Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Approximation Algorithm for Multiple Strip Packing

, Abstract. In this paper we study the Multiple Strip Packing (MSP) problem, a generalization of the well-known Strip Packing problem. For a given set of rectangles, r 1 , . , r n , with heights and widths ≤ 1, the goal is to ﬁnd a non-overlapping orthogonal packing without rotations into k ∈ N strips [0 , 1] × [0 , ∞ ), minimizing the maximum of the heights. We present an approximation algorithm with absolute ratio 2, which is the best possible, unless P = NP , and an improvement of the previous best result with ratio 2 + ε . Furthermore we present simple shelf-based algorithms with short running-time and an AFPTAS for MSP. Since MSP is strongly NP -hard, an FPTAS is ruled out and an AFPTAS is also the best possible result in the sense of approximation theory.
Vertebrate rod photoreceptors express both BK and IK calcium‐activated potassium channels, but only BK channels are involved in receptor potential regulation

In salamander rods, Ca2+‐activated K+ current (IKCa) provides an effective “clamp” of the dark membrane potential to its normal resting level. By a combination of electrophysiological, pharmacological, and immunohistochemical approaches, we show that salamander rods functionally express large‐conductance Ca2+‐ and voltage‐dependent potassium (BK) channel and intermediate‐conductance Ca2+‐dependent potassium (IK) channel, but not small‐conductance Ca2+‐dependent potassium channel (SK) subtypes. Application of 100 nM iberiotoxin and 100 nM clotrimazole reduced net IKCa to 36% and 63%, respectively, whereas the current was unaffected by application of 1 μM apamin. Consistently, anti‐ SK1, ‐SK2, and ‐SK3 antibodies were unable to stain rod photoreceptors, whereas both anti‐BK and ‐SK4/ IK1 antibodies heavily stained the ellipsoid region of the inner segments of the rods. Moreover, by using current‐clamp experiments, it was clearly seen that the strong clamping effect of the total IKCa was lost when IbTx, but not CLTZ, was applied to the bath. This behavior strongly suggests that of BK and IK channels, only the former are responsible for the clamping effect on the photoreceptor membrane potential. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bmc Infectious Diseases Gastro-enteritis Outbreak among Nordic Patients with Psoriasis in a Health Centre in Gran Canaria, Spain: a Cohort Study

Background: Between November 2 and 10, 2002 several patients with psoriasis and personnel staying in the health centre in Gran Canaria, Spain fell ill with diarrhoea, vomiting or both. Patient original came from Norway, Sweden and Finland. The patient group was scheduled to stay until 8 November. A new group of patients were due to arrive from 7 November.
miR-150, a microRNA expressed in mature B and T cells, blocks early B cell development when expressed prematurely

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of ≈22-nt noncoding RNAs that can posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression. Several miRNAs are specifically expressed in hematopoietic cells. Here we show that one such miRNA, miR-150, is mainly expressed in the lymph nodes and spleen and is highly up-regulated during the development of mature T and B cells; expression of miR-150 is sharply up-regulated at the immature B cell stage. Overexpression of miR-150 in hematopoietic stem cells, followed by bone marrow transplantation, had little effect on the formation of either mature CD8- and CD4-positive T cells or granulocytes or macrophages, but the formation of mature B cells was greatly impaired. Furthermore, premature expression of miR-150 blocked the transition from the pro-B to the pre-B stage. Our results indicate that miR-150 most likely down-regulates mRNAs that are important for pre- and pro-B cell formation or function, and its ectopic expression in these cells blocks further development of B cells.
Integrating Two Theoretical Models to Understand and Prevent Military and Veteran Suicide

Despite increasing prevention efforts, military suicide rates have surpassed those of the general population. This trend may reflect a deficit in our understanding of suicide, historically atheoretical and based on decreasing risk factors of suicide. The interpersonal–psychological theory of suicide (IPTS) provides a theoretical foundation to understand suicide but only assesses three risk factors of suicide and is primarily aimed at explaining who may die by suicide, but not when. The fluid vulnerability theory (FVT) provides a broad theoretical framework to understand and organize risk and protective factors of suicide in order to understand the process of suicide risk over time. Overlaying the IPTS’s constructs of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and the acquired capability for suicide within the FVT framework provides a robust model to understand not only who is at risk for suicide but also when suicide risk is likely to emerge.
A Distributed Power Control Scheme for Cellular Network Assisted D2D Communications

Device-to-device (D2D) communications underlaying a cellular infrastructure has recently been proposed as a means of increasing the resource utilization, improving the user throughput and extending the battery lifetime of user equipments. In this paper we propose a new distributed power control algorithm that iteratively determines the signal- to-noise-and- interference-ratio (SINR) targets in a mixed cellular and D2D environment and allocates transmit powers such that the overall power consumption is minimized subject to a sum-rate constraint. The performance of the distributed power control algorithm is benchmarked with respect to the optimal SINR target setting that we obtain using the Augmented Lagrangian Penalty Function (ALPF) method. The proposed scheme shows consistently near optimum performance both in a single-input-multiple-output (SIMO) and a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) setting.
Simplified Field Preservation of Tissues for Subsequent DNA Analyses *

Abstract: Successful DNA‐based identification of mass disaster victims depends on acquiring tissues that are not highly degraded. In this study, multiple protocols for field preservation of tissues for later DNA analysis were tested. Skin and muscle samples were collected from decaying pig carcasses. Tissues were preserved using cold storage, desiccation, or room temperature storage in preservative solutions for up to 6 months. DNA quality was assessed through amplification of successively larger segments of nuclear DNA. Solution‐based storage, including a DMSO/NaCl/EDTA mixture, alcohols, and RNAlater preserved DNA of the highest quality, refrigeration was intermediate, and desiccation was least effective. Tissue type and extent of decomposition significantly affected stored DNA quality. Overall, the results indicate that any tissue preservation attempt is far superior to delaying or forgoing preservation efforts, and that simple, inexpensive methods can be highly effective in preserving DNA, thus should be initiated as quickly as possible.
Membrane-delimited Regulation of Novel Background K+ Channels by MgATP in Murine Immature B Cells*

In WEHI-231, a representative immature B cell line, Ca2+ entry is paradoxically augmented by treatment with 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB), a blocker of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor and of nonselective cation channels (Nam, J. H., Yun, S. S., Kim, T. J., Uhm, D.-Y., and Kim, S. J. (2003) FEBS Lett. 535, 113–118). The initial goal of the present study was to elucidate the effects of 2-APB on membrane currents, which revealed the presence of novel K+ channels in WEHI-231 cells. Under whole-cell patch clamp conditions, 2-APB induced background K+ current (IK,bg) and hyperpolarization in WEHI-231 cells. Lowering of intracellular MgATP also induced the IK,bg. The IK,bg was blocked by micromolar concentrations of quinidine but not by tetraethylammonium. In a single channel study, two types of voltage-independent K+ channels were found with large (346 picosiemens) and medium conductance (112 picosiemens), named BKbg and MKbg, respectively. The excision of membrane patches (inside-out (i-o) patches) greatly increased the Po of BKbg. In i-o patches, cytoplasmic MgATP (IC50 = 0.18 mm) decreased the BKbg activity, although non-hydrolyzable adenosine 5′-(β,γ-imino)triphosphate had no effect. A pretreatment with Al3+ or wortmannin (50 μm) blocked the inhibitory effects of MgATP. A direct application of phosphoinositide 4,5-bisphosphate (10 μm) inhibited the BKbg activity. Meanwhile, the activity of MKbg was unaffected by MgATP. In cell-attached conditions, the BKbg activity was largely increased by 2-APB. In i-o patches, however, the MgATP-induced inhibition of BKbg was weakly reversed by the addition of 2-APB. In summary, WEHI-231 cells express the unique background K+ channels. The BKbgs are inhibited by membrane-delimited elevation of phosphoinositide 4,5-bisphosphate. The activation of BKbg would hyperpolarize the membrane, which augments the calcium influx in WEHI-231 cells.
Stimulus-driven attentional capture is contingent on attentional set for displaywide visual features.

This research showed that the current criterion for stimulus-driven attentional capture is not sufficient to rule out goal-directed processes that are critical for producing attentional capture. This was shown by demonstrating a contingency between displaywide visual features (i.e., features that signal the appearance of the task-relevant target display as a whole) and the features that capture attention. In Experiment 1, the target display was signaled by both color and onset; in Experiment 2, the target display was signaled only by onset. As expected, Experiment 1 showed that task-irrelevant color and onset distractors both captured attention, whereas Experiment 2 showed that only onset distractors captured attention. These contingencies suggest that the strongest evidence currently available for stimulus-driven attentional capture may be caused by goal-directed processes.
An improved feature extraction technique for high volume time series data

The field of time series data mining has seen an explosion of interest in recent years. This interest has flowed over into many applications areas, including fiber manufacturing systems. The volume of time series data generated by a fiber monitoring system can be huge. This limits the applicability of data mining algorithms to this problem domain. A widely used solution is to reduce the data size through feature extraction. Four of the mostly commonly used feature extraction techniques are Fourier transforms, Wavelets, Piecewise Aggregate Approximation, and Piecewise Linear Approximation (PLA). In this paper, we first empirically demonstrate that PLA techniques produce the highest quality features for this problem domain. We then introduce a novel PLA algorithm that is shown to produce higher quality features than any other currently available techniques.
Optimised sensor configurations with reduced order controllers applied to an EMS system

In many applications, sensor selection in an optimum sense is not a trivial task, especially when a number of objectives and constraints are to be satisfied simultaneously. Moreover, for practical implementation the order of the synthesized controller could be a burden of increased cost and complexity. In this paper, a systematic framework for optimum sensor selection is considered which considers issues of controller reduction. Efficacy of the proposed framework is illustrated via simulations on an Electro-Magnetic Suspension (EMS) system.
RESIDUES OF IMIDACLOPRID AND TETRACONAZOLE ON AND IN CUCUMBER AND TOMATO FRUITS

The residues of imidacloprid (Admire 20% SC) and tetraconazole (Domark 10% EC) on and in cucumber and tomato fruits were determined. Results confirmed that the initial deposit of tetraconazole on and in the cucumber fruits (0.125 ppm) was higher than on and in the tomato fruits (0.085 ppm). Data also indicated that the initial residue of imidacloprid on and in the tomato fruits (0.650 ppm) was higher than the initial deposit of tetraconazole on and in the tomato fruits (0.085 ppm). In this experiment under normal field conditions, tetraconazole was more persistent on these vegetables (RL50 were 43.2 and 26.4 hours on cucumber and tomato fruits) than imidacloprid (RL50 was 16.4 hours on tomato fruits). The results also revealed that the first day following application imidacloprid is critical in the sense of sharply decrease that reach 72.3% from the initial deposit on tomato fruits, but the loss of tetraconazole at first day was 43.20% and 44.41% from the initial residues on cucumber and tomato fruits, respectively. The estimated approximate waiting time (preharvest interval) for imidacloprid was 2 days following application on tomato plant. However, one day following application of tetraconazole on cucumber and tomato plants was enough to consum cucumber and tomato fruits safely.
The Role of Software Service Providers in the Development of E-Government Ecosystems from a Resource Orchestration Perspective

The existing studies on e-government outsourcing pay attention to the factors that influence the service satisfaction of software service providers, and there is currently little research on how software service providers develop during different phases involved, which plays an important role in the e-government outsourcing projects. We apply the literature on business ecosystem and resource orchestration which may be crucial to the development of a software service provider to analyze a typical software service provider in the field of electronic tax outsourcing. In doing so, a process model of how a service provider makes resource orchestration as environments change and develops its focal capabilities is inductively derived that sheds light on the process from a niche player to be a keystone in three distinct phases. The process model reveals that the role of the software service provider within its ecosystem is evolutionary in nature. With above findings, this study provides practitioners a comprehensive and empirically supported framework and shows a successful process model of how to be a keystone within the e-government ecosystem.
Topography in the phrenic motoneuron nucleus demonstrated by retrograde multiple‐labelling techniques

A combination of retrograde tracing methods was employed to distinguish populations of motoneurons supplying different motor unit territories in the feline diaphragm. The compatibility of the tracers—horseradish peroxidase, fast or true blue, diamidino yellow, and fluorogold—was first assessed by applying the different tracers concurrently to separate cut branches of hindlimb and neck muscle nerves. On the basis of these initial observations fast blue, fluorogold, and horseradish peroxidase were chosen to compare the distribution of motoneurons whose axons ran in different primary branches of the phrenic nerve. Motoneurons with different target territories were extensively intermixed throughout most of the phrenic motor nucleus. However, motoneurons innervating the sternal and medial costal part of the diaphragm were distributed more densely in the rostral part of the phrenic motor pool, whereas motoneurons serving the lateral costal part were concentrated more caudally. Crural motoneurons were intermingled with costal motoneurons in the middle and caudal portions of the nucleus. Motoneurons within the phrenic nucleus are distributed in clusters. Such clusters commonly contained motoneurons labelled from two or more primary branches. Thus, the highly ordered topography of muscle units in the diaphragm is not mirrored by the intraspinal distribution of phrenic motoneurons.
Impaired development of hippocampal mossy fibre synapses in mouse mutants for the presynaptic scaffold protein Bassoon

Bassoon, a protein highly concentrated at the synaptic active zone, is thought to participate in the organization of the cytomatrix at the site of neurotransmitter release. Bassoon is amongst the first proteins to accumulate at newly formed synaptic junctions, raising the question of the functional role of this protein in the early stages of synaptic development. Here we show that the course of synaptic maturation of hippocampal mossy fibre (MF) synapses (glutamatergic synapses with multiple release sites) is markedly altered during the first 2 weeks of postnatal development in mutant mice lacking the central region of Bassoon (Bsn−/− mice). At postnatal day 7 (P7), Bsn−/− mice display large amplitude MF‐EPSCs with decreased paired pulse ratios, an abnormality which may be linked to deficits in the organization of the presynaptic active zone. Surprisingly, 1 week later, decreased MF‐EPSCs amplitude is observed in Bsn−/− mice, consistent with the inactivation of a subset of synaptic release sites. Finally, at more mature states a decreased posttetanic potentiation is observed at MF‐synapses. These results support the notion that Bassoon is important for organizing the presynaptic active zone during the postnatal maturation of glutamatergic synapses.
Do Social Network Sites Increase, Decrease, or Supplement the Maintenance of Social Ties?

Abstract This paper investigates the mechanics of multimedia tie maintenance, with a particular emphasis upon social network sites (SNSs) and their uses and gratifications. We present results from a national sample of American adults (N = 571) of all ages, investigating the associations of several attitudinal and social variables with multimedia tie maintenance. We find that Facebook is used to maintain social ties at rates comparable to other media and is increasingly used to connect with close ties, contrary to previous literature. We also uncover highly significant patterns of “expressive” and “instrumental” engagement, isolating distinct expressive/instrumental orientations toward digital media in general and Facebook specifically. Respondents who displayed an expressive pattern of engagement with Facebook did not use non-SNS media to maintain ties any less frequently than those who do not use Facebook expressively. Respondents who displayed an instrumental pattern of engagement with Facebook meanwhile, supplemented their lack of SNS use to maintain ties by using other media more frequently for this purpose. This paper contributes to the literatures of media multiplexity, networked individualism, uses and gratifications theory, and social capital through SNSs. It makes a significant contribution to understanding the psychological and social gratifications of digital media, and their relationship to patterns of multimedia tie maintenance.
Effects of Methadone on Olfactory Memory Span

Effects of Methadone on Olfactory Memory Span Melissa Deal In 2008, an estimated 268,000 individuals received methadone in certified opioid treatment programs in the United States in an effort to effectively treat an opiate addiction (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2010). Because of its high rate of use, a major concern regarding methadone maintenance is the possibility of adverse effects on cognitive functions such as memory. Mintzer and Stitzer (2002) tested methadone maintenance patients on a variety of psychomotor and cognitive measures, including long-term memory tasks and a working memory task. There were no significant impairments found on the long-term memory tasks for the methadone maintenance patients relative to the performance on the same tasks by control participants who had no history of drug abuse. However, there were significant differences on the working memory task such that the methadone maintenance patients showed impairment relative to controls. Although these results suggest that methadone use may indeed result in a working memory deficit, there are a number of additional possibilities. For example, was it the methadone dose taken by patients that resulted in the deficits, or could their long history of opiate and other drug use have been responsible? If indeed the methadone was responsible for the deficits, could a lower dose be found that would spare cognitive function, but still be therapeutically effective?
A Case of Metastatic Melanoma in the Ureter

Advances in the treatment of melanoma are resulting in patients living for extended periods after being diagnosed with metastatic disease. Metastases to the ureter are rare, but they have been described in the literature on a number of occasions. In this case report, we describe a patient with established metastatic melanoma who, whilst taking and responding to immunomodulatory therapy, was found to have an obstructive mass in the middle of his left ureter. Rather than performing either a nephroureterectomy or partial resection of the ureter, we opted to perform an endoscopic resection of the melanoma. Follow-up imaging at 12 months shows no evidence of local disease recurrence. We submit that primary endoscopic management of metastatic melanoma in the ureter is a viable alternative to a radical approach.
A two-stage ILP-based droplet routing algorithm for pin-constrained digital microfluidic biochips

With the increasing design complexities, the design of pin-constrained digital microfluidic biochips (PDMFBs) is of practical importance for the emerging marketplace. However, the solution of current pin-count aware technique is inevitably limited by simply adopting it after the droplet routing stage. In this paper, we propose the first droplet routing algorithm for PDMFBs that can integrate pin-count technique with droplet routing stage. Furthermore, our algorithm is capable of simultaneously minimizing the number of control pins, the number of used cells, and the latest arrival time. We first present a basic integer linear programming (ILP) formulation to optimally solve the droplet routing problem for PDMFBs with simultaneous multi-objective optimization. Due to the complexity of this ILP formulation, we also propose a two-stage technique of global routing followed by incremental ILP-based routing to reduce the solution space. To further reduce the runtime, we present a deterministic. ILP formulation that casts the original routing optimization problem into a decision problem, and solve it by a binary solution search method that searches in logarithmic time. Extensive experiments demonstrate that in terms of the number of the control pins, the number of the used cells, and the latest arrival time, we acquire much better achievement than all the state-of-the-art algorithms in any aspect.
Studies in humans and mice implicate neurocan in the etiology of mania.

OBJECTIVE Genome-wide association has been reported between the NCAN gene and bipolar disorder. The aims of this study were to characterize the clinical symptomatology most strongly influenced by NCAN and to explore the behavioral phenotype of Ncan knockout (Ncan(-/-)) mice. METHOD Genotype/phenotype correlations were investigated in patients with bipolar disorder (N=641) and the genetically related disorders major depression (N=597) and schizophrenia (N=480). Principal components and genotype association analyses were used to derive main clinical factors from 69 lifetime symptoms and to determine which of these factors were associated with the NCAN risk allele. These analyses were then repeated using the associated factor(s) only in order to identify the more specific clinical subdimensions that drive the association. Ncan(-/-) mice were tested using diverse paradigms, assessing a range of behavioral traits, including paradigms corresponding to bipolar symptoms in humans. RESULTS In the combined patient sample, the NCAN risk allele was significantly associated with the "mania" factor, in particular the subdimension "overactivity. " Ncan(-/-) mice were hyperactive and showed more frequent risk-taking and repetitive behaviors, less depression-like conduct, impaired prepulse inhibition, amphetamine hypersensitivity, and increased saccharin preference. These aberrant behavioral responses normalized after the administration of lithium. CONCLUSIONS NCAN preferentially affected mania symptoms in humans. Ncan(-/-) mice showed behavioral abnormalities that were strikingly similar to those of the human mania phenotype and may thus serve as a valid mouse model.