Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Potential for Floating Offshore Wind Energy in Japanese Waters

The prospects for large scale commercialisation of sea-bedmounted offshore windfarms are currently excellent, with the existing small-scale prototype windfarms currently being joined by the first large-scale parks in the shallow seas off the Danish, German, Swedish, Dutch, Belgian, British and Irish coasts. However other countries, including Japan, have much more limited regions of the shallow waters suitable for such developments and hence other concepts will also need to be utilised if offshore wind energy is also to become a major source of energy there.
Testing Genetic Association With Rare and Common Variants in Family Data

With the advance of next‐generation sequencing technologies in recent years, rare genetic variant data have now become available for genetic epidemiology studies. For family samples, however, only a few statistical methods for association analysis of rare genetic variants have been developed. Rare variant approaches are of great interest, particularly for family data, because samples enriched for trait‐relevant variants can be ascertained and rare variants are putatively enriched through segregation. To facilitate the evaluation of existing and new rare variant testing approaches for analyzing family data, Genetic Analysis Workshop 18 (GAW18) provided genotype and next‐generation sequencing data and longitudinal blood pressure traits from extended pedigrees of Mexican American families from the San Antonio Family Study. Our GAW18 group members analyzed real and simulated phenotype data from GAW18 by using generalized linear mixed‐effects models or principal components to adjust for familial correlation or by testing binary traits using a correction factor for familial effects. With one exception, approaches dealt with the extended pedigrees in their original state using information based on the kinship matrix or alternative genetic similarity measures. For simulated data our group demonstrated that the family‐based kernel machine score test is superior in power to family‐based single‐marker or burden tests, except in a few specific scenarios. For real data three contributions identified significant associations. They substantially reduced the number of tests before performing the association analysis. We conclude from our real data analyses that further development of strategies for targeted testing or more focused screening of genetic variants is strongly desirable.
Inverted selective plane illumination microscopy (iSPIM) enables coupled cell identity lineaging and neurodevelopmental imaging in Caenorhabditis elegans

The Caenorhabditis elegans embryo is a powerful model for studying neural development, but conventional imaging methods are either too slow or phototoxic to take full advantage of this system. To solve these problems, we developed an inverted selective plane illumination microscopy (iSPIM) module for noninvasive high-speed volumetric imaging of living samples. iSPIM is designed as a straightforward add-on to an inverted microscope, permitting conventional mounting of specimens and facilitating SPIM use by development and neurobiology laboratories. iSPIM offers a volumetric imaging rate 30× faster than currently used technologies, such as spinning-disk confocal microscopy, at comparable signal-to-noise ratio. This increased imaging speed allows us to continuously monitor the development of C, elegans embryos, scanning volumes every 2 s for the 14-h period of embryogenesis with no detectable phototoxicity. Collecting ∼25,000 volumes over the entirety of embryogenesis enabled in toto visualization of positions and identities of cell nuclei. By merging two-color iSPIM with automated lineaging techniques we realized two goals: (i) identification of neurons expressing the transcription factor CEH-10/Chx10 and (ii) visualization of their neurodevelopmental dynamics. We found that canal-associated neurons use somal translocation and amoeboid movement as they migrate to their final position in the embryo. We also visualized axon guidance and growth cone dynamics as neurons circumnavigate the nerve ring and reach their targets in the embryo. The high-speed volumetric imaging rate of iSPIM effectively eliminates motion blur from embryo movement inside the egg case, allowing characterization of dynamic neurodevelopmental events that were previously inaccessible.
Significant Impact of the MTHFR Polymorphisms and Haplotypes on Male Infertility Risk

Background Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) converts 5,10-methylene tetrahydrofolate to 5-methyl tetrahydrofolate and affects the activity of cellular cycles participating in nucleotide synthesis, DNA repair, genome stability, maintenance of methyl pool, and gene regulation. Genetically compromised MTHFR activity has been suggested to affect male fertility. The objective of the present study was to find the impact on infertility risk of c.203G>A, c.1298A>C, and c.1793G>A polymorphisms in the MTHFR gene. Methods PCR-RFLP and DNA sequencing were used to genotype the common SNPs in the MTHFR gene in 630 infertile and 250 fertile males. Chi-square test was applied for statistical comparison of genotype data. Linkage disequilibrium between the SNPs and the frequency of common haplotypes were assessed using Haploview software. Biochemical levels of total homocysteine (tHcy) and folic acid were measured. Meta-analysis on c.1298A>C polymorphism was performed using data from ten studies, comprising 2734 cases and 2737 controls. Results c.203G>A and c.1298A>C were found to be unrelated to infertility risk. c.1793G>A was protective against infertility (P = 0.0008). c.677C>T and c.1793G>A were in significant LD (D’ = 0.9). Folic acid and tHcy level did not correlate with male infertility. Pooled estimate on c.1298A>C data from all published studies including our data showed no association of this polymorphism with male infertility (Odds ratio = 1.035, P = 0.56), azoospermia (Odds ratio = 0.97, P = 0.74), or oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (Odds ratio = 0.92, p = 0.29). Eight haplotypes with more than 1% frequency were detected, of which CCGA was protective against infertility (p = 0.02), but the significance of the latter was not seen after applying Bonferroni correction. Conclusion Among MTHFR polymorphisms, c.203G>A and c.1298A>C do not affect infertility risk and c.1793G>A is protective against infertility. Haplotype analysis suggested that risk factors on the MTHFR locus do not extend too long on the DNA string.
Are Two Cheap, Noisy Measures Better Than One Expensive, Accurate One?

1. Survey responses are always subject to measurement error. In general surveys (and especially longitudinal surveys), there are severe constraints on the time that can be spent eliciting a less noisy response for any target variable. In this paper we consider when it may be better to consider multiple noisy measures of the target measure rather than improving the reliability of a single measure. 2. The Kotlarski result states that if the measurement errors in two measures of the same target variable are mutually independent and independent of the true value then we can recover the entire distribution of the quantity of interest, up to location. 3. We consider designing surveys to deliver measurement error with desirable properties. This shifts the emphasis from reliability (the signal to noise ratio for any given measure) to the joint properties of the multiple measures. 4. To illustrate our ideas, we consider a concrete example: the measurement of consumption inequality. A small simulation study suggests that the approach we propose has promise. The next step in this research agenda is experiments in survey data collection.
Determining pattern process relationships in heterogeneous landscapes

Landscapes are now being altered at unprecedented rates (Forman and Alexander 1998), resulting in the loss and fragmentation of critical habitats (Gardner et al. 1993), declines in species diversity (Quinn and Harrison 1988, Gu et al. 2002), shifts in disturbance regimes (He et al. 2002, Timoney 2003), and threats to the sustainability of many ecosystems (Grime 1998, Simberloff 1999). Because the ecological consequences of landscape change are difficult to measure, especially at broad spatial and temporal scales, the quantification of landscape pattern has often been used as an indicator of potential biotic effects (e.g., Iverson et al. 1997, Wickham et al. 2000). It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the development of methods to measure landscape pattern has become an important endeavor in landscape ecology (see O’Neill et al. 1999 for a recent review). Numerous landscape metrics have been developed and applied over the last 15 years or so, but relatively few studies have been successful in using metrics to establish pattern–process relationships at landscape scales. The first landscape metrics paper (Krummel et al. 1987) attempted to do this by presenting the hypothesis that the shape of small forest patches should be affected by human activities while large patches should follow natural topographic boundaries. The analytical results showed that this was the case, but causal relationships were never experimentally confirmed. The prospect of this first study stimulated the rapid development of additional indices (see O’Neill et al. 1988, Haines-Young and Chopping 1996), with progress in this arena frequently reviewed (e.g., Gustafson and Parker 1992, Riitters et al. 1996, Hargis et al. 1998, Fauth et al. 2000, He et al. 2000, Tischendorf 2001) and computational methods codified (e.g., Gardner 1999, McGarigal et al. 2002). However,
Receptor mobility and the binding of cells to lectin-coated fibers

The ability of cells to bind to nylon fibers coated with lectin molecules interspaced with varying numbers of albumin molecules has been analyzed. The cells used were lymphoma cells, normal lymphocytes, myeloid leukemia cells, and normal and transformed fibroblasts, and the fibers were coated with different densities of concanavalin A or the lectins from soybean or wheat germ. Cells fixed with glutaraldehyde did not bind to lectin-coated fibers. The number of cells bound to fibers could be increased by increasing the density of lectin molecules on the fiber, the density of specific receptors on the cell, or the mobility of the receptors. It is suggested that binding of cells to fibers involves alignment and binding of specific cell surface receptors with lectin molecules immobilized on the fibers, and that this alignment requires short-range rapid lateral mobility (RLM) of the receptors. The titration of cell binding to fibers coated with different densities of lectin and albumin has been used to measure the relative RLM of unoccupied cell surface receptors for the lectin. The results indicate a relationship of RLM to lectin-induced cell-to-cell binding. The RLM or receptors for concanavalin A (Con A) was generally found to be higher than that of receptors for the lectins from wheat germ or soybean. Receptor RLM could be decreased by use of metabolic inhibitors or by lowering the temperature. Receptors for Con A had a lower RLM on normal fibroblasts than on SV40-transformed fibroblasts, and trypsinization of normal fibroblasts increased Con A receptor RLM. Normal lymphocytes, lymphoma cells, and lines of myeloid leukemia cells that can be induced to differentiate had a high receptor RLM, whereas lines of myeloid leukemia cells that could not be induced to differentiate had a low receptor RLM. These results suggest that the RLM of Con A receptors is related to the transformation of fibroblasts and the ability of myeloid leukemia cells to undergo differentiation
Promoter influence on baculovirus-mediated gene expression in permissive and nonpermissive insect cell lines

The activities of viral and insect promoters were examined in a range of insect cell lines permissive and nonpermissive for the replication of the baculovirus Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus. Recombinant baculoviruses were constructed to place the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene under the control of promoters strongly active in the early, late, or very late stages of virus replication. In fully permissive cells, expression from a very late promoter was 2- to 3-fold higher than expression from a late promoter and 10- to 20-fold higher than expression from an early promoter or from a virus-borne insect promoter. In cell lines that do not support the efficient production of viral progeny, late-promoter-driven expression was similar to or surpassed very late promoter-driven expression. In nonpermissive insect cell lines, expression driven by an insect promoter derived from Drosophila melanogaster was higher than expression from the three viral promoters and was especially high in the Drosophila cell line tested. Surprisingly, late-promoter-driven expression, which is dependent on DNA replication, was higher than early-promoter-driven expression in three of four nonpermissive lines. In contrast, very late promoter-driven expression was quite limited in nonpermissive cell lines. The results indicate that the promoter used to drive foreign-gene expression strongly influences the range of insect cells which can efficiently support the production of the foreign protein during infection with recombinant baculoviruses.
Test-of-cure stool cultures for traveler's diarrhea

Whether enteropathogens were eradicated or persisted in test-of-cure stool cultures from 251 patients with traveler's diarrhea, the durations of diarrhea were similar within the antimicrobial agent-treated (32 versus 33 h) and placebo-treated (82 versus 96 h) groups. Routine test-of-cure stool cultures can be useful for evaluating treatment failures and for assessing asymptomatic carriage of enteropathogens after treatment, but they are not mandated in the design of placebo-controlled antimicrobial treatment trials in traveler's diarrhea when the focus of the trial is clinical efficacy.
M2M communications for E-health and smart grid: an industry and standard perspective

An overview of several standardization activities for machine-to-machine communications is presented, analyzing some of the enabling technologies and applications of M2M in industry sectors such as smart grid and e-Health. This summary and overview of the ongoing work in M2M from the industrial and standardization perspectives complements the prevalent academic perspective of such publications to date in this field.
Single‐unit analysis of sympathetic nervous discharges in patients with panic disorder

Patients with panic disorder are at increased cardiac risk. While the mechanisms responsible remain unknown, activation of the sympathetic nervous system may be implicated. Using isotope dilution methodology, investigations of whole‐body and regional sympathetic nervous activity have failed to show any differences between patients with panic disorder and healthy subjects. Using direct recording of single unit efferent sympathetic vasoconstrictor nerve activity by microneurography we examined sympathetic nervous function in patients with panic disorder more precisely than previously reported. The activity of multiunit and single unit vasoconstrictor sympathetic nerves was recorded at rest at the level of the peroneal nerve in 10 patients diagnosed with panic disorder and in nine matched healthy volunteers. Multiunit sympathetic activity was not different between the two groups (26 ± 3 bursts min−1 in patients with panic disorder and 28 ± 3 bursts min−1 in controls). The firing frequency of single unit vasoconstrictor neurones was also similar between the two groups (0.38 ± 0.09 versus 0.22 ± 0.03 Hz). However, the probability of firing during a sympathetic burst was higher in patients with panic disorder compared with healthy controls (45 ± 5%versus 32 ± 3%, P < 0.05). When only the neural bursts during which the vasoconstrictor neurone was active were considered, we found that in patients with panic disorder the neurones tended to fire more often in a ‘multiple spike’ pattern than in the controls (i.e. the probability of the neurone firing twice was 25 ± 3% in patients with panic disorder compared with 14 ± 3% in controls). Quantification from single vasoconstrictor unit recording provides evidence of a disturbed sympathetic firing pattern in patients with panic disorder.
Level of G protein–Coupled Receptor Kinase-2 Determines Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury via Pro- and Anti-Apoptotic Mechanisms

Rationale: Activation of prosurvival kinases and subsequent nitric oxide (NO) production by certain G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) protects myocardium in ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R) models. GPCR signaling pathways are regulated by GPCR kinases (GRKs), and GRK2 has been shown to be a critical molecule in normal and pathological cardiac function. Objective: A loss of cardiac GRK2 activity is known to arrest progression of heart failure (HF), at least in part by normalization of cardiac &bgr;-adrenergic receptor (&bgr;AR) signaling. Chronic HF studies have been performed with GRK2 knockout mice, as well as expression of the &bgr;ARKct, a peptide inhibitor of GRK2 activity. This study was conducted to examine the role of GRK2 and its activity during acute myocardial ischemic injury using an I/R model. Methods and Results: We demonstrate, using cardiac-specific GRK2 and &bgr;ARKct-expressing transgenic mice, a deleterious effect of GRK2 on in vivo myocardial I/R injury with &bgr;ARKct imparting cardioprotection. Post-I/R infarct size was greater in GRK2-overexpressing mice (45.0±2.8% versus 31.3±2.3% in controls) and significantly smaller in &bgr;ARKct mice (16.8±1.3%, P<0.05). Importantly, in vivo apoptosis was found to be consistent with these reciprocal effects on post-I/R myocardial injury when levels of GRK2 activity were altered. Moreover, these results were reflected by higher Akt activation and induction of NO production via &bgr;ARKct, and these antiapoptotic/survival effects could be recapitulated in vitro. Interestingly, selective antagonism of &bgr;2ARs abolished &bgr;ARKct-mediated cardioprotection, suggesting that enhanced GRK2 activity on this GPCR is deleterious to cardiac myocyte survival. Conclusion: The novel effect of reducing acute ischemic myocardial injury via increased Akt activity and NO production adds significantly to the therapeutic potential of GRK2 inhibition with the &bgr;ARKct not only in chronic HF but also potentially in acute ischemic injury conditions.
Box-Jenkins Method of analysing rate of cancer deaths at a public university hospital in east coast of Malaysia

Cancer is one of the principal causes of death in Malaysia. This study was performed to determine the pattern of rate of cancer mortality at a public hospital in Malaysia over an 11 year period from year 2001 to 2011; the best fitted model using Box-Jenkins Method of analysis to forecast the rate of cancer mortality and to forecast the rate for the next two years (2012 to 2013). The Secondary data for this study was obtained from a public university hospital located at the East Coast of Malaysia. The data were medical records of patients who died due to cancer from the year 2001 until 2011, with 663 cases. The cancer cases were classified according to ICD10 (10th Revision International Classification of Diseases). The medical records include socio-demographic background of patients such as registration, age, gender, race, ward and diagnosis. SPPS Version 19 and Minitab 16.0 were used to analyse the data. Malay patients (88.10%) and males (51.30%) were the highest percentages for the overall 11 years death rate of cancer at this hospital. Lung and breast cancer were the most cancer deaths among both gender. The highest death rate (29.60%) is also among patients aged 61 and above. The best model used for forecasting the rate of cancer deaths is ARMA (1, 3). The forecasting values for the rate of cancer deaths for January 2012 to April 2012 range from 5.91% to 6.13%. However, the forecast saw a stable overall cancer mortality trend of 6.14% for May 2012 to November 2013.
Additivity Principles in Biochemistry*

We cannot yet reliably fold proteins or RNA molecules by computer, predict ligand binding affinities, compute conformational transitions, or use the sequence information in the Human Genome very effectively to understand biomolecular function and disease. Why not? Perhaps some of our models in computational biology are based on flawed assumptions. Thermodynamic additivity principles are the foundations of chemistry, but few additivity principles have yet been found successful in biochemistry.
A new fuzzy geometric representation for online isolated character recognition

Introduces a fuzzy representation for isolated character description. This representation maps a character from its original sequence of 2D coordinates into a fuzzy vector space that can thereafter serve as input to any artificial neural network classifier. Recognition experiments on isolated digits extracted from the UNIPEN database are their conducted to evaluate the performances of the proposed representation using a hybrid Kohonen-perceptron (KP) neural network.
Understanding Gender Differences on the Water-Level Problem: The Role of Spatial Perception.

Four experiments with undergraduates examined possible sources of the gender differences routinely found on the water-level problem among adults. The nature of subjects' errors offered no evidence that less accurate responses by females reflect a less developed Piagetian spatial system, nor did the data suggest that their requisite motor skills are poorer than those of males. Across four nonphysical versions of the problem in which subjects drew horizontal or vertical lines within tilted rectangles, males were more accurate, thus disconfirming the earlier hypothesis that knowledge of the effects of gravity on water is the sole factor differentiating the sexes on this task. A role for spatial perception processes found support in gender differences on stimuli that were of different shapes and titled at different angles. A relationship was also found between knowledge of the relevant physical principle and accuracy on the horizontal and vertical nonphysical tasks, raising the possibility that spatial perception abilities underlie both
Effective design of WSNs: From the lab to the real world

Distributed environmental monitoring with wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is one of the most challenging research activities faced by the embedded system community in the last decade. Here, the need for pervasive, reliable and accurate monitoring systems has pushed the research towards the realization of credible deployments able to survive in harsh environments for long time. Design an effective WSN requires a good piece of engineer work, not to mention the research contribution needed to provide a credible deployment. As a matter of fact, to solve our application, we are looking for a monitoring framework scalable, adaptive with respect to topological changes in the network, power-aware in its middleware components and endowed with energy harvesting mechanisms to grant a long lifetime for the network. The paper addresses all main aspects related to the design of a WSN ranging from the -possible- need of an ad-hoc embedded system, to sensing, local and remote transmission, data storage and visualization; particular attention will be devoted to energy harvesting and management aspects at the unit and network level. Two applications, namely monitoring the marine environment and forecasting the collapse of rock faces in mountaineering areas will be the experimental leitmotiv of the presentation.