Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
General and Specific Interfaces: Experiences with a Multimedia Platform

Tradeoffs have always existed between a consistent, widely-used interface and interfaces optimized for specific purposes. However, the balance may be shifting toward a focus on specialized interfaces due to increased capabilities of software and rising expectations of users. We illustrate these effects through the description of a multimedia annotation system deployed in a series of laboratory and field studies. Laboratory studies identified more generic problems and guided general improvements. Field studies invariably identified context-specific requirements that presented challenges for a general interface. These studies have implications for the designers and users of multimedia systems and suggest a broader trend away from applications and toward platforms.
Palaeoproterozoic ice houses and the evolution of oxygen-mediating enzymes: the case for a late origin of photosystem II

Two major geological problems regarding the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis are (i) identifying a source of oxygen pre-dating the biological oxygen production and capable of driving the evolution of oxygen tolerance, and (ii) determining when oxygenic photosynthesis evolved. One solution to the first problem is the accumulation of photochemically produced H2O2 at the surface of the glaciers and its subsequent incorporation into ice. Melting at the glacier base would release H2O2, which interacts with seawater to produce O2 in an environment shielded from the lethal levels of ultraviolet radiation needed to produce H2O2. Answers to the second problem are controversial and range from 3.8 to 2.2 Gyr ago. A sceptical view, based on the metals that have the redox potentials close to oxygen, argues for the late end of the range. The preponderance of geological evidence suggests little or no oxygen in the Late Archaean atmosphere (less than 1 ppm). The main piece of evidence for an earlier evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis comes from lipid biomarkers. Recent work, however, has shown that 2-methylhopanes, once thought to be unique biomarkers for cyanobacteria, are also produced anaerobically in significant quantities by at least two strains of anoxygenic phototrophs. Sterane biomarkers provide the strongest evidence for a date 2.7 Gyr ago or above, and could also be explained by the common evolutionary pattern of replacing anaerobic enzymes with oxygen-dependent ones. Although no anaerobic sterol synthesis pathway has been identified in the modern biosphere, enzymes that perform the necessary chemistry do exist. This analysis suggests that oxygenic photosynthesis could have evolved close in geological time to the Makganyene Snowball Earth Event and argues for a causal link between the two.
Predicting root defence against herbivores during succession

Summary 1. Root herbivores and pathogens interfere with basic below-ground plant function, and can thereby affect plant fitness and spatial and temporal patterns in natural plant communities. However, there has been little development of concepts and theories on below-ground plant defence, a deficit that is in contrast to the abundance of theorizing for above-ground plant parts. 2. A review of the past 10 years of research on below-ground plant–herbivore interactions has revealed that, similar to above-ground tissues, root defences can be expressed constitutively or induced upon herbivore attack, and can be classified into direct and indirect traits, tolerance, and escape. Indeed, it has been shown that roots tolerate herbivory by outgrowing or re-growing lost tissues, or resist it by producing secondary metabolites that are toxic to herbivores or attract natural enemies of herbivores. 3. We propose that, similar to above-ground plant–herbivore theories, the partition of abiotic and biotic factors over ecological succession can serve as the basis for predicting investment in defence strategies below-ground. 4. Investigation of herbivore pressure and root responses along primary and secondary successional gradients suggests that: (i) roots are often fast growing, thinner and softer in early compared to later succession. (ii) Insect and nematode herbivore pressure increases until mid-succession and later decreases. (iii) Mycorrhizal abundance increases with succession, and the composition of fungal species changes through succession, often shifting from arbuscular mycorrhizae to ecto-mycorrhizae. 5. Based on these findings, and on classical (above-ground) plant defence theory, we suggest the following set of testable hypotheses for below-ground plant defence: (i) During succession, early plants invest most of their resources in growth and less in defences (associated with a general lack of herbivores and pathogens, and with limited availability of resources in the system), therefore relying more on re-growth (tolerance) strategies. (ii) During mid-succession, a buildup of herbivore pressure facilitates replacement by plant species that exhibit greater direct and indirect defence strategies. (iii) Constitutive and inducible levels of defences may trade-off, and early successional plants should rely more on induction of defences after herbivore attack, whereas late successional plants will increasingly rely on constitutively produced levels of physical and chemical defence. (iv) Successional changes in microbial associations have consequences for root defence by improving plant nutrition and defence expression as well as directly competing for root space; however, toxic or impenetrable root defences may also limit association with root symbionts, and so may constrain the expression of root defence.
Association of the alpha 2A adrenergic receptor -1291C/G polymorphism and antipsychotic-induced weight gain in European-Americans.

AIMS To investigate the -1291 C/G promoter polymorphism (rs1800544) of the adrenergic alpha-2A receptor (ADRA2A) with clozapine-/olanzapine-induced weight gain in European-Americans and African-Americans. The alpha-adrenergic receptors inhibit lipolysis in the adipose tissue and are involved in weight gain regulation. Moreover, two previous studies indicated an association with antipsychotic-induced weight gain with the same polymorphism in Asian populations. MATERIALS & METHODS We analyzed a relatively large (n=129) and well-characterized group of patients and monitored them for a period of 6-14 weeks. Our refined sample consisted of 60 European-Americans and 39 African-Americans on clozapine or olanzapine, prospectively. RESULTS In European-Americans, we observed a significant difference in weight gain across the genotypic categories (p=0.046). The carriers of the C allele gained more weight compared with the subjects homozygous for the GG allele (CC + CG vs GG; 3.73 +/- 4.13 kg vs 0.23 +/- 2.92 kg; p=0.013). We did not find a significant association in African-Americans, although the sample size was probably too small. CONCLUSION Our observations suggest a possible role of ADRA2A polymorphisms in clozapine-/olanzpaine-induced weight gain in subjects of European descent.
A novel bias correction methodology for climate impact simulations

Abstract. Understanding, quantifying and attributing the impacts of extreme weather and climate events in the terrestrial biosphere is crucial for societal adaptation in a changing climate. However, climate model simulations generated for this purpose typically exhibit biases in their output that hinder any straightforward assessment of impacts. To overcome this issue, various bias correction strategies are routinely used to alleviate climate model deficiencies, most of which have been criticized for physical inconsistency and the nonpreservation of the multivariate correlation structure. In this study, we introduce a novel, resampling-based bias correction scheme that fully preserves the physical consistency and multivariate correlation structure of the model output. This procedure strongly improves the representation of climatic extremes and variability in a large regional climate model ensemble (HadRM3P, climateprediction.net/weatherathome ), which is illustrated for summer extremes in temperature and rainfall over Central Europe. Moreover, we simulate biosphere–atmosphere fluxes of carbon and water using a terrestrial ecosystem model (LPJmL) driven by the bias-corrected climate forcing. The resampling-based bias correction yields strongly improved statistical distributions of carbon and water fluxes, including the extremes. Our results thus highlight the importance of carefully considering statistical moments beyond the mean for climate impact simulations. In conclusion, the present study introduces an approach to alleviate climate model biases in a physically consistent way and demonstrates that this yields strongly improved simulations of climate extremes and associated impacts in the terrestrial biosphere. A wider uptake of our methodology by the climate and impact modelling community therefore seems desirable for accurately quantifying changes in past, current and future extremes.
SMEs; Virtual Research and Development (R&D) Teams and New Product Development: A Literature Review

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are indeed the engines of global economic growth. Their continued growth is a major subject for the economy and employment of any country. Towards that end, virtual research and development (R&D) could be a viable option to sustain and ease the operations of SMEs. However, literature shows there has not been a great deal of research into the diverse characteristic of virtual R&D teams in SMEs. This article provides a comprehensive literature review on different aspects of virtual R&D teams collected from the reputed publications. The purpose of the literature review is to provide an outline on the structure and dynamics of R&D collaboration in SMEs. Specifying the rationale and relevance of virtual teams, the relationship between virtual R&D team for SMEs and new product development (NPD) has been examined. It concludes with identifying the gaps and feebleness in the existing literatures and calls for future research in this area. It is argued to form of virtual R&D team deserves consideration at top level management for venturing into the new product development within SMEs.
Sonic crystal noise barriers

An alternative road traffic noise barrier using an array of periodically arranged vertical cylinders known as a Sonic Crystal (SC) is investigated. As a result of multiple (Bragg) scattering, SCs exhibit a selective sound attenuation in frequency bands called band gaps or stop bands related to the spacing and size of the cylinders. Theoretical studies using Plane Wave Expansion (PWE), Multiple Scattering Theory (MST) and Finite Element Method (FEM) have enabled study of the performance of SC barriers. Strategies for improving the band gaps by employing the intrinsic acoustic properties of the scatterer are considered. The use of the tube cavity (Helmholtz type) resonances in Split Ring Resonator (SRR) or the breathing mode resonances observed in thin elastic shells is shown to increase Insertion loss (IL) in the low-frequency range below the first Bragg stop band. Subsequently, a novel design of composite scatterer uses these 2 types of cylindrical scatterer in a concentric configuration with multiple symmetrical slits on the outer rigid shell. An array of composite scatterers forms a system of coupled resonators and gives rise to multiple low-frequency resonances. Measurements have been made in an anechoic chamber and also on a full-scale prototypes outdoors under various meteorological conditions. The experimental results are found to confirm the existence of the Bragg band gaps for SC barriers and the predicted significant improvements when locally resonant scatterers are used. The resonant arrays are found to give rise to relatively angle-independent stop bands in a useful range of frequencies. Good agreement between computational modelling and experimental work is obtained. Studies have been made also of the acoustical performances of regular arrays of cylindrical elements, with their axes aligned and parallel to a ground plane including predictions and laboratory experiment.
Increase in chitin as an essential response to defects in assembly of cell wall polymers in the ggp1delta mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The GGP1/GAS1 gene codes for a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored plasma membrane glycoprotein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The ggp1delta mutant shows morphogenetic defects which suggest changes in the cell wall matrix. In this work, we have investigated cell wall glucan levels and the increase of chitin in ggp1delta mutant cells. In these cells, the level of alkali-insoluble 1,6-beta-D-glucan was found to be 50% of that of wild-type cells and was responsible for the observed decrease in the total alkali-insoluble glucan. Moreover, the ratio of alkali-soluble to alkali-insoluble glucan almost doubled, suggesting a change in glucan solubility. The increase of chitin in ggp1delta cells was found to be essential since the chs3delta ggp1delta mutations determined a severe reduction in the growth rate and in cell viability. Electron microscopy analysis showed the loss of the typical structure of yeast cell walls. Furthermore, in the chs3delta ggp1delta cells, the level of alkali-insoluble glucan was 57% of that of wild-type cells and the alkali-soluble/alkali-insoluble glucan ratio was doubled. We tested the effect of inhibition of chitin synthesis also by a different approach. The ggp1delta cells were treated with nikkomycin Z, a well-known inhibitor of chitin synthesis, and showed a hypersensitivity to this drug. In addition, studies of genetic interactions with genes related to the construction of the cell wall indicate a synthetic lethal effect of the ggp1delta kre6delta and the ggp1delta pkc1delta combined mutations. Our data point to an involvement of the GGP1 gene product in the cross-links between cell wall glucans (1,3-beta-D-glucans with 1,6-beta-D-glucans and with chitin). Chitin is essential to compensate for the defects due to the lack of Ggp1p. Moreover, the activities of Ggp1p and Chs3p are essential to the formation of the organized structure of the cell wall in vegetative cells.
Calcium orthophosphates and human beings

The historical development of a scientific knowledge on calcium orthophosphates from the 1770s until 1940 is described. Many forgotten and poorly known historical facts and approaches have been extracted from old publications and then they have been analyzed, systematized and reconsidered from the modern point of view. The chosen time scale starts with the earliest available studies of 1770s (to the best of my findings, calcium orthophosphates had been unknown before), passes through the entire 19th century and finishes in 1940, because since then the amount of publications on calcium orthophosphates rapidly increases and the subject becomes too broad. Furthermore, since publications of the second half of the 20th century are easily accessible, a substantial amount of them have already been reviewed by other researchers. The reported historical findings clearly demonstrate that the substantial amount of the scientific facts and experimental approaches have been known for very many decades and, in fact, the considerable quantity of relatively recent investigations on calcium orthophosphates is just either a further development of the earlier studies or a rediscovery of the already forgotten knowledge.
Treatment of anxiety and depression: medicinal plants in retrospect

Anxiety and depression are complex heterogeneous psychiatric disorders and leading causes of disability worldwide. This review summarizes reports on the fundamentals, prevalence, diagnosis, neurobiology, advancement in treatment of these diseases and preclinical assessment of botanicals. This review was conducted through bibliographic investigation of scientific journals, books, electronic sources, unpublished theses and electronic medium such as ScienceDirect and PubMed. A number of the first‐line drugs (benzodiazepine, azapirone, antidepressant tricyclics, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors, noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, etc.) for the treatment of these psychiatric disorders are products of serendipitous discoveries. Inspite of the numerous classes of drugs that are available for the treatment of anxiety and depression, full remission has remained elusive. The emerging clinical cases have shown increasing interests among health practitioners and patients in phytomedicine. The development of anxiolytic and antidepressant drugs of plant origin takes advantage of multidisciplinary approach including but not limited to ethnopharmacological survey (careful investigation of folkloric application of medicinal plant), phytochemical and pharmacological studies. The selection of a suitable plant for a pharmacological study is a basic and very important step. Relevant clues to achieving this step include traditional use, chemical composition, toxicity, randomized selection or a combination of several criteria. Medicinal plants have been and continue to be a rich source of biomolecule with therapeutic values for the treatment of anxiety and depression.
The role of vimentin expression in predicting the long-term outcome of patients with localized renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prognostic significance of vimentin intermediary filament expression by tumour cells in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) localized to the kidney. PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty-nine patients with localized RCC (pT1,pT2) were assessed in a retrospective study. Tumour cells were evaluated immunohistochemically for vimentin, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and polyclonal cytokeratin expression. The prognosis of cases expressing positive vimentin expression in tumour cells was compared with that of cases with no expression. Additional clinical information and conventional histological grade of the tumours were also included in the survival analysis. RESULTS Univariate analysis of patient survival and tumour recurrence showed a statistically significant association between vimentin-positive tumours and poor patient outcome; the EMA stain showed borderline significance and histological grade was significantly associated with prognosis. The combination of tumour vimentin expression and histological grade provided a better predictor of prognosis and proved to be the best independent prognosticator of survival by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS Vimentin expression by tumour cells provides important prognostic information for patients with localized RCC; the combination of vimentin expression and histological grade is a better predictor for survival than grade or vimentin expression alone.
Developmental Dysgraphia and Motor Skills Disorders

Developmental coordination disorder is not traditionally consid­ ered a learning disability. If one, however, divides this broad Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition, category into clumsiness, adventitious movements, and dyspraxia, each of these subtypes can be shown to impact on learning and school performance in a characteristic fashion. A survey of fine-motor activity requirements in elementary schools in Massachusetts showed that 30% to 60% of the time in school was spent in mostly fine-motor activity. This statistic reveals why the child with poor written expression (dysgraphia) is at a major disadvantage for a large portion of the school day. 2 The term dysgraphia has customarily been used to specify a disorder of written expression of language in childhood, as opposed to a disorder of written language acquired in adulthood that is often called agraphia. Strictly speaking, dysgraphia means incorrect writing, whereas agraphia means lack of writing, but current clinical usage reserves the aprefix for acquired adult conditions such as aphasia and alexia, whereas the dysprefix denotes the corresponding condition (eg, dyslexia) in childhood. Although cases of alexia were apparently recognized and reported in the 1st century A D , 3 agraphia was not really recog­ nized in adults until the 19th century, and childhood dysgraphia does not seem to have been studied as an entity separate from childhood dyslexia until the mid-20th century. 4 Quantitative evaluation, remediation, and management methods for dys­ graphia are still evolving. A subdivision of developmental dysgraphia based on spe­ cific symptoms will be suggested in this article, as well as a brief description of management methods that are appropriate for the different types of dysgraphia. Even though developmental dys­ graphia differs qualitatively from acquired agraphia, a brief review of cerebral pathology in acquired agraphia is helpful in placing the disability in perspective as a motor learning disabil­ ity. Studies of handwriting in normal adults seem to suggest that several systems of the brain interact in its production. Acquired (adult) agraphia is generally found, together with aphasia and alexia, after left-hemisphere middle cerebral artery infarction. Writing is preserved despite alexia in the syndrome of alexia without agraphia that occurs when splenial and occipi­ tal destruction are combined in a posterior cerebral artery terri­ tory infarction. Agraphia and alexia are seen without aphasia in
Interaction relabelling and extreme characters: methods for exploring aesthetic interactions

Aesthetics and interaction are interwoven concepts, rather than separate entities. An aesthetics of interaction must consider richness in appearance, actions, and role. Moving beyond a narrow focus on usability in this way requires new methods for understanding design possibilities. Here we describe two: interaction relabelling, in which possible interactions with a known mechanical device are mapped to the functions of an electronic device to be designed; and extreme characters, in which fictional users with exaggerated emotional attitudes are taken as the basis of design to highlight cultural issues. These methods may help designers in considering physical interactions with products on the one hand, and the sociocultural role their products will take on the other.
A Sub-500 mV Highly Efficient Active Rectifier for Energy Harvesting Applications

This paper presents a highly efficient, ultra-low-voltage active full wave rectifier. A two-stage concept is used including a first passive stage and only one active diode as second stage. A bulk-input comparator working in the subthreshold region is used to drive the switch of the active diode. The voltage drop over the rectifier is some tens of millivolt, which results in voltage and power efficiencies of over 90%. The design was successfully implemented in an 0.35 μm CMOS technology. The measured power consumption of the comparator is 266 nW@500 mV and the minimum operating voltage is 380 mV. Input voltages with frequencies up to 10 kHz can be rectified.