Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are plant growth and photosynthesis limited by pre-drought following rewatering in grass?

Although the relationship between grassland productivity and soil water status has been extensively researched, the responses of plant growth and photosynthetic physiological processes to long-term drought and rewatering are not fully understood. Here, the perennial grass (Leymus chinensis), predominantly distributed in the Euro-Asia steppe, was used as an experimental plant for an irrigation manipulation experiment involving five soil moisture levels [75–80, 60–75, 50–60, 35–50, and 25–35% of soil relative water content (SRWC), i.e. the ratio between present soil moisture and field capacity] to examine the effects of soil drought and rewatering on plant biomass, relative growth rate (RGR), and photosynthetic potential. The recovery of plant biomass following rewatering was lower for the plants that had experienced previous drought compared with the controls; the extent of recovery was proportional to the intensity of soil drought. However, the plant RGR, leaf photosynthesis, and light use potential were markedly stimulated by the previous drought, depending on drought intensity, whereas stomatal conductance (gs) achieved only partial recovery. The results indicated that gs may be responsible for regulating actual photosynthetic efficiency. It is assumed that the new plant growth and photosynthetic potential enhanced by pre-drought following rewatering may try to overcompensate the great loss of the plant's net primary production due to the pre-drought effect. The present results highlight the episodic effects of drought on grass growth and photosynthesis. This study will assist in understanding how degraded ecosystems can potentially cope with climate change.
Long-Term Nitric Oxide Exposure Enhances Lung Cancer Cell Migration

Nitric oxide (NO) found in the vicinity of lung cancer cells may play a role in the regulation of cancer cell behaviors. To explore the possible effects of NO on cell motility, human lung cancer cells were exposed to nontoxic concentrations of NO for 0–14 days, and the migratory characteristics of the cells were determined. The present study found that long-term treatment with NO significantly enhanced cell migration in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, we found that the increased migratory action was associated with the increased expression of caveolin-1 (Cav-1), which in turn activated the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and ATP-dependent tyrosine kinase (Akt) pathways. Notably, the NO-treated cells exhibited an increased number of filopodia per cell, as well as an increase in the levels of cell division cycle 42 (Cdc42) protein. Together, these results indicate that extended NO exposure has a novel effect on cell migration through a Cav-1-dependent mechanism, a finding that strengthens our understanding of cancer biology.
A Context-Aware Trust-Based Information Dissemination Framework for Vehicular Networks

Reliable, secure, private, and fast communication in vehicular networks is extremely challenging due to the highly mobile nature of these networks. Contact time between vehicles is very limited and topology is constantly changing. Trusted communication in vehicular networks is of crucial importance because without trust, all efforts for minimizing the delay or maximizing the reliability could be voided. In this paper, we propose a trust-based framework for a safe and reliable information dissemination in vehicular networks. The proposed framework consists of two modules such that the first one applies three security checks to make sure the message is trusted. It assigns a trust value to each road segment and one to each neighborhood, instead of each car. Thus, it scales up easily and is completely distributed. Once a message is evaluated and considered to be trustworthy, our method then in the second module looks for a safe path through which the message is forwarded. Our frameworks are application-centric; in particular, it is capable of preserving traffic requirements specified by each application. Experimental results demonstrate that this framework outperforms other well-known routing protocols since it routes the messages via trusted vehicles.
Glycemic Control Impact on Body Weight Potential to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk

The prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes are progressively increasing because of a concomitant rise in the prevalence of obesity. Intentional weight loss in patients with type 2 diabetes has been associated with a 25% reduction in total mortality and a 28% reduction in cardiovascular disease and diabetes mortality (1). Weight gain is not only a risk factor for development of type 2 diabetes, but it is also the undesirable feature of several current antidiabetic treatments such as thiazolidinediones, sulfonylureas, and insulin, with an estimated 2-kg weight gain for every 1% decrease in HbA1c (2,3). Reasons for this include defensive snacking to treat or prevent hypoglycemia, decreased glucosuria, decreased basal metabolic rate, and expansion in adipose tissue and fluid retention. Recently, novel therapeutic agents were developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Among these are the incretin-based therapies, which include glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 receptor agonists and inhibitors of the protease dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4. Both classes of drugs use the antidiabetic properties of GLP-1, an incretin hormone that potentiates insulin secretion in a glucose-dependent manner (4). In addition, GLP-1 exerts many beneficial effects on pancreatic islet function, including stimulation of (pro)-insulin biosynthesis, reduction in β-cell apoptosis induced by toxic agents, and suppression of glucagon release from the α-cells, resulting in reduced hepatic glucose output (5). GLP-1 also decreases the rate of gastric emptying, which slows the entry of nutrients into the circulation after meals, reduces appetite, and promotes satiety, leading to weight loss upon chronic exposure (6). However, GLP-1 has a short half-life (∼1–2 min), since it is rapidly degraded through NH2-terminal cleavage by the protease DPP-4; therefore, a continuous infusion would be required to achieve a clinical effect in diabetic patients (7). Two approaches were used to overcome these limitations: 1 ) GLP-1 …
The Hidden Burden of Dengue and Chikungunya in Chennai, India

Background Dengue and chikungunya are rapidly expanding viruses transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes. Few epidemiological studies have examined the extent of transmission of these infections in South India despite an increase in the number of reported cases, and a high suitability for transmission. Methods and findings We conducted a household-based seroprevalence survey among 1010 individuals aged 5-40 years living in fifty randomly selected spatial locations in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Participants were asked to provide a venous blood sample and to complete a brief questionnaire with basic demographic and daily activity information. Previous exposure to dengue and chikungunya was determined using IgG indirect ELISA (Panbio) and IgG ELISA (Novatec), respectively. We used this data to estimate key transmission parameters (force of infection and basic reproductive number) and to explore factors associated with seropositivity. While only 1% of participants reported history of dengue and 20% of chikungunya, we found that 93% (95%CI 89-95%) of participants were seropositive to dengue virus, and 44% (95%CI 37-50%) to chikungunya. Age-specific seroprevalence was consistent with long-tem, endemic circulation of dengue and suggestive of epidemic chikungunya transmission. Seropositivity to dengue and chikungunya were significantly correlated, even after adjusting for individual and household factors. We estimate that 23% of the susceptible population gets infected by dengue each year, corresponding to approximately 228,000 infections. This transmission intensity is significantly higher than that estimated in known hyperendemic settings in Southeast Asia and the Americas. Conclusions These results provide unprecedented insight into the very high transmission potential of dengue and chikungunya in Chennai and underscore the need for enhanced surveillance and control methods.
Optimizing Human Computation to Save Time and Money

Crowd-sourcing is increasingly being used for providing answers to online polls and surveys. However, existing systems, while taking care of the mechanics of attracting crowd workers, poll building, and payment, generally provide little by way of cost-management (e.g. working with a tight budget), time-management (e.g. obtaining results as quickly as possible), and controlling the margin of error (e.g. working on a sample population which is largely different from the general census statistics). The problems above create significant pain points for those wanting to run large-scale surveys, such as people doing polling for political campaigns, marketing professionals, and the like. Our work unlocks the possibility of large-scale polling on a budget though the use of novel optimization strategies. Our work, is based on InterPoll, a platform for programming crowdsourced polls. In this paper, we present three static and three runtime optimizations for InterPoll polls represented as LINQ queries. The former share some similarities for traditional compiler optimizations, while the latter borrow insight from databases and real-life polling strategies. These optimizations lead to significant improvements in practice. In our experiments we observed tenfold savings in survey cost and time savings of as much as 20 hours for some of the queries.
Minimum Wages, Labor Market Institutions, and Youth Employment: A Cross-National Analysis

The authors estimate the employment effects of changes in national minimum wages using a pooled cross-section time-series data set comprising 17 OECD countries for the period 1975–2000. The average effects they find are consistent with the view that minimum wages cause employment losses among youths. However, the evidence also shows considerable variation across countries. In particular, disemployment effects of minimum wages appear to be smaller in countries that have subminimum wage provisions for youths. Regarding other labor market policies and institutions, the authors find that more restrictive labor standards and higher union coverage strengthen the disemployment effects of minimum wages, while employment protection laws and active labor market policies designed to bring unemployed individuals into the work force help to offset these effects. Overall, the disemployment effects of minimum wages are strongest in the countries with the least regulated labor markets.
Modelling Transcapillary Transport of Fluid and Proteins in Hemodialysis Patients

Background The kinetics of protein transport to and from the vascular compartment play a major role in the determination of fluid balance and plasma refilling during hemodialysis (HD) sessions. In this study we propose a whole-body mathematical model describing water and protein shifts across the capillary membrane during HD and compare its output to clinical data while evaluating the impact of choosing specific values for selected parameters. Methods The model follows a two-compartment structure (vascular and interstitial space) and is based on balance equations of protein mass and water volume in each compartment. The capillary membrane was described according to the three-pore theory. Two transport parameters, the fractional contribution of large pores (αLP) and the total hydraulic conductivity (LpS) of the capillary membrane, were estimated from patient data. Changes in the intensity and direction of individual fluid and solute flows through each part of the transport system were analyzed in relation to the choice of different values of small pores radius and fractional conductivity, lymphatic sensitivity to hydraulic pressure, and steady-state interstitial-to-plasma protein concentration ratio. Results The estimated values of LpS and αLP were respectively 10.0 ± 8.4 mL/min/mmHg (mean ± standard deviation) and 0.062 ± 0.041. The model was able to predict with good accuracy the profiles of plasma volume and serum total protein concentration in most of the patients (average root-mean-square deviation < 2% of the measured value). Conclusions The applied model provides a mechanistic interpretation of fluid transport processes induced by ultrafiltration during HD, using a minimum of tuned parameters and assumptions. The simulated values of individual flows through each kind of pore and lymphatic absorption rate yielded by the model may suggest answers to unsolved questions on the relative impact of these not-measurable quantities on total vascular refilling and fluid balance.
High-Resolution Images with Minimum Energy Dissipation and Maximum Field-of-View in Camera-Based Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks

High-resolution images with wide field of view are important in realizing many applications of wireless multimedia sensor networks. Previous works that generally use multi-tier topology and provide such images by increasing the capabilities of camera sensor nodes lead to an increase in network cost. On the other hand, the resulting energy consumption is a considerable issue that has not been seriously considered in previous works. In this paper, high-resolution images with wide field of view are generated without increasing the total cost of network and with minimum energy dissipation. This is achieved by using image stitching in WMSNs, designing a two-tier network topology with new structure, and proposing a camera selection algorithm. In the proposed two-tier structure, low cost camera sensor nodes are used only in the lower-tier and sensor nodes without camera are considered in the upper-tier which decreases total network cost as much as possible. Also, since a simplified image stitching method is implemented and a new algorithm for selecting active nodes is utilized, energy dissipation in the network is decreased by applying the proposed methods. The results of simulations supported the preceding statements.
Design and Verification of an Agent-Based System

The paper describes design and verification problems of agent-based systems. An agent-based system for support decision making for physicians is proposed. Knowledge base is represented by a propositional logic formulas and we use deductive reasoning. Model of the system is given in Statecharts visual language. Required properties of the system can be given as formulas of the branching-time temporal logic. Statecharts model checking algorithm is used to verify safety and liveness property. Key-Words: -Agent-based systems, Knowledge-base reasoning, Statecharts, model checking, temporal logic
Saturn: Range Queries, Load Balancing and Fault Tolerance in DHT Data Systems

In this paper, we present Saturn, an overlay architecture for large-scale data networks maintained over Distributed Hash Tables (DHTs) that efficiently processes range queries and ensures access load balancing and fault-tolerance. Placing consecutive data values in neighboring peers is desirable in DHTs since it accelerates range query processing; however, such a placement is highly susceptible to load imbalances. At the same time, DHTs may be susceptible to node departures/failures and high data availability and fault tolerance are significant issues. Saturn deals effectively with these problems through the introduction of a novel multiple ring, order-preserving architecture. The use of a novel order-preserving hash function ensures fast range query processing. Replication across and within data rings (termed vertical and horizontal replication) forms the foundation over which our mechanisms are developed, ensuring query load balancing and fault tolerance, respectively. Our detailed experimentation study shows strong gains in range query processing efficiency, access load balancing, and fault tolerance, with low replication overheads. The significance of Saturn is not only that it effectively tackles all three issues together - i.e., supporting range queries, ensuring load balancing, and providing fault tolerance over DHTs - but also that it can be applied on top of any order-preserving DHT enabling it to dynamically handle replication and, thus, to trade off replication costs for fair load distribution and fault tolerance.
The Timing of Action-Monitoring Processes in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been shown to respond to conflict between simultaneously active, incompatible response tendencies. This area is active during high-conflict correct trials and also when participants make errors. Here, we use the temporal resolution of high-density event-related potentials (ERPs) in combination with source localization to investigate the timing of ACC activity during conflict and error detection. We predicted that the same area of the ACC is active prior to high-conflict correct responses and following erroneous responses. Dipole modeling supported this prediction: The frontocentral N2, occurring prior to the response on correct conflict trials, and the ERN, occurring immediately following error responses, could both be modeled as having a generator in the caudal ACC, suggesting the same process to underlie both peaks. Modeling further suggested that the rostral area of the ACC was also active following errors, but later in time, contributing to the error positivity (PE), and peaking at 200250 msec following the ERN peak. Despite the inherent limitations of source localization, these data may begin to shed light on the timing of action-monitoring processes. First, the time course of caudal ACC activity follows the time course as predicted by the conflict theory of this region. Second, caudal ACC activity might be temporally dissociated from rostral ACC activity during error trials, which possibly reflects a separate, affective component of the evaluative functions of the ACC.
Piecewise Linear Dynamical Model for Actions Clustering from Inertial Body Sensors with Considerations of Human Factors

The efficacy of many Body Sensor Network (BSN) applications relies on the accurate temporal clustering of human motion into actions on various time scales. This is typically done with the use of inertial sensors and processing algorithms that try to extract such information from the sensor data. Two human factors in real-world deployments make such information extraction challenging: mounting errors (where sensor displacement and orientation do not match what is assumed by processing algorithms) and insecure mounting (where sensors are loosely worn causing them to shake during operations). In order to enhance the robustness of human actions clutsering from real-world BSN data, this work leverages dynamical systems modeling with the considerations of human factors. By proposing a computational body-model framework called the piecewise linear dynamical model (PLDM), we derive a robust method to segment time series data of inertial BSNs in real-world deployment with human factors into motion primitives and actions. We test the proposed method on two different inertial BSN datasets and extract actions on different temporal scales. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Colorectal Cancer Screening in an Equal Access Healthcare System

Introduction: The military health system (MHS) a unique setting to analyze implementation programs as well as outcomes for colorectal cancer (CRC). Here we look at the efficacy of different CRC screening methods, attributes and results within the MHS, and current barriers to increase compliance. Materials and Methods: A literature search was conducted utilizing PubMed and the Cochrane library. Key-word combinations included colorectal cancer screening, racial disparity, risk factors, colorectal cancer, screening modalities, and randomized control trials. Directed searches were also performed of embedded references. Results: Despite screening guidelines from several national organizations, extensive barriers to widespread screening remain, especially for minority populations. These barriers are diverse, ranging from education and access problems to personal beliefs. Screening rates in MHS have been reported to be generally higher at 71% compared to national averages of 50-65%. Conclusion: CRC screening can be highly effective at improving detection of both pre-malignant and early cancers. Improved patient education and directed efforts are needed to improve CRC screening both nationally and within the MHS.
The Need for Intentionally-Based Approaches to Language

Evidence for the above claim comes from my recent work on understanding subdialogues in conversation [Loc93]. Following the work of Grosz and Sidner [GSg0], I view discourse behavior as an instance of the more general phenomenon of collaboration. For agents to successfully collaborate on a task, they must hold certain beliefs and intentions regarding the acts they will perform to accomplish that task. The definitions of the SharedPlan model of collaborative activity [GS90, LGS90, GK93] specify the requisite components of the mental states of collaborating agents and consequently provide an important context for interpreting their utterances. In particular, because agents are aware of the beliefs and intentions they must hold to have a SharedPlan, their utterances can be understood as contributing information towards the establishment of the appropriate mental states, and thus the building of such a plan. The process by which utterances are understood has been formalized in algorithms for augmenting the beliefs and intentions of an evolving SharedPlan, and used to explain utterances concerning the performance of actions [LGSg0, Locgl]. My current work [Loc93], based on Grosz and Sidner's theory of discourse structure [GS86], provides a new approach to the problem of understanding subdialogues and their relationship to the discourse in which they are embedded. The basic approach entails treating each subdialogue or discourse segment as a separate collaboration between the conversational participants; each utterance of a subdialogue is understood as contributing some information towards the completion of a SharedPlan. Because subdialogues do not occur in isolation, each subdialogue itself is understood in terms of the role its corresponding SharedPlan plays in satisfying the other SharedPlans underlying the dialogue. In particular, if the completion of the new SharedPlan contributes to the establishment of one of the beliefs or intentions necessary for the completion of another, then the first SharedPlan is said to be subsidiary to the second. A subsidiary relationship between SharedPlans corresponds to a dominance relationship [GS86] between discourse segment purposes; it provides an explanation [SI81] for why the dominated segment was initiated by a conversational participant I .
Fiscal Policy Rules

What are fiscal policy rules? What are the principal benefits and drawbacks associated with various fiscal rules, particularly compared with alternative approaches to fiscal adjustment? Can fiscal rules contribute to long-run sustainability and welfare without sacrificing short-run stabilization? If so, what characteristics of fiscal rules make this contribution most effective? And in what circumstances and contexts, if any should the IMF encourage its member countries to adopt fiscal rules? This paper seeks to identify sensible fiscal policy rules that can succeed, if chosen by a member country, as an alternative to descretionary fiscal rules.
Out-of-Sample Forecast Tests Robust to the Window Size Choice

This paper proposes new methodologies for evaluating out-of-sample forecasting performance that are robust to the choice of the estimation window size. The methodologies involve evaluating the predictive ability of forecasting models over a wide range of window sizes. We show that the tests proposed in the literature may lack power to detect predictive ability, and might be subject to data snooping across different window sizes if used repeatedly. An empirical application shows the usefulness of the methodologies for evaluating exchange rate models' forecasting ability.