Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
WHEN DOES A JUVENILE BECOME AN ADULT ? IMPLICATIONS FOR LAW AND POLICY

The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a series of landmark decisions regarding the culpability of juveniles under the age of eighteen and has increasingly referenced developmental science in these opinions. Still, the line between juvenile court jurisdiction and criminal court jurisdiction varies widely among state laws, as do the minimum ages for other legal or regulatory purposes. Although the operative age of “adulthood” typically falls somewhere between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one, it has been set lower in some important policy contexts, such as the age at which an adolescent is subject to criminal prosecution and punishment. Legal distinctions between juveniles and adults have been based on changing political climates and conventional wisdom rather than empirical evidence. Policymakers have drawn these lines without fully examining or understanding the developmental characteristics of these individuals and how similar they are to younger or older individuals in their behavior and judgment. Scientific evidence of human brain maturation shows continued development into the early twenties. In this Article, we summarize recent behavioral and neural findings on cognitive capacity in young adults (eighteen to twenty-one) and highlight several ways in which they bear on legal policies relating to the “age of adulthood. ”
Prooxidant activity of flavonoids: copper-dependent strand breaks and the formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine in DNA.

The naturally occurring flavonoids caused strand scission of DNA in the presence of copper ion. Flavonoids such as myricetin, baicalein, and quercetin as well as ascorbic acid cleaved plasmid pBR322 DNA and calf thymus DNA potently. Addition of catalase protected DNA from the strand breaks caused by flavonoids. Treatment of calf thymus DNA with these flavonoids or ascorbate plus copper produced 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine. Cuprous ion reduced by flavonoids and ascorbic acid may play a key role in the oxidative cleavage of DNA and the formation of base adduct. Mutagenic and carcinogenic action of flavonoids may be explained by the prooxidant effects of the compounds.
El cambio climático y la dinámica de procesos hidrológicos en la cuenca Lerma-Chapala

En este trabajo se presenta un analisis de la problematica actual del sector hidrico de la cuenca Lerma-Chapala poniendo especial atencion en la problematica adicional que podria darse de acuerdo con los efectos del cambio climatico. Lo anterior con el objetivo de determinar los mecanismos que favorecen la vulnerabilidad del sector hidrico de la cuenca. Para ello se hace un analisis de sensibilidad de los principales procesos hidrologicos que influyen en la disponibilidad del agua, a saber, evapotranspiracion y escurrimiento. Ademas, se hace un analisis de la vulnerabilidad a partir de la relacion existente entre la disponibilidad de agua en la cuenca y la demanda de los distintos usuarios. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que tanto la evapotranspiracion como el escurrimiento son sensibles a los cambios propuestos por los escenarios de cambio climatico, encontrando que en el caso de la evapotranspiracion se pueden dar aumentos que en promedio estan alrededor del 10% de acuerdo con el escenario A2, mientras que en el caso del escurrimiento se pueden esperar disminuciones de hasta un 8 % del escurrimiento con base en el escenario A2 y aumentos del mismo del 1.5% tomando como base el escenario B1, todo ello a nivel global. Las tendencias encontradas en el caso del escurrimiento resultaron estadisticamente significativas con un nivel de significancia menor o igual al 5%. Ademas se encontro una fuerte variabilidad interanual la cual a nivel global puede causar diminuciones en la disponibilidad entre 100 y 600 hm3/ano. A nivel subcuenca los escenarios muestran que el escurrimiento puede disminuir hasta en un 21.5% respecto del valor historico con base en el escenario A2 y aumentar en un 14.7% de acuerdo con el escenario B1. Por otro lado, se encontro que los factores que favorecen la vulnerabilidad en la cuenca son tanto naturales como sociales, encontrando que la mayor vulnerabilidad social se da en la zona del Alto Lerma seguida del Medio Lerma la cual es impulsada por una alta concentracion de poblacion y por la falta de cobertura en los servicios de agua potable y alcantarillado. De acuerdo con los resultados obtenidos es notoria la necesidad de establecer estrategias y medidas de adaptacion enfocadas al aumento de la disponibilidad de agua en la cuenca o al control de la demanda en la misma.
The Immigrant Wage Gap in Germany

Immigrants consist of foreigners and citizens with migration background. We analyze the wage gap between natives and these two groups in Germany. The estimates show a substantial gap for both groups with respect to natives. Discarding immigrants who completed education abroad reduces much of the immigrants’ wage gap. This implies educational attainment in Germany is an important component of economic integration and degrees obtained abroad are valued less.
Financial cost-benefit analysis for the establishment of areas free from and areas of low pest prevalence of Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) in South Africa

ii Opsomming . iii Acknowledgements . iv List of tables . ix List of figures . x List of annexures. xi Chapter 1 : Introduction . 1 1.1 Background . 1 1.2 Problem statement and research question. 3 1.3 Objective of the study . 3 1.4 Proposed method . 4 1.5 Study outline . 5 Chapter 2 : Literature overview: Bactrocera dorsalis and cost-benefit analysis 7 2.
A Unified Framework for Detecting Rare Variant Quantitative Trait Associations in Pedigree and Unrelated Individuals via Sequence Data

Objectives: There is great interest to sequence unrelated or pedigree samples for detecting rare variant quantitative trait associations. In order to reduce the cost of sequencing and improve power, many studies sequence selected samples with extreme traits. Existing methods for detecting rare variant associations were developed for unrelated samples. Methods are needed to analyze (selected or randomly ascertained) pedigree samples. Methods: We propose a unified framework of modeling extreme trait genetic associations (MEGA) with rare variants. Using MEGA and appropriate permutation algorithms, many rare variant tests can be extended to family data. As an application, we compared study designs using both sib-pairs and unrelated individuals. Extensive simulations were carried out using realistic population genetic and complex trait models. Results: It is demonstrated that when extreme sampling is implemented within equal-sized cohorts of unrelated individuals or sib-pairs, analyzing unrelated individuals is consistently more powerful than studying sib-pairs. A higher portion of rare variants can be identified through sequencing unrelated samples compared to sibs. Alternatively, if samples are ascertained using fixed thresholds from an infinite-sized population, sequencing one sib with the most extreme trait from each extreme concordant sib-pair is consistently the most powerful design. Conclusions: MEGA will play an important role in the analysis of sequence-based genetic association studies.
Expression of c-myc and Other Cell Cycle-dependent Genes in Human Colon Neoplasia 1

We have investigated the expression of certain cell cycledependent genes in total RNA isolated from normal and neoplastic cells of human epithelial colon tissue. The genes studied had been previously identified as cell cycle dependent in rodent and human fibroblasts. Levels of expression of GÃ¬genes were com pared to the level of expression of the S-phase-specific gene H3 in normal and adjacent neoplastic epithelial cells of six different individuals. We have found that the increase in the expression of c-myc gene detected in colon tumor cells is accompanied by a parallel increase in the expression of two Gi-specific genes (p2A9 and ornithine decarboxylase) and the S-phase-specific gene histone H3. An important conclusion that can be drawn from these findings is that the increased level of a cell cycle-specific RNA in a tumor may not indicate overexpression of that gene but simply reflect the increased fraction of cycling cells, unless the ratio of expression between G, genes and Gi-S-phase genes is altered.
Hierarchically Modulated Network Coding for Asymmetric Two-Way Relay Systems

Network coding has been known as a spectrally efficient technique in wireless networks. However, when it is applied to a two-way relay channel (TWRC), it suffers from performance degradation caused by the asymmetric position of the relay. In this paper, we suggest remedying this problem by using hierarchical modulation at the source node. We investigate how hierarchical modulation can be incorporated and optimized with network coding. Our results are encouraging in that hierarchically modulated network coding (HMNC) significantly improves end-to-end bit-error probability and spectral efficiency in asymmetric relay channels, as compared with direct transmission (DT), bidirectional network coding (BNC), and coded bidirectional relay (CBR).
Linearly constrained generalized Lloyd algorithm for virtual codebook vector quantization

Linearly-constrained vector quantization (LCVQ) is efficient for block-based compression of images that require low complexity decompression. It is the 'de facto' standard for 3D graphics cards that use texture compression. We extend the generalized Lloyd (1982) algorithm (GLA) for vector quantizer (VQ) codebook improvement and codebook design to a new linearly-constrained generalized Lloyd algorithm (LCGLA). This LCGLA improves VQ codebooks that are formed as linear combinations of Q reduced set of base codewords. As such, it finds application in a wide variety of signal compression and pattern recognition applications where linearly-constrained nearest-neighbour techniques are used. Experimental results show that the LCCLA significantly improves PSNR of standard high-quality lossy 6:1 LCVQ compressed images.
Schistosoma mansoni Eggs

An electron microscope study of the shell of living schistosome eggs was made in an effort to elucidate further the mechanism of their nutrition and excretion. Stenger et al. (1) studied the fine structure of murine he-patosplenic Schistosomiasis mansoni and also studied the fine structure of the schistosome egg. These authors described a fenestrated shell and also observed microspicules. Extracellular degradation of these shells in host tissues was observed. They also credit J. H. Smith and F. Von Lichtenberg for observing the fenestra and microspicules independently. The published photographs by Stenger et al. show their fenestrations to be irregular in size, of random distribution, and to be unlined by a plasma or unit membrane. They suggested that these fenestrations might facilitate diffusion of antigenic material from S. mansoni eggs, since Andrade et al. (2) and Lichtenberg (3) demonstrated schistosomal antigens in granuloma tissue. In our study, living eggs grown in vitro by the method of Lee and Michaels (4) were isolated, fixed in collidine buffered paraformaldehyde, and embedded in epon according to the method of Lynn et al. (5). Thin sections were made on an ultramicrotome, stained with lead citrate (Reynolds, 6) and uranyl acetate (Watson, 7), and viewed with an RCA EMU 3. A shell with microbarbs was observed (Fig. 1). The shell also had discrete pores that traversed the shell in a direct manner. These pores were located principally in the anterior portion of the eggs. No pores could be demonstrated in the spurs, suggesting that the function of the spur is essentially mechanical. Each pore was lined by a trilaminar unit membrane, in contradistinction to the unlined, randomly oriented, fenestrated spaces described in the presumed degenerating eggs of other studies.
Wearable Antenna Integrated into Military Berets for Indoor/Outdoor Positioning System

A wearable antenna integrated into a military beret for an indoor/outdoor positioning system is proposed. The antenna consists of a truncated patch and a circular ring patch with four conductive threads. The truncated patch antenna is designed for the Global Positioning System (GPS) L1 band for use in outdoor situations, and the circular ring patch antenna with four conductive threads operates at the TM41 higher-order resonance mode (915 MHz) with a monopole-like radiation characteristic for indoor positioning systems. The antenna is fabricated using textile materials and is integrated into a military beret. The effects of the antenna deformation due to the shape of the military beret and the effects of the human head are analyzed via both simulation and measurement. The simulated and measured 10-dB return-loss bandwidths of the antenna on the head phantom fully cover the 915-MHz industrial, science, and medical band and the 1.575-GHz GPS L1 band.
Toward tailored synthesis of functional polysaccharides in plants

Polysaccharides derived from plant cell wall materials play an important role in our diet. Dietary fibers work as prebiotics in the human gut, and some plant polysaccharides are known to have more direct beneficial impacts on human health. In the food industry, plant fiber materials, such as gums are widely used as structural ingredients. Complex polysaccharides account for most of the plant cell wall, and their biosynthetic pathways and their regulation are largely unknown. Systematic collaborative efforts for defining the structure and impact on human health of beneficial fibers and elucidating the biosynthetic pathways and their regulation will open a great potential for biotechnological applications.
Design of dual-band multi-way Doherty power amplifiers

A design technique for dual-band multi-way Doherty power amplifier (PA) using dual-band networks is proposed in this paper. A T-network and a two-section line network are used to implement dual-band impedance transformer. Experimentally, the proposed PA achieves a power added efficiency (PAE) of 33% with 7dB back-off and 29% with 8 dB back-off from the saturated output power at 0.92 GHz and 1.99 GHz. Compared to other dual-band Doherty PAs, the back-off range of the proposed Doherty PA is much wider.
Click Chemistry background information

Especially biomolecule labeling requires reaction procedures that can be performed under physiological conditions (neutral pH, aqueous solution, ambient temperature) with low reactant concentrations to ensure non-toxic, low background labeling at reasonable time scales while still preserving biological function. Among the plethora of possible reactions only a few generally fit the necessary reactivity, selectivity and biocompatibility criteria (Fig. 1):
Compressed Sensing Based on the Characteristic Correlation of ECG in Hybrid Wireless Sensor Network

Hybrid wireless sensor network made up of wireless body area networks (WBANs) and cellular network provides support for telemedicine. In order to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment, WBANs collect and transmit crucial biomedical data to provide a continuous health monitoring by using various biomedical wireless sensors attached on or implanted in the human body. And then, collected signals are sent to a remote data center via cellular network. One of the features of WBAN is that its power consumption and sampling rate should be restricted to a minimum. Compressed sensing (CS) is an emerging signal acquisition/compression methodology which offers a prominent alternative to traditional signal acquisition. It has been proved that the successful recovery rate of multiple measurement vectors (MMV) model is higher than the single measurement vector (SMV) case. In this paper, we propose a simple algorithm of transforming the SMV model into MMV model based on the correlation of electrocardiogram (ECG), such that the MMV model can be used for general ECG signals rather than only several special signals. Experimental results show that its recovery quality is better than some existing CS-based ECG compression algorithms and sufficient for practical use.
A Virtual Coach on a Mobile Device giving Flexible Feedback

This paper reports about the design and implementation of a humanoid virtual coach that is added to a bicycle home trainer. The virtual coach gives feedback to the user based on heart rate and speed information. The virtual coach is represented by an animated embodied conversational agent on a mobile phone. Using the Elckerlyc platform for synchronised agent behaviour realisation responsive and exible feedback can be generated in real-time. A small user test shows the feasibility of the approach. Suggestions for future user evaluations and further extensions are given.
Evaluation of optical properties and biocompatibility of polymer materials for microfluidic applications

Microfluidic technologies have become increasingly effective for diagnostic, physiological, and biochemical applications. The biocompatibility of MEMS devices, which are evolving rapidly in their practicality, has become the paramount property to investigate and optimize through biological and optical testing. Potential applications comprise cell culture, biosensing, immunoisolation, bioparticle sorting, and biomaterial synthesis. In this work we undertake the study of various polymer and nanocomposite materials, such as cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), SU-8, polycarbonate (PC) and polystyrene (PS). After the polymer is adequately functionalized, tagged antibodies are attached to the polymer films and, then, the corresponding antigens are brought in contact with the antibodies. The work is novel and complements the contemporary research involving other methods to evaluate the biocompatibility, such as for example, cell culture. The affinity of antibodies toward the polymer is evaluated by the amount of attached antibodies measured by fluorescence spectroscopy.
P-Printable Sets

P-printable sets arise naturally in the.studies of generalized Kolmogorov complexity and data compression, as well as in other areas. We present new characterizations of the P-printable sets and present necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of sparse sets in P that are not P-printable. As a corollary to one of our results, we show that the class of sets of small generalized Kolmogorov complexity is exactly the class of sets which are P-isomorphic to a tally language.
Letter: thiopurines ‐ is less really more?

EDITORS, With much interest, we read the original study by Roblin et al about reducing the daily azathioprine (AZA) dose in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) receiving combination therapy with infliximab. After thoroughly reading the manuscript, we wonder which scientific data formed the basis or rationale of the trial design. To our knowledge, the statement that lower dosages of immunosuppressants (such as AZA) lead to less side effects (e.g. cancer, lymphoma or infection) is not backed by scientific data, at least not in a population of IBD patients. Although it has been observed that ongoing exposure to thiopurines increased the risk of lymphoma over 5-fold, and that this risk reduces to baseline after discontinuation of thiopurines, there is no evidence that reduction of the daily dose has the same protective potential. This also holds true for the increased risk of (viral) infections. There are no reports that less inhibition of the small GTPase Rac1 in T-lymphocytes, by administering less AZA (thus lower 6-thioguaninenucleotide levels), leads to less infections. We do know that thiopurines are effective as maintenance immunosuppressive monotherapy in IBD. As determined in a metaanalysis, 6-thioguaninenucleotide levels above 230-260 pmol/ 8 9 10 red blood cells were associated with clinical remission. It has been observed that these concentrations are generally reached when AZA is administered when dosed as 2.0-2.5 mg/kg body weight. Moreover, the SONIC-trial demonstrated that combination therapy with regularly dosed AZA is the optimal strategy. Patients in need of combination therapy are in general patients with more severe or complex disease. To us, it is unclear why this “winning team” has to be changed. It is very unlikely that more efficacy will be induced by administering less AZA next to infliximab, but one may assume that additional immunosuppressive effect of AZA itself decreases. More importantly, it is unknown whether the lowering of AZA decreases the susceptibility to infections and development of cancer. In other words, is less really more?
Blood–brain barrier preservation in the in vitro isolated guinea pig brain preparation

The morphofunctional preservation of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) was evaluated in the isolated guinea pig brain maintained in vitro by arterial perfusion. Electron microscopy evaluation after 5 hr in vitro demonstrated that cerebral capillaries and BBB specializations in this preparation retain features compatible with structural integrity. BBB‐impermeable and ‐permeable atropine derivatives arterially perfused to antagonize carbachol‐induced fast oscillatory activity confirmed the functional preservation of the BBB in vitro. To study BBB function further, changes in extracellular K+ concentration during arterial perfusion of a high‐K+ solution were measured with K+‐sensitive electrodes positioned in the cortex and, as control, at the brain venous outlet, where the solution perfused through the brain arterial system was collected. After 5 hr in vitro, the [K+]o values measured during high‐K+ perfusion in the piriform and entorhinal cortices were 5.02 ± 0.17 mM (mean ± SE) and 5.2 ± 0.21 mM, respectively (n = 6). Coperfusion of the high‐K+ solution with the Na+/K+ pump blocker ouabain (10 μM; n = 4) induced consistently spreading depression preceded by a rise in [K+]o. Finally, sporadic, isolated spots of extravasation of the fluorescent marker fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)‐dextran preferentially circumscribed to deep cortical layers was observed in brains perfused with FITC‐dextran after 5 hr in vitro. The study demonstrates that the in vitro isolated guinea pig brain is viable for studying cerebrovascular interactions and BBB permeability of compounds active in the central nervous system. J. Neurosci. Res. 66:289–297, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Concise History of School-Based Smoking Prevention Research: A Pendulum Effect Case Study

School-based cigarette smoking prevention was initiated shortly after the first Surgeon General's Report in 1964. This article highlights a sequence of events by which school-based tobacco use prevention research developed as a science, and illustrates a pendulum effect, with confidence in tobacco use prevention increasing and decreasing at different points in time. Suggestions are offered to advance school-based smoking prevention research.