Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microbial and algal oils: Do they have a future for biodiesel or as commodity oils?

Summary We review the prospects of using yeasts and microalgae as sources of cheap oils that could be used for biodiesel. We conclude that yeast oils, the cheapest of the oils producible by heterotrophic microorganisms, are too expensive to be viable alternatives to the major commodity plant oils. Algal oils are similarly unlikely to be economic; the cheapest form of cultivation is in open ponds which then requires a robust, fast-growing alga that can withstand adventitious predatory protozoa or contaminating bacteria and, at the same time, attain an oil content of at least 40% of the biomass. No such alga has yet been identified. However, we note that if the prices of the major plant oils and crude oil continue to rise in the future, as they have done over the past 12 months, then algal lipids might just become a realistic alternative within the next 10 to 15 years. Better prospects would, however, be to focus on algae as sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Theory of monolayers of non-Gaussian polymer chains grafted onto a surface. Part 1.—General theory

A theory describing layers of polymer chains grafted to a flat surface (polymer ‘brush’) is developed. We consider a brush of chains with arbitrary extensibility and, within the framework of molecular field theory, we suggest a general scheme for calculating the self-consistent pseudo-potential, which determines the structure of the brush. This potential appears to be defined only by the mechanism of extensibility and is independent of the interactions between chains in the brush. A model potential for freely jointed chains (FJC) was calculated and used for describing an FJC polymer brush in good solvent conditions. We found good agreement between our results and the numerical calculations of Skvortsov et al.
Does α-Amino-β-methylaminopropionic Acid (BMAA) Play a Role in Neurodegeneration?

The association of α-amino-β-methylaminopropionic acid (BMAA) with elevated incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinson’s disease complex (ALS/PDC) was first identified on the island of Guam. BMAA has been shown to be produced across the cyanobacterial order and its detection has been reported in a variety of aquatic and terrestrial environments worldwide, suggesting that it is ubiquitous. Various in vivo studies on rats, mice, chicks and monkeys have shown that it can cause neurodegenerative symptoms such as ataxia and convulsions. Zebrafish research has also shown disruption to neural development after BMAA exposure. In vitro studies on mice, rats and leeches have shown that BMAA acts predominantly on motor neurons. Observed increases in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Ca2+ influx, coupled with disruption to mitochondrial activity and general neuronal death, indicate that the main mode of activity is via excitotoxic mechanisms. The current review pertaining to the neurotoxicity of BMAA clearly demonstrates its ability to adversely affect neural tissues, and implicates it as a potentially significant compound in the aetiology of neurodegenerative disease. When considering the potential adverse health effects upon exposure to this compound, further research to better understand the modes of toxicity of BMAA and the environmental exposure limits is essential.
Paper-based versus computer-based assessment: key factors associated with the test mode effect

This investigation seeks to confirm several key factors in computer-based versus paper-based assessment. Based on earlier research, the factors considered here include content familiarity, computer familiarity, competitiveness, and gender. Following classroom instruction, freshman business undergraduates (N = 105) were randomly assigned to either a computer-based or identical paper-based test. ANOVA of test data showed that the computer-based test group outperformed the paper-based test group. Gender, competitiveness, and computer familiarity were NOT related to this performance difference, though content familiarity was. Higher-attaining students benefited most from computer-based assessment relative to higher-attaining students under paper-based testing. With the current increase in computer-based assessment, instructors and institutions must be aware of and plan for possible test mode effects.
Genetic Variability in CLU and Its Association with Alzheimer's Disease

Background Recently, two large genome wide association studies in Alzheimer disease (AD) have identified variants in three different genes (CLU, PICALM and CR1) as being associated with the risk of developing AD. The strongest association was reported for an intronic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in CLU. Methodology/Principal Findings To further characterize this association we have sequenced the coding region of this gene in a total of 495 AD cases and 330 healthy controls. A total of twenty-four variants were found in both cases and controls. For the changes found in more than one individual, the genotypic frequencies were compared between cases and controls. Coding variants were found in both groups (including a nonsense mutation in a healthy subject), indicating that the pathogenicity of variants found in this gene must be carefully evaluated. We found no common coding variant associated with disease. In order to determine if common variants at the CLU locus effect expression of nearby (cis) mRNA transcripts, an expression quantitative loci (eQTL) analysis was performed. No significant eQTL associations were observed for the SNPs previously associated with AD. Conclusions/Significance We conclude that common coding variability at this locus does not explain the association, and that there is no large effect of common genetic variability on expression in brain tissue. We surmise that the most likely mechanism underpinning the association is either small effects of genetic variability on resting gene expression, or effects on damage induced expression of the protein.
Sexuality and the Autism Spectrum: Implications for Individuals with the Broad Autism Phenotype

SEXUALITY AND THE AUTISM SPECTRUM: IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH THE BROAD AUTISM PHENOTYPE Lydia Ruth Qualls Old Dominion University, 2017 Director: Dr. James Paulson Many people who are not diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) nevertheless have some symptoms of the disorder. These people are classified as having the Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP) and have some of the same difficulties as people with ASD. People with greater levels of the BAP may have difficulty in expressing their sexuality and may experience more same-sex attraction, as is commonly found in individuals with ASD. Previously, differences between individuals with higher vs. lower BAP traits have been measured categorically. In this study, my goal was to use continuous measures of BAP traits, sexual experiences, and sexual orientation in a typically developing (TD) population to see if those who have more characteristics of the BAP show similar patterns of sexual behavior and sexual orientation to those of people with ASD, as reported in the literature. I hypothesized that measures of the BAP would account for a significant amount of the variance in partnered sexual behavior, with people who have more BAP traits engaging in fewer partnered sexual behaviors. In addition, measures of the BAP were expected to account for a significant amount of the variance in sexual orientation, with people who have more BAP traits endorsing more same-sex attraction. Although BAP characteristics are not predictive of partnered sexual behaviors, one measure of BAP traits was a significant predictor of sexual orientation,  = 0.22, t = 2.72, p = . 007, above and beyond the demographic variables, R change = . 04, F = 7.41, p = . 007. This
KC3 Browser: Semantic Service Mush-up for Global Knowledge Sharing and Discovery

This paper proposes a general framework for a system with a semantic browsing and visualization interface called Knowledge Communication, Collaboration and Creation Browser (KC3 Browser) which integrates multimedia contests and web services on the grid networks, and makes a semantic mash-up called knowledge workspace (k-workspace) with various visual gadgets according to user's contexts (e.g. their interests, purpose and computational environments). KC3 Browser also achieves a link-free browsing for seamless knowledge access by generating semantic links based on an arbitrary knowledge models such as ontology and vector space models. It assists users to look down and to figure out various social and natural events from the web contents. We have implemented a prototype of KC3 Browser and tested it to an international project on risk intelligence against natural disaster.
Molecular communication for health care applications

Molecular communication is a new communication paradigm using molecules as a communication carrier. In molecular communication, information is encoded onto molecules at senders and the molecules propagate to receivers in a controlled manner. The receivers, upon receiving the molecules, decode the encoded information and react biochemically. Molecular communication provides means to deliver molecules to destinations and allows biological and artificially-created components to communicate with each other. This paper describes a design of a molecular communication system that has potentialities to enable future health care applications
Effects of Spatial Sampling Interval on Roughness Parameters and Microwave Backscatter over Agricultural Soil Surfaces

The spatial sampling interval, as related to the ability to digitize a soil profile with a certain number of features per unit length, depends on the profiling technique itself. From a variety of profiling techniques, roughness parameters are estimated at different sampling intervals. Since soil profiles have continuous spectral components, it is clear that roughness parameters are influenced by the sampling interval of the measurement device employed. In this work, we contributed to answer which sampling interval the profiles needed to be measured at to accurately account for the microwave response of agricultural surfaces. For this purpose, a 2-D laser profiler was built and used to measure surface soil roughness at field scale over agricultural sites in Argentina. Sampling intervals ranged from large (50 mm) to small ones (1 mm), with several intermediate values. Large- and intermediate-sampling-interval profiles were synthetically derived from nominal, 1 mm ones. With these data, the effect of sampling-interval-dependent roughness parameters on backscatter response was assessed using the theoretical backscatter model IEM2M. Simulations demonstrated that variations of roughness parameters depended on the working wavelength and was less important at L-band than at C- or X-band. In any case, an underestimation of the backscattering coefficient of about 1-4 dB was observed at larger sampling intervals. As a general rule a sampling interval of 15 mm can be recommended for L-band and 5 mm for C-band.
The selfie and the intolerable gaze of the Other

This essay investigates the phenomenon of the selfie. The author is interested in what this phenomenon is able to say about the human subject and its constitution. Jacques Lacan's theory of the subject is used as a fulcrum to investigate, in particular, his reflections on the gaze and the role it plays in the process of constituting human subjectivity. The author takes one specific “mirror selfie” and consistently examines various aspects of the gaze in relation to it: the gaze as it constitutes the identity of the subject; the ideological dimension of the gaze and “ideological visual interpellation”; the gaze as the object-cause of desire; the unbearable inevitability of the gaze; and the monstrous Real dimension of the gaze. The author concludes that new technology, in particular, the new possibilities for self-representation they provide, do not distort the nature of man, but on the contrary only more clearly reveal it.
Comparative Biochemical Characterization of Three Exolytic Oligoalginate Lyases from Vibrio splendidus Reveals Complementary Substrate Scope, Temperature, and pH Adaptations

ABSTRACT Marine microbes use alginate lyases to degrade and catabolize alginate, a major cell wall matrix polysaccharide of brown seaweeds. Microbes frequently contain multiple, apparently redundant alginate lyases, raising the question of whether these enzymes have complementary functions. We report here on the molecular cloning and functional characterization of three exo-type oligoalginate lyases (OalA, OalB, and OalC) from Vibrio splendidus 12B01 (12B01), a marine bacterioplankton species. OalA was most active at 16°C, had a pH optimum of 6.5, and displayed activities toward poly-β-d-mannuronate [poly(M)] and poly-α-l-guluronate [poly(G)], indicating that it is a bifunctional enzyme. OalB and OalC were most active at 30 and 35°C, had pH optima of 7.0 and 7.5, and degraded poly(M·G) and poly(M), respectively. Detailed kinetic analyses of oligoalginate lyases with poly(G), poly(M), and poly(M·G) and sodium alginate as substrates demonstrated that OalA and OalC preferred poly(M), whereas OalB preferred poly(M·G). The catalytic efficiency (k cat/Km ) of OalA against poly(M) increased with decreasing size of the substrate. OalA showed k cat/Km from 2,130 mg−1 ml s−1 for the trisaccharide to 224 mg−1 ml s−1 for larger oligomers of ∼50 residues, and 50.5 mg−1 ml s−1 for high-molecular-weight alginate. Although OalA was most active on the trisaccharide, OalB and OalC preferred dimers. Taken together, our results indicate that these three Oals have complementary substrate scopes and temperature and pH adaptations.
An implementation of SSSC-based cascade H-bridge model series compensation scheme

The SSSC is used to operate the transmission line at stable condition. Various schemes of SSSC is already proposed. And a still lot of scope is left in this development to make it more efficient in terms of voltage stress, switching losses and harmonic suppression. The scheme proposed here is used to produce a H - bridge based cascaded inverter. It can produce the pulses with different width and magnitude. It almost resembles a sine wave at the output of transformer. The output results are compared with conventional type SSSC with cascaded type. This paper solved only the simulation part of this work. In the proposed work a scale down model of the SSSC can be proposed to build. This scale down model can be used to analysis the different situations like voltage compensation part. The sample of voltage and current will be taken from the transmission line and is given to the processor to decide the angle of firing for the thyristor device. A cascaded type H - bridge based multilevel inverter is used as SSSC. Three DC separate DC sources are used here as energy source for the SSSC. These three DC source can be interfaced with SSSC in a sequential manner as explained in different modes. This sequential switching is helpful in reducing switching losses and switching stresses.
Your Credentials Are Compromised, Do Not Panic: You Can Be Well Protected

In this paper, we leverage the characteristics of round-trip communications latency (RTL) to design and implement a novel highly secure and usable web authentication scheme, dubbed CLAS. CLAS uses, in addition to the traditional credentials, round trip network communications latency to uniquely identify users. CLAS introduces a novel network architecture which turns RTL into a robust authentication feature that is extremely difficult to forge. CLAS offers robust defense against password compromise because, unlike many traditional authentication mechanisms, it is resilient to phishing/pharming, man-in-the-middle, and social engineering attacks. Most importantly, CLAS is transparent to users and incurs negligible overhead. Our experimental results show that CLAS can achieve 0.0017 false positive rate while maintaining false negative rate below 0.007.
What Does the Frontomedian Cortex Contribute to Language Processing: Coherence or Theory of Mind?

The frontomedian cortex (FMC) has been shown to be important for coherence processes in language comprehension, i.e., for establishing the pragmatic connection between successively presented sentences. The same brain region has a role during theory-of-mind processes, i.e., during the attribution of other people's actions to their motivations, beliefs, or emotions. In this study, we used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T to disentangle the relative contributions of the FMC to theory-of-mind (ToM) and coherence processes, respectively. The BOLD response of nine participants was recorded while they listened to pragmatically coherent or unrelated sentence pairs. Using a logic instruction for inanimate sentence pairs, ToM processing was discouraged during the first part of the experiment. Using explicit ToM instructions for sentence pairs mentioning human protagonists, ToM processing was induced during the second part. In three of the resulting four conditions a significant increase in the BOLD response was observed in FMC: when ToM instructions were given, both coherent and incoherent trials elicited frontomedian activation, in replication of previous results showing involvement of the FMC during ToM tasks. When logic instructions were given, the coherent trials, but not the incoherent trials, activated the FMC. These results clearly show that the FMC plays a role in coherence processes even in the absence of concomitant ToM processes. The findings support the view of this cortex having a domain-independent functionality related to volitional aspects of the initiation and maintenance of nonautomatic cognitive processes.
Understanding children's collaborative interactions in shared environments

Traditional computer technology offers limited support for face-to-face, synchronous collaboration. Consequently, children who wish to collaborate while using computers must adapt their interactions to the single-user paradigm of most personal computers. Recent technological advances have enabled the development of co-located groupware systems offering support for concurrent, multi-user interactions around a shared display. These systems provide a unique collaboration environment in which users share both the physical and the virtual workspace. This paper examines how such technology impacts children's collaboration. Findings from this research show that when concurrent, multi-user interaction is supported on a shared display, children exhibit collaborative behaviour similar to their interactions during paper-based activities. The findings also suggest strengths and weaknesses of various mechanisms for supporting synchronous interactions that have implications for the design of computer systems to support children's face-to-face collaboration.
Employment : a reflective review

Within this chapter, I have taken an ‘aut-ethnographic’ case-study approach (Milton, 2014a) to the issue of starting a new job, with particularly regard as to what can be learnt from this story for the context of mentoring young autistic adults beginning a period of employment. An aut-ethnography differs from auto-ethnography in some important respects which are outlined below. A case study can be said to involve a detailed investigation of a particular ‘case’ and the context within which a case exists, selected on the basis of having something of interest or revealing something of value that one can learn, from the in-depth analysis of a particular case (Creswell, 2009).
Ontology-Based Intelligent Mobile Search Oriented to Global e-Commerce

In this paper we propose a novel approach for searching eCommerce products using a mobile phone, illustrated by a prototype eCoMobile. This approach aims to globalize the mobile search by integrating the concept of user multilinguism into it. To illustrate that, we particularly deal with English and Arabic languages. Indeed the mobile user can formulate his query on a commercial product in either language (English/Arabic). The description of his information need on commercial products relies on the ontology that represents the conceptualization of the product catalogue knowledge domain defined in both English and Arabic languages. A query expressed on a mobile device client defines the concept that corresponds to the name of the product followed by a set of pairs (property, value) specifying the characteristics of the product. Once a query is submitted it is then communicated to the server side which analyses it and in its turn performs an http request to an eCommerce application server (like Amazon.com). This latter responds by returning an XML file representing a set of elements where each element defines an item of the searched product with its specific characteristics. The XML file is analyzed on the server side and then items are displayed on the mobile device client along with its relevant characteristics in the chosen language.
Five Answers on Randomness

Five brief and highly biased answers to five questions on rand omness posed by Hector Zenil: Why were you initially drawn to the study of c omputation and randomness? What have we learned? What don’t we know (yet)? W hat are the most important open problems? What are the prospects for pro g ess? 1 Why were you initially drawn to the study of computation and randomness? The topic is so all-encompassing and sexy. It helps to formal ize the notions of Occam’s razor and inductive inference [9, 36, 10, 37, 12, 19], which a re at the heart of all inductive sciences. It is relevant not only for Artificial Inte lligence [7, 30, 28, 33] and computer science but also for physics and philosophy [14, 18 , 20]. Every scientist and philosopher should know about it. Even artists should, as th ere are complexity-based explanations of essential aspects of aesthetics and art [16 , 15, 32]. 2 What have we learned? In the new millennium the study of computation and randomnes s, pioneered in the 1930s [5, 39, 8, 36, 9, 12], has brought substantial progress in the field of theoretically optimal algorithms for prediction, search, inductiv e nference based on Occam’s razor, problem solving, decision making, and reinforcemen t l arning in environments of a very general type [7, 23, 25, 26, 21, 30, 28, 33]. It led to a symptotically optimal universal program search techniques [6, 22, 33] for extreme ly broad classes of problems. Some of the results even provoke nontraditional predi ctions regarding the future of the universe [14, 18, 20, 29] based on Zuse’s thesis [40, 41 ] of computable physics [14, 18, 19, 27]. The field also is relevant for art, and for cla rifying what science and art have in common [16, 15, 17, 24, 31, 32].