast, but it has not been well-documented in filamentous fungi. In this report, we investigated the basis of copper tolerance in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Three genes involved in copper homeostasis have been characterized. First, crpA the A. nidulans ortholog of Candida albicans CaCRP1 gene encoding a PI-type ATPase was identified. The phenotype of crpA deletion led to a severe sensitivity to Cu+2 toxicity and a characteristic morphological growth defect in the presence of high copper concentration. CrpA displayed some promiscuity regarding metal species response. The expression pattern of crpA showed an initial strong elevation of mRNA and a low continuous gene expression in response to long term toxic copper levels. Coinciding with maximum protein expression level, CrpA was localized close to the cellular surface, however protein distribution across diverse organelles suggests a complex regulated trafficking process. Secondly, aceA gene, encoding a transcription factor was identified and deleted, resulting in an even more extreme copper sensitivity than the ΔcrpA mutant. Protein expression assays corroborated that AceA was necessary for metal inducible expression of CrpA, but not CrdA, a putative metallothionein the function of which has yet to be elucidated.
Allowing for uncertainty due to missing continuous outcome data in pairwise and network meta‐analysis

Missing outcome data are commonly encountered in randomized controlled trials and hence may need to be addressed in a meta‐analysis of multiple trials. A common and simple approach to deal with missing data is to restrict analysis to individuals for whom the outcome was obtained (complete case analysis). However, estimated treatment effects from complete case analyses are potentially biased if informative missing data are ignored. We develop methods for estimating meta‐analytic summary treatment effects for continuous outcomes in the presence of missing data for some of the individuals within the trials. We build on a method previously developed for binary outcomes, which quantifies the degree of departure from a missing at random assumption via the informative missingness odds ratio. Our new model quantifies the degree of departure from missing at random using either an informative missingness difference of means or an informative missingness ratio of means, both of which relate the mean value of the missing outcome data to that of the observed data. We propose estimating the treatment effects, adjusted for informative missingness, and their standard errors by a Taylor series approximation and by a Monte Carlo method. We apply the methodology to examples of both pairwise and network meta‐analysis with multi‐arm trials. © 2014 The Authors. Statistics in Medicine Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Green's Functions of Matching Equations: A Unifying Approach for Low-level Vision Problems

Green's functions are a traditional technique for solving inhomogeneous differential equations which has found several applications in pure and applied science, as, for instance, in Electrodynamics or Quantum Mechanics (Hassani, 2002). Given a one-dimensional linear differential operator, x , and a set of boundary conditions, the solution to the inhomogeneous differential equation ) x ( g ) x ( f x = can be expressed as
Adaptive Visual Servoing of Micro Aerial Vehicle with Switched System Model for Obstacle Avoidance

In this paper, a vision based adaptive controller is proposed for the obstacle avoidance of a micro aerial vehicle (MAV) by using the optical flow information. In order to employ the optical flow for indicating the distance between the MAV and surrounding, the multi-thread processing algorithm is proposed to reliably obtain the optical flow information uniformly diffused in the whole image frame. The MAV system is treated as a switched system while manipulating the different modes during the obstacle avoidance task. Based on the desired flying direction of obstacle avoidance obtained by the optical flow estimation, we design an adaptive controller such that the desired trajectory can be tracked under different switching modes. The simulations present the tracking response of the adaptive controller of a switched system, and the experiments of the overall system validate the collision-avoidance performance of the MAV.
Technology and Creativity

1: Prolegomenon. 2: Artifacts: Material and Abstract. 3: The birth of Technological Problems. 4: The Technologist as a Cognitive Agent. 5: The Connection Between Invention and Design. 6: Technology and Hypotheses. 7: The Process of Ideation. 8: Creativity and the Evolution of Artifactual Forms. 9: The Nature of Technological Knowledge. 10: A Portrait of the Technologist as a Creative Being
Visual Fields and Foraging in Procellariiform Seabirds: Sensory Aspects of Dietary Segregation

Retinal visual fields were determined using an ophthalmoscopic reflex technique in two seabird species of the family Procellariidae: white-chinned petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis and antarctic prion Pachyptila desolata. The binocular fields of both species show a similar shape but they differ in size and in the position of the bill within the field. In white-chinned petrels the binocular field extends vertically through approximately 140° and has a maximum width of approximately 40°. The bill is placed approximately central within the field. The binocular field of the prions is approximately half this width and vertical extent, and the bill is placed close to the ventral edge. These differences in binocular field topography can be correlated with the different foraging techniques that these birds employ when seeking a similar diet within the same environment. White-chinned petrels pursue individual items both at the surface and while diving to moderate depths. Antarctic prions feed primarily by filtering items from surface waters. These differences in visual field topography mirror those found in different terrestrial bird species that primarily employ visual or tactile cues in the pursuit of food items. White-chinned petrel eyes and visual fields show features of an amphibious optical design similar to those found in penguins and albatrosses.