Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphology and molecular organization of the adult neuromuscular junction of Drosophila

While the larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) of Drosophila has emerged as a model system to study synaptic function and development, little attention has been given to the study of the adult NMJ. Here we report an immunocytochemical and morphological characterization of an adult NMJ preparation of the prothorax. All muscles examined were innervated by small, uniform type II terminals (0.5–1.5 μm), a subset of which contained octopamine. Terminals classified as type I varied in their morphology across different muscles, ranging from strings or clusters of boutons (0.8–5.5 μm) to an elongate terminal (80–100 μm long) with few branches and contiguous swellings (3–15 μm) along its length. Analysis of the molecular composition of the NMJs during the first 5 days after eclosion revealed four major findings: 1) type I boutons increase in size during early adulthood; 2) Fasciclin II‐immunoreactivity is not detectable at type I terminals, while DLG‐immunoreactivity is observed at the synapse; 3) a Shaker‐GFP fusion protein that localizes to all type I boutons in the larva is differentially localized at adult prothoracic NMJs; and 4) while all type I terminals contain glutamate, the glutamate receptor subunits, DGluRIIA and DGluRIIB, are expressed and clustered in only a subset of muscles. These findings suggest that maturation of the adult NMJ occurs during early adulthood and that muscle‐specific properties may play a role in organizing synaptic components in the adult. Furthermore, these results demonstrate that there are major differences in the molecular organization of the adult and larval NMJs. J. Comp. Neurol. 468:596–613, 2004. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Measuring the Effect of Retail Store Promotions on Brand and Store Substitution

Using store-level scanner data, the authors investigate the effect of retail store price promotion, featuring, and displays on sales of brands of disposable diapers within a city. A hierarchical, cross-sectional, and time-series modeling procedure is used to identify the competitive structure among retail stores within a test market city. Models are developed for pooled store pairs to investigate the effect of promotion on store substitution. The specification of these models is based on findings from within-store brand substitution models. Within a store, price promotion produced the largest amount of brand substitution, followed by featuring and displays. Similarly, these activities produced store substitution in certain instances. However, which specific promotional variables are significant and the magnitude of the effect are a function of the geographic proximity of the stores.
Magnetic field analysis and control circuit design of permanent magnet actuator for AC contactor

A new permanent magnet actuator and its control circuit are designed to develop a series of permanent magnet AC contactor in this paper. The magnetic fields and the electromagnetic forces on the armature at different armature positions are computed by the finite element method based on a parametric mesh generation. The charging and discharging procedures are simulated and experimentally measured. The simulation and experimental results are in good agreement.
Measuring and benchmarking the performance of coffee stores for retail operations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to measure and benchmark the retail operations of selected coffee stores owned by a specialty coffee company.Design/methodology/approach – Data envelopment analysis is used for benchmarking the performance of eight coffee stores for two years using internal annual reports.Findings – Major findings are that the inefficient stores need to improve occupancy related expenses and revenues from non‐coffee items. In addition, the coffee stores locate in an affluent residential area outperform the stores in the business district.Research limitations/implications – The limitation of this paper is in the use of financial data. To overcome this issue, non‐financial data should be included.Originality/value – The contributions of this paper are twofold: providing a framework for performance measures within a benchmarking perspective and evaluating the comparative efficiency of coffee stores using internal data, which is not accessible to the general public.
Prevention of Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection

Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) form one of the most important groups of infectious agents and are the cause of serious global health problems. The most important STHs are roundworms (Ascaris lumbricoides), whipworms (Trichuris trichiura) and hookworms (Necator americanus or Ancylostoma duodenale); on a global level, more than a billion people have been infected by at least one species of this group of pathogens. This review explores the general concepts of transmission dynamics and the environment and intensity of infection and morbidity of STHs. The global strategy for the control of soil-transmitted helminthiasis is based on (i) regular anthelminthic treatment, (ii) health education, (iii) sanitation and personal hygiene and (iv) other means of prevention with vaccines and remote sensoring. The reasons for the development of a control strategy based on population intervention rather than on individual treatment are discussed, as well as the costs of the prevention of STHs, although these cannot always be calculated because interventions in health education are difficult to measure. An efficient sanitation infrastructure can reduce the morbidity of STHs and eliminates the underlying cause of most poverty-related diseases and thus supports the economic development of a country.
Diffusion tensor imaging of the developing human cerebrum

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed on 15 fresh spontaneously or therapeutically aborted normal fetuses and five term infants at different gestational ages. Regional cortical fractional anisotropy (FA) values were observed to increase with gestational age (GA) from 15 to 28 weeks, followed by a decrease through 36 weeks. The early increase in the cortical FA value, which has never been reported before, is consistent with neuronal migration from the germinal matrix. A statistically significant inverse correlation between GA and the FA values in the germinal matrix was observed (r = –0.81, P = 0.004). In addition, there was a significant difference in the FA values in the right and left frontal cortices (P = 0.007, sign test), suggesting cortical lateralization during the early stage of development. Our studies suggest that the DTI‐estimated anisotropy could be useful in following neuronal migration, cortical maturation, and associated changes in the germinal matrix during early brain development. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Leveraging Quality Information in Stock-Outs

We study the informational role stock-outs may play when consumers have heterogeneous information about the quality of a firm’s product. Typically, in a newsvendor world, matching uncertain demand with inventory leads inevitably to stock-outs. When, in addition, consumers are heterogeneously informed about the quality of the firm’s product, stock-outs caused early in the season by savvy consumers may be an indication of high quality for the less savvy consumers later in the season. The firm can leverage their increased willingness to pay after a stock-out via increased prices. As a consequence, in the presence of quality uncertainty, a firm may want to manipulate inventory early in the season to create stock-outs in order to take advantage of increased willingness to pay later in the season. In our model, stock-outs can thus be caused either by the firm’s inventory manipulations, or by market uncertainty. We find conditions under which stock-outs are an indication of high quality. Our model provides an explanation for frequently reported stock-outs of consumer electronic products or toys, whose potential markets are characterized by significant market uncertainty, but, also, whose quality may not be fully known by all consumers in the market. Compared to the case in which consumers do not observe stock-out information, we find that the firm rationally underinvests in inventory, which causes backorder costs early in the season that are leveraged later in the season via increased sales revenues. Interestingly, we find that the difference in price after a stock-out versus after no stock-out, and the equilibrium stock-out probability, can either increase or decrease with more-savvy early-season consumers.
Trap Spectroscopy by Charge Injection and Sensing (TSCIS): A quantitative electrical technique for studying defects in dielectric stacks

Trap spectroscopy by charge injection and sensing (TSCIS) is a new, fast and powerful material analysis technique that provides detailed information on the trap density profile and trap energy level in dielectric materials. We show the measurement principle and explain the data analysis. The technique is applied to a number of example materials: SiO<sub>2</sub>, Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, and Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>. We show that TSCIS has excellent resolution and is capable of distinguishing between different process-variations.
The Developmental Brain Disorders Database (DBDB): A curated neurogenetics knowledge base with clinical and research applications

The number of single genes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders has increased dramatically over the past decade. The identification of causative genes for these disorders is important to clinical outcome as it allows for accurate assessment of prognosis, genetic counseling, delineation of natural history, inclusion in clinical trials, and in some cases determines therapy. Clinicians face the challenge of correctly identifying neurodevelopmental phenotypes, recognizing syndromes, and prioritizing the best candidate genes for testing. However, there is no central repository of definitions for many phenotypes, leading to errors of diagnosis. Additionally, there is no system of levels of evidence linking genes to phenotypes, making it difficult for clinicians to know which genes are most strongly associated with a given condition. We have developed the Developmental Brain Disorders Database (DBDB: https://www.dbdb.urmc.rochester.edu/home), a publicly available, online‐curated repository of genes, phenotypes, and syndromes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. DBDB contains the first referenced ontology of developmental brain phenotypes, and uses a novel system of levels of evidence for gene‐phenotype associations. It is intended to assist clinicians in arriving at the correct diagnosis, select the most appropriate genetic test for that phenotype, and improve the care of patients with developmental brain disorders. For researchers interested in the discovery of novel genes for developmental brain disorders, DBDB provides a well‐curated source of important genes against which research sequencing results can be compared. Finally, DBDB allows novel observations about the landscape of the neurogenetics knowledge base. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Effect of Occupational Exposure to Lead on Blood Hemoglobin Concentration in Workers of Kermanshah Oil Refinery

Background: Blood hemoglobin can be damaged by toxins such as lead. Thus, this study was carried out to assess its blood hemoglobin concentration in the staff of Kermanshah Oil Refinery that had been exposed to lead components. Methods: In this study, 150 workers at Kermanshah Oil Refinery were selected as the case group and 70 workers of textile industry factory were chosen as the control group. Informed written consent was obtained from them for participation in the study and blood sampling. Blood hemoglobin level was assessed by SAHLI method and serum lead concentration was assayed by atomic absorption spectrophotometery at 217.4 nm. The results were analyzed by statistical procedures, such as correlation test, and P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: The results showed that the presence of a statistically significant difference between hemoglobin levels (P<0.05). Mean hemoglobin level was 15.96gr/100cc in the control group and 12.51gr/100cc in the case group. There was a significant relationship between lead exposure and hemoglobin level. Conclusion: Lead is a toxin that its chronic exposure decreases hemoglobin level. Protective measures should be anticipated to save the workers from harms of
Weakening of the subpolar gyre as a key driver of North Atlantic seabird demography: a case study with Brünnich's guillemots in Svalbard

The Arctic is experiencing environmental changes at unprecedented rates. These changes are spreading throughout the entire food web, affecting apex predators such as seabirds. Brunnich’s guillemot Uria lomvia populations in Svalbard archipelago have significantly declined since the mid-1990s. For long-lived species such as seabirds, population growth rate is highly sensitive to changes in adult survival rates, and slight changes in survival may have large consequences at the population level. Adult survival rates, were estimated for Brunnich’s guillemots individually marked and monitored from 1986 to 2011 at Bjornoya, Svalbard. While survival appeared to be repeatedly high (mean ± SE; 95 ± 1%) from 1986 to 1995-98 (transitional years, when Svalbard guillemot colonies started to decline), it dropped by 9-12% over the period 1995-98 to 2011. This decline coincided with the occurrence of an abrupt ecosystem shift in the North Atlantic Ocean in the mid-1990s and the weakening of the Atlantic subpolar gyre. Variations in the subpolar gyre index (SGI) were significantly associated with inter-annual variation in guillemot annual survival, and a strong gyre (i.e. cold waters on guillemot wintering grounds) was associated with high adult survival. Our results, combined with other studies, suggest that the SGI may be an important global proxy to assess oceanographic conditions and changes in marine ecosystems in the North Atlantic.
Institutional Property Tenure: Evidence from the NCREIF Database

Executive Summary. This article examines holding periods for commercial real estate held by institutional investors in the NCREIF database in the United States and contrasts them with those found in a United Kingdom study using the IPD database. The similarity of results suggests that there may be fundamental reasons for the relatively long holding period for real estate that is global and related to differences in the relative liquidity and lease structures. Evidence is also found that holding periods have been declining over time and that the volume of transactions, and consequently holding periods, may be related to market conditions and structural changes in the management of real estate assets.
Research scorecard to accelerate quality management research - a proposed method and research mapping tool

The purpose of research is to inform action. Research must always be of high quality in order to produce knowledge that is applicable outside of the research purview with implications that go beyond the group that has participated in the research. Furthermore, the results should have implications for policy and project implementation. The study seeks to contextualize its findings within the larger body of research and to evaluate how a Research Scorecard can facilitate the accelerated journey of research. One problem that often plagues progress in research is the slow translation of it into practice. Oftentimes, a disconnection exists between the researchers who create the evidence base and those who are positioned to implement the research findings. The underlying problem is in “the way in which the production of evidence is organized institutionally with highly centralized mechanisms, whereas the application of that science is highly decentralized. This social distance prevails because scientists are more oriented to the international audiences of other scientists for which they publish than to the needs of practitioners, policy makers, or the local public. Thus, as researchers, it is imperative to take steps to overcome this barrier. Publishing the study may be one initial step to make the research known to the global community. Other proactive measures can be taken to encourage the uptake of evidence-based interventions. Hence, whatever is the outcome of research has to have practical applicability and it is to be carried out in line with the needs of the benefits of the recipients. Furthermore, a researcher can send the results of the study to local officials, policy-makers, and community leaders for feasibility and practicability checking. Therefore, in this paper we make an attempt to formulate and design a Research Scorecard of prime importance with which the quality of research work carried out can be analyzed and evaluated and accordingly the practical applicability can be assessed.
A New Static High Fan-In OR-NOR Gate Structure Suitable for Low Power CMOS VLSI

In this work we present a new technique for designing high fan-in OR/NOR gates, suitable for static full swing logic styles like SCMOS. This circuit consumes a little static power but its dynamic power consumption is very small. In 500 MHZ its total power consumption is 2.7 times smaller than the power consumption of SCMOS in equal delay condition. The area needed by this method is below half the area needed by DCVSL or SCMOS. This circuit can work in low voltage as low as 1 V without significant performance degradation and is robust to process variations like threshold voltage variations. We present simulation results in 0.18 μm technology and compare performance of our method with other static logic styles.
Audit Tenure, Auditor Rotation, and Audit Quality: The Case of Indonesia

The Indonesian regulators have made it compulsory to rotate the appointments of public accountants every 3 years and the appointment of public accounting firms every 5 years, since the end of 2002. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of auditor rotation and audit tenure of the public accountant and the public accounting firm, on audit quality (before and after the implementation of the mandatory auditor regulation). The results do not support that mandatory auditor rotation increases audit quality or that a shorter audit tenure (both partner and firm level) increases audit quality. Regulators may need to consider revising the regulation (i.e. related to maximum years allowed for auditor to audit their client) and/or introduce other regulations to increase audit quality.Keywords: Audit rotation, Audit tenure, Audit quality, Discretionary accrual
Aspartic Acid 564 in the Third Cytoplasmic Loop of the Luteinizing Hormone/Choriogonadotropin Receptor Is Crucial for Phosphorylation-independent Interaction with Arrestin2*

Arrestin2 binding to the active but unphosphorylated luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor (LH/CG R) in ovarian follicles is triggered by activation of ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (ARF6) and leads to uncoupling of this receptor from cAMP signaling. We sought to determine how arrestin2 binds to LH/CG R, if binding is of high affinity, and if the receptor also binds arrestin3. Desensitization of intact LH/CG R was equally sensitive to ectopic constructs of arrestin2 that bind other G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) either in a phosphorylation-independent or -dependent manner. Intact LH/CG R was not desensitized by ectopic arrestin3 constructs. Surface plasmon resonance studies showed that arrestin2 bound a synthetic third intracellular (3i) LH/CG R loop peptide with picomolar affinity; arrestin3 bound with millimolar affinity. To determine whether Asp-564 in the 3i loop mimicked the phosphorylated residue of other GPCRs, human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells were transfected with wild-type (WT) and D564G LH/CG R. An agonist-stimulated ARF6-dependent arrestin2 undocking pathway to drive desensitization of WT receptor was recapitulated in HEK cell membranes, and ectopic arrestin2 promoted desensitization of WT LH/CG R. However, D564G LH/CG R in HEK cells was not desensitized, and synthetic 3i D564G peptide did not bind arrestin2. Synthetic 3i loop peptides containing D564E, D564V, or D564N also did not bind arrestin2. We conclude that the ARF6-mediated mechanism to release a pool of membrane-delimited arrestin to bind GPCRs may be a widespread mechanism to deliver arrestin to GPCRs for receptor desensitization. Unlike other GPCRs that additionally require receptor phosphorylation, LH/CG R activation is sufficient to expose a conformation in which Asp-564 in the 3i loop confers high affinity binding selectively to arrestin2.
Achieving Consistent Latencies in Datacenter Networks

Author(s): Zats, David | Advisor(s): Katz, Randy | Abstract: In this thesis, we begin by analyzing the increasing trend of running large-scale services on Warehouse Scale Computers to provide user functionality. We see that user demands for interactivity place stringent requirements on these services, compelling them to consistently meet tight deadlines. To provide users a rich experience while meeting these deadlines, services typically parallelize requests, dividing tasks among many servers to speed-up computation. Consequently, services depend on the network to provide consistent, low-latency communication so that servers can coordinate and deliver their results in a timely manner.We explain why current networks are poorly suited for delivering consistent, low-latency performance. These networks typically run the TCP/IP stack, which explicitly trades consistent performance for generality and interoperability. This decision was appropriate for the Internet, which was designed to interconnect heterogeneous networks. However, given the new stringent requirements that these networks must support, we hypothesize that they can no longer accept this design decision. Instead, they must employ a series of tightly-integrated layers to deliver the consistent latencies services depend on.To understand the benefits of foregoing generality, we design and implement two approaches DeTail and FastLane. DeTail is a network stack that employs a series of tightly integrated layers. Each layer in the DeTail stack depends on, and overcomes the limitations of, others, reducing the latency spikes that often plague networks. FastLane employs an alternate approach, where network components directly communicate with transports, helping them respond more agilely to events that drive up latencies.To evaluate these approaches, we employ both simulation and implementation platforms. Based on these platforms, we see that both DeTail and FastLane are able to dramatically reduce latencies by foregoing generality and having the layers of the network stack directly depend on the functionality of others. We argue that this approach is a fruitful one and will become increasingly important as network requirements become increasingly stringent.