Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Construction of a robust multicast tree for application-level multicast

Application-level multicast (ALM) is a feasible alternative to IP multicast. In ALM, multicast related features, such as group membership management, multicast routing and packet replication, are implemented at end-hosts instead of routers. A multicast distribution tree is constructed in the application layer, so all nodes in this tree are end-hosts. Packet transmission between end-hosts uses conventional IP unicast service. Therefore, all end-hosts can enjoy multicast communications without IP multicast service. However, ALM has a serious problem that the multicast distribution tree is intrinsically fragile and an end-host failure causes tree partitions. In this paper, to deal with this problem, we propose a new tree construction protocol which makes outdegrees of intermediate nodes be balanced. The degree-balanced distribution tree can reduce the average number of nodes decoupled by tree partitions. To investigate performance of our protocol, it is compared with an existing ALM protocol. Our simulation results show that our protocol outperforms the existing protocol from the viewpoints of robustness, loss probability and receiver-perceived delay.
Galactose Starvation in a Bloodstream Form Trypanosoma brucei UDP-Glucose 4′-Epimerase Conditional Null Mutant

ABSTRACT Galactose metabolism is essential for the survival of Trypanosoma brucei, the etiological agent of African sleeping sickness. T. brucei hexose transporters are unable to transport galactose, which is instead obtained through the epimerization of UDP-glucose to UDP-galactose catalyzed by UDP-glucose 4′-epimerase (galE). Here, we have characterized the phenotype of a bloodstream form T. brucei galE conditional null mutant under nonpermissive conditions that induced galactose starvation. Cellular levels of UDP-galactose dropped rapidly upon induction of galactose starvation, reaching undetectable levels after 72 h. Analysis of extracted glycoproteins by ricin and tomato lectin blotting showed that terminal β-d-galactose was virtually eliminated and poly-N-acetyllactosamine structures were substantially reduced. Mass spectrometric analysis of variant surface glycoprotein confirmed complete loss of galactose from the glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. After 96 h, cell division ceased, and electron microscopy revealed that the cells had adopted a morphologically distinct stumpy-like form, concurrent with the appearance of aberrant vesicles close to the flagellar pocket. These data demonstrate that the UDP-glucose 4′-epimerase is essential for the production of UDP-galactose required for galactosylation of glycoproteins and that galactosylation of one or more glycoproteins, most likely in the lysosomal/endosomal system, is essential for the survival of bloodstream form T. brucei.
Differences in the risk of homicide and other fatal injuries between postpartum women and other women of childbearing age: implications for prevention.

OBJECTIVES This study compared injury deaths between postpartum women and other women aged 15 to 44. METHODS Risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed for injury fatality rates. RESULTS Fifty percent (29/58) of postpartum injury deaths were homicides, compared with 26% (427/1648) of injury deaths among nonpregnant, nonpostpartum women. For females aged 15 to 19, the homicide rate was 2.6 times higher (95% CI = 1.17, 5.95) for postpartum females than for other females. The motor-vehicle fatality rate was lower for postpartum females than for nonpregnant, nonpostpartum females (risk ratio = 0.30, CI = 0.18, 0.48). CONCLUSIONS Postpartum females aged 15 to 19 years were at higher risk of homicide. Postpartum women were at reduced risk of motor-vehicle fatalities.
Node Density-Based Adaptive Routing Scheme for Disruption Tolerant Networks

Traditional ad hoc routing protocols do not work in intermittently connected networks since end-to-end paths may not exist in such networks. Hence, routing mechanisms that can withstand disruptions need to he designed. A store-and-forward approach has been proposed for disruption tolerant networks. Recently, several approaches have been proposed for unicast routing in disruption-prone networks e.g. the 2-hop relay approach, delivery probability based routing, and message ferrying. In our earlier paper, we have evaluated a combined multihop and message ferrying approach in disruption tolerant networks. In that paper, we assume that a special node is designated to be a message ferry. A more flexible approach is to let regular nodes volunteer to be message ferries when network dynamics mandate the presence of such ferries to ensure communications. Thus, in this paper, we design a node-density based adaptive routing (NDBAR) scheme that allows regular nodes to volunteer to be message ferries when there are very few nodes around them to ensure the feasibility of continued communications. Our simulation results indicate that our NDBAR scheme can achieve the highest delivery ratio in very sparse networks that are prone to frequent disruptions
Resilience in Development

Resilience is the capacity for positive adaptation in significant adversity. This chapter covers the central concepts of resilience research in developmental science, and describes the fundamental models and strategies guiding this research. We summarize findings in terms of protective and promotive factors associated with resilience. These factors—such as self-regulation skills, good parenting, community resources, and effective schools—suggest that resilience arises from ordinary protective processes that protect human development under diverse conditions. The greatest threats posed to children may be adversities that damage these human protective systems. Implications of these findings for theory and practice are discussed, highlighting three strategies for fostering resilience: reducing risk, building strengths or assets, and mobilizing adaptive systems that protect and restore positive human development. The concluding section outlines future directions of resilience research, including the integration of research and prevention efforts across disciplines and across level of analysis.
A Mind of Her Own: The Evolutionary Psychology of Women(2nd edn)

* A highly controversial book challenging current evolutionary thinking on women * A new book in the popular field of evolutionary psychology * Accessible and dynamic account of evolutionary theory Theories of human evolution portray ancestral men as active individuals who shaped future generations by testosterone-driven competition, creating a critical gulf between reproductive winners and losers. But what role is left for women within such evolutionary thinking? Their role has been constricted to mere consumers of the fruits of male competition accepting the winning male genes to pass to their children. Allegedly devoid of the need and capacity for competition amongst themselves, women could be neither winners nor losers in the reproductive stakes and so could contribute nothing to the genetic variability that drives selection. Is it any wonder that feminists are dismissive of such evolutionary approaches? That many have sought to ignore the contribution that evolutionary theory can make to our understanding of women? But have women really just been bit part actors in the whole story of evolution? Have they not played their own role in ensuring their reproductive success? In this highly accessible and thought provoking new book, Anne Campbell challenges this passive role of women in evolutionary theory, and redresses the current bias within evolutionary writing. Guiding us through the basics of evolutionary theory, she proposes that women have forged their own strategic way forward, acting through their own forms of competition, rivalry, aggression, and sexuality, to shape their own destiny. Throwing down a challenge to feminist theories, Campbell argues that evolutionary theory can indeed teach us plenty about the development of the female mind - we just need to get it right. This is an important book that will force others to re-evaluate their own assumptions about the evolution of the female mind.
Role of the tubulin-microtubule system in lymphocyte activation

The role of the tubulin-microtubule system was examined in human peripheral blood leukocytes after activation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Soluble tubulin and microtubules were measured with a [(3)H]colchicine-binding assay. It was found that the tubulin content of PHA-activated lymphocytes was consistently increased relative to total protein content after 36 h of culture. There was no increase in the proportion of total tubulin synthesis which was present as microtubules at 36 h. Nevertheless, as a result of increased tubulin synthesis, there was a two-to three-fold increase in total microtubular mass. Colchicine, which disrupts microtubles, was used to assess the role of microtubule assembly in the sequence of events which follow lymphocyte activation, namely lymphokine release, protein synthesis, RNA synthesis, and DNA synthesis. Colchicine consistently inhibited DNA synthesis but did not inhibit release of the lymphokine, osteoclast activating factor (OAF). Protein and RNA syntheses were inhibited much less than DNA synthesis. The fact that some effects of PHA on lymphocytes appear to require intact microtubules and at least one does not suggest that the microtubule dependent step in PHA-stimulated lymphocyte activation occurs at a stage after propagation of the signal from the membrane to the cell interior.
Disparity Map Generation from Illumination Variant Stereo Images Using Efficient Hierarchical Dynamic Programming

A novel hierarchical stereo matching algorithm is presented which gives disparity map as output from illumination variant stereo pair. Illumination difference between two stereo images can lead to undesirable output. Stereo image pair often experience illumination variations due to many factors like real and practical situation, spatially and temporally separated camera positions, environmental illumination fluctuation, and the change in the strength or position of the light sources. Window matching and dynamic programming techniques are employed for disparity map estimation. Good quality disparity map is obtained with the optimized path. Homomorphic filtering is used as a preprocessing step to lessen illumination variation between the stereo images. Anisotropic diffusion is used to refine disparity map to give high quality disparity map as a final output. The robust performance of the proposed approach is suitable for real life circumstances where there will be always illumination variation between the images. The matching is carried out in a sequence of images representing the same scene, however in different resolutions. The hierarchical approach adopted decreases the computation time of the stereo matching problem. This algorithm can be helpful in applications like robot navigation, extraction of information from aerial surveys, 3D scene reconstruction, and military and security applications. Similarity measure SAD is often sensitive to illumination variation. It produces unacceptable disparity map results for illumination variant left and right images. Experimental results show that our proposed algorithm produces quality disparity maps for both wide range of illumination variant and invariant stereo image pair.
Gene expression profiles induced by growth factors in in vitro cultured osteoblasts

Objectives Effects of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) on the expression of genes involved in the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts in culture were analysed. The best sequence of growth factor addition that induces expansion of cells before their differentiation was sought. Methods Primary human osteoblasts in in vitro culture were treated with IGF1, BMP2 or FGF2 (10 ng/ml) for 24 hours (IGF1) or 48 hours (BMP2 and FGF2). Experiments were performed during the exponential growth phase with approximately 1e7 cells per 75 cm2 flask. mRNA was reverse transcribed directly and analysed using RT-PCR Taqman assays. Expression levels of key genes involved in cell growth and differentiation (CDH11, TNFRSF11B, RUNX2, POSTN, ALP, WNT5A, LEF1, HSPA5, FOS, p21) were monitored using RT-PCR with gene-specific Taqman probes. Results Autocrine expression of BMP2 is stimulated by FGF2 and BMP2 itself. BMP2 and FGF2 act as proliferative factors as indicated by reduced expression of ALP and POSTN, whereas IGF1 exhibits a more subtle picture: the Wingless und Int-1 (Wnt) signalling pathway and the Smad pathway, but not p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signalling, were shown to be activated by IGF1, leading to proliferation and differentiation of the cells. Conclusions For future use of autologous bone cells in the management of bony defects, new treatment options take advantage of growth factors and differentiation factors. Thus, our results might help to guide the timely application of these factors for the expansion and subsequent differentiation of osteoblastic cells in culture. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2014;3:236–40.
Using team – individual reward and recognition strategies to drive organizational success

Discusses the value of team and individual reward strategies and how these can be used to contribute to organisational change and success. A review of team effectiveness and models of teamwork are first discussed so that team rewards are understood as important motivators to accomplishing organisational objectives. Four factors need to be considered in establishing team‐based rewards: the stages of a team life cycle, reward and recognition categories, the type of teams and the culture of the team and organisation. Forty‐four specific reward tools are described which can be used for individual or team incentives. Comprehensive matrices are put forward which can be used to determine which tool should be used at which stage in a team’s life cycle and with which type of team. Finally, the implementation cost, evaluation of team reward systems is considered.
The Staphylococcus aureus Global Regulator MgrA Modulates Clumping and Virulence by Controlling Surface Protein Expression

Staphylococcus aureus is a human commensal and opportunistic pathogen that causes devastating infections in a wide range of locations within the body. One of the defining characteristics of S. aureus is its ability to form clumps in the presence of soluble fibrinogen, which likely has a protective benefit and facilitates adhesion to host tissue. We have previously shown that the ArlRS two-component regulatory system controls clumping, in part by repressing production of the large surface protein Ebh. In this work we show that ArlRS does not directly regulate Ebh, but instead ArlRS activates expression of the global regulator MgrA. Strains lacking mgrA fail to clump in the presence of fibrinogen, and clumping can be restored to an arlRS mutant by overexpressing either arlRS or mgrA, indicating that ArlRS and MgrA constitute a regulatory pathway. We used RNA-seq to show that MgrA represses ebh, as well as seven cell wall-associated proteins (SraP, Spa, FnbB, SasG, SasC, FmtB, and SdrD). EMSA analysis showed that MgrA directly represses expression of ebh and sraP. Clumping can be restored to an mgrA mutant by deleting the genes for Ebh, SraP and SasG, suggesting that increased expression of these proteins blocks clumping by steric hindrance. We show that mgrA mutants are less virulent in a rabbit model of endocarditis, and virulence can be partially restored by deleting the genes for the surface proteins ebh, sraP, and sasG. While mgrA mutants are unable to clump, they are known to have enhanced biofilm capacity. We demonstrate that this increase in biofilm formation is partially due to up-regulation of SasG, a surface protein known to promote intercellular interactions. These results confirm that ArlRS and MgrA constitute a regulatory cascade, and that they control expression of a number of genes important for virulence, including those for eight large surface proteins.
Adipocyte Hypertrophy, Fatty Liver and Metabolic Risk Factors in South Asians: The Molecular Study of Health and Risk in Ethnic Groups (mol-SHARE)

Objective We sought to determine if differences in the distribution and characteristics of adipose tissue between South Asians and white Caucasians account for differences in risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Research Design and Methods We recruited 108 healthy South Asians (36.8 years) and white Caucasians (34.2 years) within three BMI strata. Body composition, adipocyte size, abdominal fat area, and hepatic adiposity were assessed and related to fasting glucose, insulin, lipids and adiponectin. Results After adjustment for age, sex, and BMI, South Asians compared to white Caucasians had higher ln fasting insulin (mean difference (md): 0.44; 95% CI: 0.20–0.69), lower HDL cholesterol (md: −0.13; 95% CI:−0.26 to −0.01), and lower adiponectin (md: −2.38; 95% CI: −3.59 to −1.17). South Asians also had more body fat (md: 2.69; 95% CI: 0.70 to 4.69), lower lean muscle mass (md: −3.25; 95%CI: −5.35 to −1.14), increased waist to hip ratio (md: 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01–0.05), less superficial subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (md: −2.94; 95% CI: −5.56 to−0.32), more deep/visceral to superficial adipose tissue ratio (md 0.34; 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.65), and more liver fat (md: 7.43%; 95% CI: 2.30 to 12.55%). Adipocyte area was increased in South Asians compared to white Caucasians (md: 64.26; 95% CI: 24.3 to 104.1) units2. Adjustment for adipocyte area attenuated the ethnic differences in insulin (md: 0.22; 95% CI: −0.07 to 0.51), HDL (md: −0.01; 95% CI: −0.16 to 0.13) and adiponectin (md: −1.11; 95% CI: −2.61 to 0.39). Adjustment for differences in adipocyte area and fat distribution attenuated the ethnic difference in liver fat (md: 5.19; 95% CI: 0.31 to 10.06). Conclusion South Asians have an increased adipocyte area compared to white Caucasians. This difference accounts for the ethnic differences in insulin, HDL cholesterol, adiponectin, and ectopic fat deposition in the liver.
Empty Mindfulness in Humanistic Psychotherapy

When mindfulness is divorced from its Buddhist foundations, it runs the danger of becoming a reified technique. Paradoxically, this lessens its potential for transformation in psychotherapy or behavioral medicine. Traditionally, mindfulness is a skillful means to encourage nonattachment by loosening identification with the contents of consciousness. This helps liberate people from the suffering inherent in illusory views of self as a fixed, graspable “thing. ” We are not who we think we are: the mind is not I. The Zen practice of “empty” mindfulness emphasizes a fluidity of being in which we find ourselves by forgetting ourselves, immersed in undivided activity.
Life on a Tricycle: A Case Study of Language Impairment From 4 to 19

This article presents a longitudinal case study of a child named Cody identified with specific language impairment. Cody was followed from 4 to 19 years of age, at which time he compared his social skills with those of peers: “It's like they're driving sports car and I'm on a tricycle. ” His initial long- and short-term intervention goals are presented, along with the treatment methods employed and the resulting outcomes. Although long-term goals remained consistent, as the nature of Cody's academic, social, and emotional challenges shifted, it was necessary to gear treatment to address his changing needs. Cody's case illustrates the tenacious, pervasive nature of specific language impairment as well as its potentially devastating effects on a developing child's quality of life.
Contactless battery charger with bi-directional energy transfer for plug-in vehicles with vehicle-to-grid capability

Bi-directional battery charger based on an inductive coupled contactless energy transfer system is presented in this work. To minimize total losses of the system, a series resonant compensation circuit is applied assuring zero-current switching condition for insulated-gate bipolar transistor. The analytical expression of the dc voltage gain, current gain as well as efficiency is presented and discussed. The resonant frequency is adjusted by an integral control method witch guarantees very fast and stable operation. Some simulation and experimental results illustrating the operation of the developed 25-kW laboratory prototype are given.
Host densities as determinants of abundance in parasite communities

Several epidemiological models predict a positive relationship between host population density and abundance of directly transmitted macroparasites. Here, we generalize these, and test the prediction by a comparative study. We used data on communities of gastrointestinal strongylid nematodes from 19 mammalian species, representing examination of 6670 individual hosts. We studied both the average abundance of all strongylid nematodes within a host species, and the two components of abundance, prevalence and intensity. The effects of host body weight, diet, fecundity and age at maturity and parasite body size were controlled for directly, and the phylogenetically independent contrast method was used to control for confounding factors more generally. Host population density and average parasite abundance were strongly positively correlated within mammalian taxa, and across all species when the effects of host body weight were controlled for. Controlling for other variables did not change this. Even when looking at single parasite species occurring in several host species, abundance was highest in the host species with the highest population density. Prevalence and intensity showed similar patterns. These patterns provide the first macroecological evidence consistent with the prediction that transmission rates depend on host population density in natural parasite communities.
Teacher Perceptions of Mainstreaming/Inclusion, 1958–1995: A Research Synthesis

Twenty-eight investigations were identified in which general education teachers were surveyed regarding their perceptions of including students with disabilities in their classes. Research synthesis procedures were employed to summarize responses and examine the consistency of responses across time, geographical location, and item type. Overall, we found that about two thirds of general classroom teachers supported the concept of mainstreaming/inclusion. A smaller majority were willing to include students with disabilities in their own classes, but responses appeared to vary according to disabling condition and implicit obligations on the teacher. Although about half or more of the teachers felt that mainstreaming/inclusion could provide some benefits, only one third or less of teachers believed they had sufficient time, skills, training or resources necessary for mainstreaming/inclusion. Reported attitudes did not appear to covary with either geographical region or time of publication. Implications for policy and practice are provided.