Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Open pulled straw (OPS) vitrification: A new way to reduce cryoinjuries of bovine ova and embryos

Although cryopreservation of certain mammalian embryos is now a routine procedure, considerable differences of efficiency exist depending on stage, species and origin (in vivo or in vitro produced). Factors that are suspected to cause most of these differences are the amount of the intracellular lipid droplets and the different microtubular structure leading to chilling injury as well as the volume/surface ratio influencing the penetration of cryoprotectants. A new approach, the Open Pulled Straw (OPS) method, which renders very high cooling and warming rates (over 20,000°C/min) and short contact with concentrated cryoprotective additives (less than 30 sec over −180°C) offers a possibility to circumvent chilling injury and to decrease toxic and osmotic damage. In this paper we report the vitrification by the OPS method of in vitro produced bovine embryos at various stages of development. Embryos cryopreserved from Day 3 to Day 7 (Day 0 = day of fertilization) exhibited development into blastocysts at rates equivalent to those of control embryos; even those cryopreserved on Day 1 or 2 exhibited only somewhat reduced survival. Eighty‐one percent of Day 8 hatched blastocysts also survived the procedure. The method was also successfully used for bovine oocytes; of 184 vitrified oocytes, 25% developed into blastocysts after fertilization and culture for 7 days. Pregnancies were achieved following transfer after vitrification at both the oocyte and blastocyst stage. The OPS vitrification offers a new way to solve basic problems of reproductive cryobiology and may have practical impact on animal biotechnology and human assisted reproduction. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 51:53–58, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Oxydative Metabolism in Optic Nerve Myelin: New Perspectives in Hereditary Optic Neuropathies

ANT Adenosine Nucleotide Translocase; BSA Bovine Serum Albumin; CLSM Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy; CNS Central Nervous System; EGTA Ethylene Glycol Tetraacetic Acid; ETC Electron Transport Chain; GA Glutaraldehyde; Ide, Idebenone; IM Isolated Myelin; MBP Myelin Basic Protein; LHON LeberHereditary Optic Neuropathy; MW MolecularWeight; NS Nervous System; OXPHOS Oxidative Phosphorylation; PBS Phosphate BufferedSaline; PNS Peripheral Nervous System; RGC Retinal Ganglion Cells; R.O. D. Relative OpticalDensity; ROS Reactive Oxygen Species; TEM Transmission Electron Microscopy; TIM Mitochondrial Import Inner Membrane Translocase; WB Western Blot; Abstract
Two Decades of Recommender Systems at Amazon.com

F or two decades now, 1 Amazon. com has been building a store for every customer. Each person who comes to Amazon.com sees it differently, because it’s individually personalized based on their interests. It’s as if you walked into a store and the shelves started rearranging themselves, with what you might want moving to the front, and what you’re unlikely to be interested in shuffling further away. From a catalog of hundreds of millions of items, Amazon.com’s recommendations pick a small number of items you might enjoy based on your current context and your past behavior. The algorithms aren’t magic; they simply share with you what other people have already discovered. The algorithm does all the work. It’s computers helping people help other people, implicitly and anonymously. Amazon.com launched item-based collaborative filtering in 1998, enabling recommendations at a previously unseen scale for millions of customers and a catalog of millions of items. Since we wrote about the algorithm in IEEE Internet Computing in 2003,2 it has seen widespread use across the Web, including YouTube, Netflix, and many others. The algorithm’s success has been from its simplicity, scalability, and often surprising and useful recommendations, as well as desirable properties such as updating immediately based on new information about a customer and being able to explain why it recommended something in a way that’s easily understandable. What was described in our 2003 IEEE Internet Computing article has faced many challenges and seen much development over the years. Here, we describe some of the updates, improvements, and adaptations for item-based collaborative filtering, and offer our view on what the future holds for collaborative filtering, recommender systems, and personalization.
Dual-Processor Design of Energy Efficient Fault-Tolerant System

A popular approach to guarantee fault tolerance in safety-critical applications is to run the application on two processors. A checkpoint is inserted at the completion of the primary copy. If there is no fault, the secondary processor terminates its execution. Otherwise, should the fault occur, the second processor continues and completes the application before its deadline. In this paper, we study the energy efficiency of such dual-processor system. Specifically, we first derive an optimal static voltage scaling policy for single periodic task. We then extend it to multiple periodic tasks based on worst case execution time (WCET) analysis. Finally, we discuss how to further reduce system's energy consumption at run time by taking advantage of the actual execution time which is less than the WCET. Simulation on real-life benchmark applications shows that our technique can save up to 80% energy while still providing fault tolerance
Convex optimization for multi-class image labeling with a novel family of total variation based regularizers

We introduce a linearly weighted variant of the total variation for vector fields in order to formulate regularizers for multi-class labeling problems with non-trivial interclass distances. We characterize the possible distances, show that Euclidean distances can be exactly represented, and review some methods to approximate non-Euclidean distances in order to define novel total variation based regularizers. We show that the convex relaxed problem can be efficiently optimized to a prescribed accuracy with optimality certificates using Nesterov's method, and evaluate and compare our approach on several synthetical and real-world examples.
Management of fat reserves and food caches in tufted titmice (Parus bicolor) in relation to unpredictable food supply

In the temperate zone, permanent-resident bird* and mammals that do not hibernate must survive harsh winter conditions of low ambient temperature, long nights, and reduced food levels. To understand the energy management strategy of foodhoarding birds, it has been hypothesized that such birds respond to increased itarvation risk by increasing the number of their hoards rather than by increasing their fat reserves and that they cache early in the day and retrieve their caches later to achieve fat reserves necessary to survive the night We tested these hypotheses by observing the responses in captivity of a caching bird, the tufted titmouse (Pants tricolor), to the combined influences of reduced predictability of food and naturally occurring ambient temperature and photoperiod. When the food supply was unpredictable, birds significantly increased both internal fat reserves at dusk and external food caches. Initially leaner birds tended to increase their fat reserves to a greater extent and initially fatter birds tended to cache more food and to My significantly less. Half the birds also increased their dawn and mean daily body mass. All birds tended to forage, gain body mass, and cache food at significantly lower rates in the morning and at significantly higher rates in the evening. Cache retrieval showed the opposite trend, with birds retrieving most of their caches in the morning. Our results do not support the hypothesis that caching birds increase caching rate but not body mass under an unpredictable food regime. Instead fat reserves and food caches are both important complementary sources of energy in food-hoarding birds. Energy management by wintering birds occurs in response to a number of biotic and abiotic factors acting simultaneously; thus future models must incorporate independent variables in addition to the state of the food supply and time of day.
Archaea Dominate the Ammonia-Oxidizing Community in the Rhizosphere of the Freshwater Macrophyte Littorella uniflora

ABSTRACT Archaeal and bacterial ammonia monooxygenase genes (amoA) had similar low relative abundances in freshwater sediment. In the rhizosphere of the submersed macrophyte Littorella uniflora, archaeal amoA was 500- to >8,000-fold enriched compared to bacterial amoA, suggesting that the enhanced nitrification activity observed in the rhizosphere was due to ammonia-oxidizing Archaea.
Negotiation of meaning in outside of the classroom group assignments: accounting for the how to understand the what of future mathematics teachers' learning

In this paper we illustrate how Wenger’s theory of social learning can be used to account for phenomena of future teachers change in settings that are not usually studied, namely group work that future teachers do as they work on class assignments outside of class. We describe how we adapted Wenger’s theory to the exploration of future mathematics teachers’ learning and illustrate how the analysis of the audio taped interaction of a group of future teachers working out-side the classroom generated conjectures that help to explain their didactic knowledge development.
A Study of Psychopaths' Make-up Coordination Expressed on the Slasher Films

The purpose of this paper is to show how psychopaths' psychological factors are expressed on the characters' visual styles in the make-up coordination of slasher films. Psychopath is an ordinary person who has suffered some terrible trauma (humiliation, the death of a loved one, rape, psychological abuse), and features a disorder that consists of multiple components ranging on the emotional, interpersonal, and behavioral spectrum. Slasher films are sub genre of horror films that psychopathy characters, namely, Leather Face, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Kenny Hampson, Harry Warden, Freddy Kruger and Billy kill the unfamiliar victims by cruel weapons with mercilessly. Their aesthetic characteristics of make-up coordination were shown in concealment, cruelty and suggestion. The concealment was presented by killers' masks, the cruelty was represented by their weapons, and the suggestion, especially space-time and status was depicted by their garments.
Conserved Enhancer in the Serum Response Factor Promoter Controls Expression During Early Coronary Vasculogenesis

Abstract— Serum response factor (SRF) is a transcription factor required for mesoderm formation in the developing mouse embryo that is important for myogenic differentiation, including notably, the differentiation of the proepicardial organ (PEO) into coronary vascular cells during early development. To identify regulatory sequences that control SRF expression during early mouse development, we used a novel transgenic approach to study the role of conserved noncoding DNA sequences (CNCS) in the SRF gene. Embryonic stem (ES) cells containing a targeted single-copy of putative SRF regulatory sequences were used to directly generate transgenic embryos by tetraploid aggregation. Because the ES cell–derived targeted embryos are genetically equivalent, except for the putative regulatory sequence of interest, differences in transgene expression can be attributed directly to these sequences. Using this approach, we identified an E-box/Ets containing 270-bp cis-acting module in the SRF promoter that mediates expression in the PEO. Reporter transgenes containing this module express in derivatives of the PEO that give rise to the coronary vasculature, but do not express in the PEO-derived epicardium. These results are the first reported in vivo analysis of SRF regulatory elements that control expression during early development. Using this reporter module and this approach, it should be possible to begin to elucidate molecular mechanisms involved in the differentiation of coronary vasculature progenitor cells, as well as identify additional SRF regulatory elements important during mammalian development.
Memory for Action: A Distinct Form of Episodic Memory?

In eight chapters by leading researchers, Memory for Action presents our actual knowledge on memory for actions and the opposing explanaions for these phenomena. It gives an overview of the results from laboratory research on action memory and on memory for activities in social contexts, and presents recent results on memory for intended actions. Additionally, these results are put in relation to the information and to the brain modules which are necessary for successful control of actions.
Bird Energetics: Effects of Artificial Radiation

Radiant energy reduces oxygen consumption in birds; this reduction is correlated with feather color, being greater in dark birds (26 percent reduction) than in white ones (6 percent reduction). With radiant energy (basking), the cow-bird effectively increased its insulation, thus shifting the lower end of the zone of thermal neutrality down by as much as 10�C (35� to 25�C).
Insulin-like Growth Factor I and Transforming Growth Factor a as Autocrine Growth Factors in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth 1

The roles of insulin-like growth factor I (K.I -I) and transforming growth factor a (TCF-a) as autocrine factors in the proliferation of \11 V PaCa 2 cells (human pancreatic cancer cells, PC cells) were investigated. Furthermore, the mechanism(s) of inhibition of PC cell growth by a phorbol ester in relation to these two kinds of growth factor was also studied. PC cells grew autonomously when Dulbecco's modified essential me dium supplemented with 4% fetal calf serum was changed to serum-free medium (0.3% bovine serum albumin-Dulbecco's modified essential me dium). In addition, serum-free conditioned medium from PC cells dialyzed against fresh Dulbecco's modified essential medium had a stimulatory action on the growth of the same kind of cells when compared with that induced by nonconditioncd medium. These observations suggest that a factor(s) produced and released by PC cells stimulates their own growth. Analysis of conditioned medium from PC cells revealed the presence of immunoreactive (IR)-IGF-I and IR-TGF-a. The molecular size of IRIGF-I was similar to that of authentic K.I -I. On the other hand, IRTGF-a was present as multiple forms when analyzed using gel chromatography. Authentic IGF-I and TGF-a added to culture medium stimu lated PC cell growth by 1.45and 1.5-fold above control value, respec tively. A monoclonal antibody to IGF-I receptor was able to inhibit PC cell growth. PC cell proliferation was markedly inhibited by 12-O-tetradecanoyl13-acetate (>0.16 nisi), whereas cell growth of human fibroblasts was stimulated by it. 12-0-Tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate also reduced the binding of 12*I-TGF-a, but not 12'I-IGF-I, to PC cells. Decrease in TGF-a binding was mainly due to the reduced affinity of receptors to the ligand. These results suggest that IGF-I and TGF-a are involved in PC cell proliferation as autocrinc factors. Further, the inhibition of PC cell growth by phorbol ester could be, at least partly, due to the decreased binding of TGF-a to the cells.
In Their Profession's Service: How Staff Professionals Exert Influence in Their Organization

This paper seeks to better understand the way staff professionals bring professional practices inside their organization by examining how they enact a practical agency to promote or disrupt practices. From an inductive study of occupational safety and health managers in a multinational construction company, we develop a framework of how staff professionals build perceived legitimacy and exert unobtrusive influence tactics to manoeuvre around social constraints. We contend that our principal contribution to the literature on institutional work is to provide a situated account of the practical agency of staff professionals inside one organization. In doing so, we extend current knowledge of the embedded agency paradox. Finally, our analysis offers new insights into the literature on professions and institutions by highlighting the work of staff professionals in a real-life context, which has received scant attention in the last three decades.
Finding the Jigsaw Piece for Our Jigsaw Puzzle with Corporate Social Responsibility: The Impact of CSR on Prospective Applicants’ Responses

This study examines the influence of different corporate social responsibility (CSR) dimensions on prospective applicants’ responses, namely organizational attractiveness and intention to apply for a job vacancy. Using an experimental 2 x 3 crossed factorial design (n=195), the level of engagement of a hypothetical company in socially responsible practices (high vs. low) was manipulated concerning three dimensions of CSR (employees, community and environment, economic level). Participants were randomly assigned to one of the six conditions and, after reading the corresponding scenario, were asked to evaluate the extent to which the company was considered a good place to work and their intention to apply for a job vacancy in it. Finding reveal that the level of engagement in socially responsible practices had a positive effect both on the degree to which participants favorably perceived the organization as a place to work and on their intention to apply for a job vacancy. Furthermore, the level of engagement in practices towards employees and in the economic domain had a stronger effect on participants’ responses than the engagement in practices that benefit community and environment. Accordingly, this study supports the idea that CSR can be a source of competitive advantage in the recruitment of new employees. However, since not all CSR dimensions have the same effect upon applicants’ responses, companies should take into account the CSR dimensions in which they are engaged and communicate them to the public. As far as we know, this is the first study to examine the impact of different CSR dimensions both on organizational attractiveness and intention to apply for a job vacancy.
On the Shift Operator, Graph Frequency, and Optimal Filtering in Graph Signal Processing

Defining a sound shift operator for graph signals, similar to the shift operator in classical signal processing, is a crucial problem in graph signal processing (GSP), since almost all operations, such as filtering, transformation, prediction, are directly related to the graph shift operator. We define a set of energy-preserving shift operators that satisfy many properties similar to their counterparts in classical signal processing, but are different from the shift operators defined in the literature, such as the graph adjacency matrix and Laplacian matrix based shift operators, which modify the energy of a graph signal. We decouple the graph structure represented by eigengraphs and the eigenvalues of the adjacency matrix or the Laplacian matrix. We show that the adjacency matrix of a graph is indeed a linear shift invariant (LSI) graph filter with respect to the defined shift operator. We further define autocorrelation and cross-correlation functions of signals on the graph, enabling us to obtain the solution to the optimal filtering on graphs, i.e., the corresponding Wiener filtering on graphs and the efficient spectra analysis and frequency domain filtering in parallel with those in classical signal processing. This new shift operator based GSP framework enables the signal analysis along a correlation structure defined by a graph shift manifold as opposed to classical signal processing operating on the assumption of the correlation structure with a linear time shift manifold. Several illustrative simulations are presented to validate the performance of the designed optimal LSI filters.
Shifts in Gamma Phase–Amplitude Coupling Frequency from Theta to Alpha Over Posterior Cortex During Visual Tasks

The phase of ongoing theta (4–8 Hz) and alpha (8–12 Hz) electrophysiological oscillations is coupled to high gamma (80–150 Hz) amplitude, which suggests that low-frequency oscillations modulate local cortical activity. While this phase–amplitude coupling (PAC) has been demonstrated in a variety of tasks and cortical regions, it has not been shown whether task demands differentially affect the regional distribution of the preferred low-frequency coupling to high gamma. To address this issue we investigated multiple-rhythm theta/alpha to high gamma PAC in two subjects with implanted subdural electrocorticographic grids. We show that high gamma amplitude couples to the theta and alpha troughs and demonstrate that, during visual tasks, alpha/high gamma coupling preferentially increases in visual cortical regions. These results suggest that low-frequency phase to high-frequency amplitude coupling is modulated by behavioral task and may reflect a mechanism for selection between communicating neuronal networks.
Plasma endotoxin in horses presented to an equine referral hospital: correlation to selected clinical parameters and outcomes.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY Endotoxaemia is frequently presumed on the basis of clinical signs in horses with colic. OBJECTIVE Measurements of plasma endotoxin (LPS) are rarely made in clinical cases and there is little information on the correlations between this variable, clinical variables and outcomes. OBJECTIVES To measure LPS levels in plasma of horses presented to the Philip Leverhulme Equine Hospital on admission and daily for up to 4 days and to relate LPS levels to selected clinical parameters, such as heart rate and packed cell volume, and outcomes. METHODS Blood samples were collected and stored at -20°C prior to assay of the plasma using a validated kinetic chromogenic Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) assay. Clinical parameters and outcome variables were collected from hospital records. Associations were determined by Chi-squared test and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS Daily blood samples were collected from 234 horses. LPS was detected in 26.5% of the study population and in 29% of those horses presented for colic. Horses providing samples with detectable LPS were more likely to die whilst in the hospital than those that did not (P = 0.045). Horses presenting with colic were more likely to have detectable LPS in their plasma than noncolic cases (P = 0.037), although LPS was detected in the plasma of 8 out of 42 noncolic horses. A horse that did not meet the study definition of clinical endotoxaemia was 10 times less likely to provide a positive LPS sample (OR 0.10, 95% CI: 0.05-0.22). CONCLUSIONS The proportion of horses providing samples with detectable LPS was similar to other studies. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE LPS was detected in the minority of horses presented with colic. Increased levels of LPS positively correlated with packed cell volume and with risk of mortality in colic cases.
Outage-aware cell association in heterogeneous cellular networks

In heterogeneous networks(HetNets), offloading mobile users to less congested small cells results in a degraded SINR for offloaded users and leads to a high probability of outage for these users. In this paper, we proposes a general framework to solve the cell association problem for load balancing while improving system outage performance in a downlink multi-tier HetNet. A bi-criterion optimization problem is formulated to strike a tradeoff between load balancing and outage performance. Our method inherits the utility maximization with proportional fairness objectives, and explicitly takes into account the outage probabilities for users. In addition, we show this combinatorial bi-criterion optimization problem can be reformulated as a submodular function maximization problem and propose a greedy lazy algorithm that offers a near optimal solution to the reformulated problem, which enforces single BS association for each user. Simulation results show that our proposed method achieves load balancing and improves system outage performance significantly.