Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Buddha Kingdom in the Golden Triangle: Buddhist Revivalism and the Charismatic Monk Khruba Bunchum

Khruba Bunchum Yanasangwaror, despite his youth, has already been proclaimed by many, in the Yuan Buddhist world of the upper Mekong region, to be a ton bun (‘source of merit’). His charismatic reputation derives from his ascetic virtues, his assumed accumulation of merit in past lives and his Bodhisattva-like compassion for others. His compassion is expressed through dedication to the building of religious monuments that allows the laity to acquire merit by contributing labour and money. Another dimension of the conception of ton bun is that of sacral kingship. In these and other respects Khruba Bunchum's religious career emulates that of Khruba Siwichai, the famous northern Thai monk of the early 20th century. However, Khruba Siwichai's religious activities were confined to northern Thailand, whereas Khruba Bunchum's peregrinations throughout northern Thailand, northern Laos, Sipsongpanna (in China) and northeast Burma mark out a sacred Buddhist space, focused on the heart of the notorious Golden Triangle. I argue in this paper that this imagined sacred space both transcends and challenges the dominant discourse of modern nation-state.
Alveolar gas exchange and tissue oxygenation during incremental treadmill exercise, and their associations with blood O2 carrying capacity

The magnitude and timing of oxygenation responses in highly active leg muscle, less active arm muscle, and cerebral tissue, have not been studied with simultaneous alveolar gas exchange measurement during incremental treadmill exercise. Nor is it known, if blood O2 carrying capacity affects the tissue-specific oxygenation responses. Thus, we investigated alveolar gas exchange and tissue (m. vastus lateralis, m. biceps brachii, cerebral cortex) oxygenation during incremental treadmill exercise until volitional fatigue, and their associations with blood O2 carrying capacity in 22 healthy men. Alveolar gas exchange was measured, and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to monitor relative concentration changes in oxy- (Δ[O2Hb]), deoxy- (Δ[HHb]) and total hemoglobin (Δ[tHb]), and tissue saturation index (TSI). NIRS inflection points (NIP), reflecting changes in tissue-specific oxygenation, were determined and their coincidence with ventilatory thresholds [anaerobic threshold (AT), respiratory compensation point (RC); V-slope method] was examined. Blood O2 carrying capacity [total hemoglobin mass (tHb-mass)] was determined with the CO-rebreathing method. In all tissues, NIPs coincided with AT, whereas RC was followed by NIPs. High tHb-mass associated with leg muscle deoxygenation at peak exercise (e.g., Δ[HHb] from baseline walking to peak exercise vs. tHb-mass: r = 0.64, p < 0.01), but not with arm muscle- or cerebral deoxygenation. In conclusion, regional tissue oxygenation was characterized by inflection points, and tissue oxygenation in relation to alveolar gas exchange during incremental treadmill exercise resembled previous findings made during incremental cycling. It was also found out, that O2 delivery to less active m. biceps brachii may be limited by an accelerated increase in ventilation at high running intensities. In addition, high capacity for blood O2 carrying was associated with a high level of m. vastus lateralis deoxygenation at peak exercise.
Strain- and growth condition-dependent variability in outer membrane protein expression by Bordetella bronchiseptica isolates from dogs.

OBJECTIVE To characterize strain-dependent and growth condition-dependent variability in outer membrane protein (OMP) expression of Bordetella bronchiseptica isolates from dogs and evaluate the systemic immune response to OMP of B bronchiseptica among infected dogs. SAMPLE POPULATION 8 strains of B bronchiseptica isolated from dogs, including a historic reference strain, 2 commercially available vaccine strains, and 5 field strains, and serum samples collected from 3 specific-pathogen-free (SPF) dogs before and 1 month after infection with B bronchiseptica. PROCEDURE OMP were isolated from cultures in the late exponential phase of growth and compared among strains and, within strains, among growth conditions by means of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Serum samples were probed with OMP from 1 of the field strains. RESULTS Strain-dependent variability in OMP profiles and growth condition-dependent and strain-dependent variability in expression of filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) and pertactin was found, along with heterogeneity of the pertactin proteins produced by these B bronchiseptica strains. All 3 SPF dogs seroconverted to proteins with estimated molecular masses of 200 and 66 kDa, suggesting that FHA and pertactin were involved in the immunologic response of these dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that there is growth condition and strain variability in expression of OMP, FHA, and pertactin proteins produced by B bronchiseptica. This information could be useful in the improvement of vaccines for prevention of bordetellosis in dogs.
A magnetoelectric transducer consisting of magnetostrictive and piezoelectric composite array

This paper presents a new high-efficiency ME composite transducer consisting of magnetostrictive Terfenol-D arrays, piezoelectric PZT arrays and a substrate. Magnetostrictive resonant unidirectional transducer (MRUDT) array groups and a piezoelectric unidirectional transducer (PUDT) array group are created inside the transducer while propagating the unidirectionality required for low loss and converting the magnetic signal into resonant acoustoelectric wave with both the higher amplitude and the wider bandwidth. Because of the superimposed effect and the minor loop feedback (the partial resonance) in the MRUDT array, the contradiction between the higher quality (Q) value and the wider bandwidth can be settled and a higher ME voltage coefficients with a wider bandwidth can be obtained by using MRUDT arrays, PUDT array and a Be-bronze substrate with a higher Q value. Experiments and measurement demonstrate that the composite transducer of PUDT, MRUDT and a substrate has a significantly widened bandwidth and an enhanced ME voltage coefficient relative to the prior sandwiched laminate composite configurations.
Antecedents and consequences of e-shopping: an integrated model

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present an integrated information systems–consumer behavior (IS-CB) model for e-shopping to examine the antecedents and consequences of e-shopping and usage behavior. Design/methodology/approach – The study tests 320 usable responses collected from e-shoppers against the integrated model using structural equation modeling. Findings – The main research results support the use of antecedents of e-shopping acceptance and usage by drawing from unified knowledge of IS and CB underpinnings. The findings show the significance of perceived value, social factors, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, entertainment gratification (EG), web irritation (WI), emotional state, and web atmospherics (WA) in the process of e-shopping. Practical implications – The results suggest that e-retailers should establish positive perceived value in consumers’ minds and uphold trust to foster favorable attitudes and intentions toward e-shopping and actual e-shopping purchase. Proper a.
Level-Set Topology Optimization with Aeroelastic Constraints

Level-set topology optimization is used to design a wing considering skin buckling under static aeroelastic trim loading, as well as dynamic aeroelastic stability (flutter). The level-set function is defined over the entire 3D volume of a transport aircraft wing box. Therefore, the approach is not limited by any predefined structure and can explore novel configurations. The Sequential Linear Programming (SLP) level-set method is used to solve the constrained optimization problems. The proposed method is demonstrated using three problems with mass, linear buckling and flutter objective and/or constraints. A constraint aggregation method is used to handle multiple buckling constraints in the wing skins. A continuous flutter constraint formulation is used to handle difficulties arising from discontinuities in the design space caused by a switching of the critical flutter mode.
Edge network model based on double dimension

A great many new technologies has emerged in the big data era, and more “big” applications are coming out progressively. Traditional computing models has touched its bottleneck, while the cloud-computing paradigm is one of the solution to resolve the capacity of the bottleneck under big data. Could-computing primarily applies to the off-line batch processing applications. However, it is a bit of overload for small real-time applications. Fortunately, with the fast development of container technology, real-time applications are no longer independent to any further extent. In edge network, the computing model consisting of the devices close to the data source is known as the edge device. The edge network device has a certain storage and computing power. The leading purpose of this device is not only to carry out some preliminary processing and data analysis but also to handle real-time applications in the cloud. We design a novel technique, which aim to combine container technology and micro services application models. Finally, we set up the edge network architecture of load balancing, which use the scheduling strategy based on double degree of domain and significantly improve the ability of real-time processing.
Reapproaching Mahler: New Perspectives On Normal Autism, Symbiosis, Splitting and Libidinal Object Constancy From Cognitive Developmental Theory

Margaret Mahler's seminal work on the psychological birth of the infant has generated more critical discussion than most other psychoanalytic theories of early development. But while the empirically, theoretically, and methodologically based criticisms of Mahler's theory are generally justified, her critics fail at times to consider some of the intriguing and creative insights that her theoretical formulations tried to capture. This paper attempts to reformulate these insights using the new conceptual tools that current cognitive developmental theory provides. Mahler's stage of normal autism is reconsidered in the light of contingency detection theory as an initial phase of primary preoccupation with self-generated perfectly response-contingent stimulation. Her concept of normal symbiosis is recast with the help of attachment theory's views on homeostatic regulation and the social biofeedback model of affect-reflective mirroring interactions with parents. Finally, her ideas about the development of splitting and libidinal object constancy are reconsidered according to recent theories of early representational development and mentalization.
A Qualitative Insight on Factors Enabling and Inhibiting Changes in Post Adoption IS Use in SMEs: A Case Study in Jamaica

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of many economies. However many SMEs have constraints such as limited financial resources that challenge their growth. Scholars and practitioners have therefore advocated using Information Systems (IS) to improve the competitiveness and survival rate of SMEs. Despite increasing implementation of IS in SMEs, issues of under-utilization within firms limit the potentials of the technology. This paper reports on findings from a case study on individuals’ use of an Insurance System in a Medium-Sized Enterprise in Jamaica and how such use changed and developed over time towards deeper use of the IS. Factors that enabled and inhibited use of the IS are discussed, as well as implications for fostering changes in use by individuals.
Problem-based learning: A review of current issues relevant to physiotherapy education

This article reviews the development of problem-based learning (PBL) over the past decade within the context of physiotherapy practice. Although there is an emerging literature in physiotherapy, the research is primarily from medical education. Some of the original claims of superiority of PBL in developing problem-solving and self-directed learning skills have not been supported. Results from studies comparing traditional and PBL curricula are inconsistent and have numerous methodological shortcomings. There is no evidence to suggest there is one best way of implementing PBL, however it appears faculty training is required to be most successful. There is a need for physiotherapy specific research; although based on the experiences of our medical colleagues long term studies comparing the outcomes of programs of different curricular designs may not be warranted. PBL may help promote skills important for current practice and remains a viable alternative for those interested in curricular innovation.
Volume Overhydration is Related to Endothelial Dysfunction in Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Objective In dialysis patients, volume overhydration is common and is related to increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, it remains unclear whether volume overload imposes those detrimental effects through endothelial dysfunction. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 81 stable patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in a single center were recruited. Volume status was evaluated by extracellular water, assessed by bioimpedance analysis, and normalized to individual height (nECW). Endothelial function was estimated by endothelial-dependent flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery and expressed as percentage change relative to baseline diameter. Results There were 37 male and 44 female patients (mean age 61 ± 12 years, dialysis vintage 20 ± 23 months). FMD in female patients was significantly higher than that in male patients (9.17% ± 6.23% vs 6.31% ± 5.01%, p < 0.05). FMD was negatively correlated with weight (r = -0.308, p < 0.01), body mass index (r = -0.242, p < 0.05), systolic blood pressure (r = -0.228, p < 0.05), ECW (r = -0.404, p < 0.001), and nECW (r = -0.418, p < 0.001). No correlation was found between FMD and other variables. In multiple stepwise regression analysis, calcium x phosphate product (² = 0.422, p < 0.001), nECW (² = -0.343, p < 0.01), and dialysis vintage (² = -0.237, p < 0.05) were independent determinants of FMD (adjusted R2 = 0.327 for this model). Conclusion There was independent correlation between index of volume status and FMD, and higher nECW was related to worse endothelial function. The results of this study may help us understand the underlying mechanism of volume overhydration leading to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in dialysis patients.
Establishment and characterization of bovine oviductal epithelial cells in culture and study of sperm binding capacity: "Feasibility studies towards the development of a semen fertility assessment assay for Norwegian red"

10 1 BACKGROUND 11 1.1 ORIGINS OF THE PROJECT 11 1.1.1 Geno and Biokapital 11 1.1. 2 Breeding of Norwegian Red 11 2 INTRODUCTION 13 2.1 ORGANISATION AND FUNCTION OF THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT IN BOVINE 13 2.1.1 Female reproductive system 13 2.1. 2 Anatomy and histology of the oviduct 14 2.1. 3 Epithelial cells 16 2.1. 4 Reproductive physiology in dairy cows 18 2.2 SPERMATOGENESIS AND SPERM PHYSIOLOGY IN BOVINE 21 2.2.1 Spermatogenesis and sperm morphology 21 2.2.2 Control of spermatozoa formation 23 2.3 FERTILIZATION IN BOVINE 25 2.3. 1 Sperm reservoir 25 2.3. 2 Capacitation 26 2.3. 3 Hyperactivation and acrosome reaction 28
Forecasting climatic fluctuations: the winter of 1976-77.

1386 The Golden Fleece may not so much be awarded as pulled over our eyes. Diligent pursuit of minor derelictions gives the impression of protecting the public purse. However, if it becomes a substitute for dealing with major malfeasance, the results may be neither positive nor neutral, but doubly negative, as accomplishment is rebuked and malefactors rewarded. Evidently what is needed for wholehearted government support is monstrous failure, accomplished "by the numbers" for bookkeeping purposes. No matter what the cost overruns pr management ineffectivenesses may be, the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, the Penn Central railroad, and the Social Security system, among others, receive massive infusions of government money with the only expressed desire that they try to use it more effectively. In Washington, gross failures seem to be either swept under the rug or alleviated by more money. In the meantime, projects that are infinitely less costly, and often quite successful, are made targets of ridicule and censure by these guardians of the public trust. My hat is off to S. Dillon Ripley, who can build a National Air and Space Museum without having the contents ruined by a leaky roof such as the one at Kennedy Center. What Washington needs is more Ripleys and others like him who can get the job done, and fewer Proxmires. It is about time that bureaucratic spleen be spent on Washington-sponsored failures rather than on its sometimes eccentric successes. It is difficult to imagine that Buchwald's law is reversible, but one can always hope. WILLIAM V. MAYER Department ofBiology, University ofColorado, Boulder 80306
Relationship between 18O enrichment in leaf biomass and stomatal conductance

Models that explain the oxygen isotope enrichment in leaf water (and biomass) treat the relationship between the kinetic fractionation that occurs during evapotranspiration and the stomatal conductance in an empirical way. Consequently, the isotopic enrichment is always predicted to decrease with increasing stomatal conductance, regardless of the experimental evidence to the contrary. We explain why and suggest an alternative method to reconcile theory and experiment. We support this with our experimental data on rice and groundnut plants.
The Brazilian Cerrado Vegetation and Threats to its Biodiversity

The Brazilian cerrado (savanna) biome covers 2 million km2representing 23% of the area of the country. It is an ancient biome with rich biodiversity, estimated at 160000 species of plants, fungi and animals. There are about 800 species of trees and large shrubs in the savanna vegetation and several times that number of ground species (herbs and subshrubs). When the flora of gallery forests, mesophytic forests and other habitats occurring in the biome are included, the total number of vascular plant species is estimated to reach about 10000. During the last 25 years modern agriculture has been developed in the cerrado to produce soya, maize, rice, etc and enormous numbers of cattle are raised in planted pastures. Charcoal production for the Brazilian steel industry also causes great destruction of the cerrado. By 1994 an estimated 695000 km2of cerrado (representing 35% of its area) had been converted to ‘anthropic landscape’. This compares to the destruction of about 400000 km2of Brazilian Amazonian forest representing 12 or 13% of the area of this biome. Conservation initiatives are now desperately needed. Only 1.5% of the cerrado biome is preserved as Federal Reserves and this area needs to be at least tripled. Surveys of the vascular flora aimed at discovering biogeographic patterns are now in progress with the objective of choosing representative areas and biodiversity ‘hot spots’ for conservation.
Positive end-expiratory pressure improves respiratory function in obese but not in normal subjects during anesthesia and paralysis.

BACKGROUND Morbidly obese patients, during anesthesia and paralysis, experience more severe impairment of respiratory mechanics and gas exchange than normal subjects. The authors hypothesized that positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) induces different responses in normal subjects (n = 9; body mass index < 25 kg/m2) versus obese patients (n = 9; body mass index > 40 kg/m2). METHODS The authors measured lung volumes (helium technique), the elastances of the respiratory system, lung, and chest wall, the pressure-volume curves (occlusion technique and esophageal balloon), and the intraabdominal pressure (intrabladder catheter) at PEEP 0 and 10 cm H2O in paralyzed, anesthetized postoperative patients in the intensive care unit or operating room after abdominal surgery. RESULTS At PEEP 0 cm H2O, obese patients had lower lung volume (0.59 +/- 0.17 vs. 2.15 +/- 0.58 l [mean +/- SD], P < 0.01); higher elastances of the respiratory system (26.8 +/- 4.2 vs. 16.4 +/- 3.6 cm H2O/l, P < 0.01), lung (17.4 +/- 4.5 vs. 10.3 +/- 3.2 cm H2O/l, P < 0.01), and chest wall (9.4 +/- 3.0 vs. 6.1 +/- 1.4 cm H2O/l, P < 0.01); and higher intraabdominal pressure (18.8 +/-7.8 vs. 9.0 +/- 2.4 cm H2O, P < 0.01) than normal subjects. The arterial oxygen tension was significantly lower (110 +/- 30 vs. 218 +/- 47 mmHg, P < 0.01; inspired oxygen fraction = 50%), and the arterial carbon dioxide tension significantly higher (37.8 +/- 6.8 vs. 28.4 +/- 3.1, P < 0.01) in obese patients compared with normal subjects. Increasing PEEP to 10 cm H2O significantly reduced elastances of the respiratory system, lung, and chest wall in obese patients but not in normal subjects. The pressure-volume curves were shifted upward and to the left in obese patients but were unchanged in normal subjects. The oxygenation increased with PEEP in obese patients (from 110 +/-30 to 130 +/- 28 mmHg, P < 0.01) but was unchanged in normal subjects. The oxygenation changes were significantly correlated with alveolar recruitment (r = 0.81, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS During anesthesia and paralysis, PEEP improves respiratory function in morbidly obese patients but not in normal subjects.
Effects of two different blends of naturally mycotoxin-contaminated maize meal on growth and metabolic pro fi le in replacement heifers

Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura (Centro di Ricerca per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-casearie), Via Porcellasco 7, 26100 Cremona, Italy; Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura (Centro di Ricerca per la Produzione delle Carni e il Miglioramento Genetico), Via Salaria 31, 00016 Monterotondo (RM), Italy; Feed and Food Science and Nutrition Institute, Faculty of Agriculture, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
Terahertz spectroscopic imaging of liver cancer using ring cavity THz-wave parametric oscillator

Recently, research of THz spectroscopic imaging has been conducted widely for biological and medical studies using monochromatic THz-wave sources, or THz-TDS [1–5]. This paper describes a THz spectroscopic imaging system that we developed using a ring cavity THz-wave parametric oscillator [6]. The experimental setup of a ring cavity TPO spectrometer is shown schematically in Fig. 1. The THz-waves were generated from a MgO:LiNbO3 crystal pumped using a Q-switched Nd:YAG pulse laser (1.064 μm, 24 mJ/pulse, 25 ns (FWHM), 50 Hz). The maximum THz-wave output energy was about 100 pJ/pulse at 1.5 THz. The spectral resolution was ca. 1.0 cm (30 GHz) and the duration was 15 ns. The tuning range was 35–80 cm (1.01–2.4 THz).