Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pairwise velocities in the halo model: luminosity and scale dependence

We investigate the properties of the pairwise velocity dispersion as a function of galaxy luminosity in the context of a halo model. We derive the distribution of velocities of pairs at a given separation taking into account both one- and two-halo contributions. We show that pairwise velocity distribution in real space is a complicated mixture of host-satellite, satellite-satellite (sat-sat) and two-halo pairs. The peak value is reached at around 1 h -1 Mpc and does not reflect the velocity dispersion of a typical halo hosting these galaxies, but is instead dominated by the sat-sat pairs in high-mass clusters. This is true even for cross-correlations between bins separated in luminosity. As a consequence, the velocity dispersion at a given separation can decrease with luminosity, even if the underlying typical halo host mass is increasing, in agreement with recent observations. We compare our findings to numerical simulations and find a good agreement. Numerical simulations also suggest a luminosity-dependent velocity bias, which depends on the subhalo mass. We develop models of the auto- and cross-correlation functions of luminosity subsamples of galaxies in the observable r proj -π space and calculate the inferred velocity dispersion as a function of wavevector if dispersion model is fit to the redshift-space power spectrum. We find that so-derived pairwise velocity dispersion also exhibits a bump at k ∼ 1 h Mpc -1 .
A confirmatory factor analysis of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in rheumatoid arthritis patients: additional evidence for a four-factor model.

OBJECTIVE To examine the factor structure of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) in a sample of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), testing all of the alternative models suggested by the previous evidence. METHODS The CES-D was administered to a group of RA patients (n = 685) during a structured telephone interview. The telephone interview was repeated 6 months later (n = 537) and 12 months later (n = 453). Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test alternative models. RESULTS The correlated 4-factor model and the second-order 4-factor model were the best fitting models. CONCLUSION The factor structure of the CES-D previously found in the general population was replicated in an RA sample. The results are consistent with previous evidence of criterion contamination in the CES-D when used in an RA sample and provide support for the view that a single summary score may not be the most informative index of the CES-D.
Multifunctional human CD56low CD16low natural killer cells are the prominent subset in bone marrow of both healthy pediatric donors and leukemic patients

We phenotypically and functionally characterized a distinct CD56low natural killer cell subset based on CD16 expression levels in bone marrow and peripheral blood of healthy children and pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that CD56lowCD16low natural killer cells are more abundant in bone marrow than in peripheral blood and that their frequency is further increased in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Bone marrow and peripheral blood CD56lowCD16low natural killer cells compared with CD56lowCD16high natural killer cells express lower levels of killer inhibitory receptors, higher levels of CD27, CD127, CD122, CD25, but undetectable levels of CD57, suggesting that they have a higher proliferative and differentiation potential. Moreover, CD56lowCD16low natural killer cells display higher levels of CXCR4 and undetectable levels of CX3CR1 and can be consistently and rapidly mobilized in peripheral blood in response to CXCR4 antagonist. Unlike CD56lowCD16high, both bone marrow and peripheral blood CD56lowCD16low natural killer cells release IFNγ following cytokine stimulation, and represent the major cytotoxic natural killer cell population against K562 or acute lymphoblastic leukemia target cells. All these data suggest that CD56lowCD16low natural killer cells are multifunctional cells, and that the presence of hematologic malignancies affects their frequency and functional ability at both tumor site and in the periphery.
Transmission of influenza virus in temperate zones is predominantly by aerosol, in the tropics by contact

Using the guinea pig model, we have previously shown that the aerosol transmission of a seasonal human influenza virus is blocked by humid (80% relative humidity) or warm (30°C) ambient conditions. In contrast, we found that transmission by a contact route proceeded at high efficiency despite increased temperature or humidity. Based on these findings, and the observed seasonal behavior of influenza viruses in various regions of the world, we hypothesize herein that the predominant mode of influenza virus transmission differs in temperate and tropical climates. Specifically, we predict that aerosol transmission predominates during the winter season in temperate regions, while contact is the major mode of spread in the tropics. With this idea in mind, possible explanations for the current summer-time spread of swine-origin influenza viruses are discussed.
An Approximation of the Outage Probability in Rayleigh-lognormal Fading Scenarios

In this report we propose an approximation of the outage probability of the Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio for a CDMA system in a Rayleigh-lognormal fading environment. Specifically, the SINR is approximated as an ov erall lognormal random variable. The approximation moves from the one proposed in [1] for the product of Rayleigh-lognormal random variables, and from the method presented in [2] for the approximation of the sum of weighted lognormal random variables. Numerical results show that our approach performs quite well for any situation of practical interest.
The yjeB (nsrR) Gene of Escherichia coli Encodes a Nitric Oxide-Sensitive Transcriptional Regulator

ABSTRACT Microarray studies of the Escherichia coli response to nitric oxide and nitrosative stress have suggested that additional transcriptional regulators of this response remain to be characterized. We identify here the product of the yjeB gene as a negative regulator of the transcription of the ytfE, hmpA and ygbA genes, all of which are known to be upregulated by nitrosative stress. Transcriptional fusions to the promoters of these genes were expressed constitutively in a yjeB mutant, indicating that all three are targets for repression by YjeB. An inverted repeat sequence that overlaps the −10 element of all three promoters is proposed to be a binding site for the YjeB protein. A similar inverted repeat sequence was identified in the tehA promoter, which is also known to be sensitive to nitrosative stress. The ytfE, hmpA, ygbA, and tehA promoters all caused derepression of a ytfE-lacZ transcriptional fusion when present in the cell in multiple copies, presumably by a repressor titration effect, suggesting the presence of functional YjeB binding sites in these promoters. However, YjeB regulation of tehA was weak, as judged by the activity of a tehA-lacZ fusion, perhaps because YjeB repression of tehA is masked by other regulatory mechanisms. Promoters regulated by YjeB could be derepressed by iron limitation, which is consistent with an iron requirement for YjeB activity. The YjeB protein is a member of the Rrf2 family of transcriptional repressors and shares three conserved cysteine residues with its closest relatives. We propose a regulatory model in which the YjeB repressor is directly sensitive to nitrosative stress. On the basis of similarity to the nitrite-responsive repressor NsrR from Nitrosomonas europaea, we propose that the yjeB gene of E. coli be renamed nsrR.
The evolution of cooperative breeding in the African cichlid fish, Neolamprologus pulcher

The conundrum of why subordinate individuals assist dominants at the expense of their own direct reproduction has received much theoretical and empirical attention over the last 50 years. During this time, birds and mammals have taken centre stage as model vertebrate systems for exploring why helpers help. However, fish have great potential for enhancing our understanding of the generality and adaptiveness of helping behaviour because of the ease with which they can be experimentally manipulated under controlled laboratory and field conditions. In particular, the freshwater African cichlid, Neolamprologus pulcher, has emerged as a promising model species for investigating the evolution of cooperative breeding, with 64 papers published on this species over the past 27 years. Here we clarify current knowledge pertaining to the costs and benefits of helping in N. pulcher by critically assessing the existing empirical evidence. We then provide a comprehensive examination of the evidence pertaining to four key hypotheses for why helpers might help: (1) kin selection; (2) pay‐to‐stay; (3) signals of prestige; and (4) group augmentation. For each hypothesis, we outline the underlying theory, address the appropriateness of N. pulcher as a model species and describe the key predictions and associated empirical tests. For N. pulcher, we demonstrate that the kin selection and group augmentation hypotheses have received partial support. One of the key predictions of the pay‐to‐stay hypothesis has failed to receive any support despite numerous laboratory and field studies; thus as it stands, the evidence for this hypothesis is weak. There have been no empirical investigations addressing the key predictions of the signals of prestige hypothesis. By outlining the key predictions of the various hypotheses, and highlighting how many of these remain to be tested explicitly, our review can be regarded as a roadmap in which potential paths for future empirical research into the evolution of cooperative breeding are proposed. Overall, we clarify what is currently known about cooperative breeding in N. pulcher, address discrepancies among studies, caution against incorrect inferences that have been drawn over the years and suggest promising avenues for future research in fishes and other taxonomic groups.
Performance Analysis of Stereophonic Acoustic Echo Cancellation using Adaptive Algorithms

1 Student 2 Associate Professor 1,2 Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering 1,2 Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology Hisar (Haryana), India Abstract— In the paper, an echo canceller based on a system identification scheme with adaptive algorithms is presented. The algorithms used here FIR filters in which error signal is finding from the method according to a stochastic gradientbased method. Here following adaptive filters are discussed and simulated in Matlab: LMS and its subparts: NLMS, VSLMS, VSNLMS and RLS. The echo was simulated by adding several delayed signal and simulated replica applied to vocal input. The comparison between the algorithms was used to find the different the mean-square error (MSE).
Critical Realism versus Social Constructivism in International Relations

This article discusses the methodological differences between the British school and the American school of international relations. It attempts to demonstrate that Susan Strange, representative of the British school, could be considered a critical realist. The aim of the article is to show that her vision of international political economy fulfills the methodological reorientation initiated in economics by Tony Lawson at the end of the 90s. Strange's radical ontology claims that structural power determines human actions. The paper contrasts Strange's approach with that of John Ruggie, from the American school, who identifies himself as a social constructivist. Ruggie emphasizes the role of ideational factors in international relations and the constructed nature of social reality.
Influence of Relative Fat Content Information on Responses to Three Foods

Thirty-six normal-weight participants each tasted and rated three cheeses, three yogurts and three "koerrtas" (a novel, tofu-based food) on several hedonic, intention and sensory dimensions. Each sample was labelled as either "Higher" (than normal fat content), "Normal", or "Lower" (than normal fat content) while the actual fat content remained virtually constant. Cheese and yoghurt were chosen as consumers thought them to be high and low fat foods respectively in pre-testing. The presence of significant and predictable label effects on dimensions such as perceived healthiness and amount of fat demonstrated the efficacy of the manipulation. The Lower labelled foods were rated slightly less pleasant than the Normal but there was no interaction with type of food. However, there was an interaction with food type for rated likelihood of buying: participants were more likely to buy the Lower labelled yoghurt than the Normal or Higher yogurts. Participant characteristics were important moderators of the effect of the dietary fat-related labels. Those participants who reported a greater perceived influence of general health concerns on food choice, for example, rated the higher fat labelled foods as less pleasant and tended to be less likely to buy the higher labelled yogurts and cheeses than those who reported a lower perceived influence.
Incorporating Profit Margins into Recommender Systems: A Randomized Field Experiment of Purchasing Behavior and Consumer Trust

A number of recent studies have proposed new recommender designs that incorporate firm-centric measures (e.g., the profit margins of products) along with consumer-centric measures (e.g., relevance of recommended products). These designs seek to maximize the long-term profits from recommender deployment without compromising customer trust. However, very little is known about how consumers might respond to recommender algorithms that account for product profitability. We tested the impact of deploying a profit-based recommender on its precision and usage, as well as customer purchasing and trust, with data from an online randomized field experiment. We found that the profit-based algorithm, despite potential concerns about its negative impact on consumers, is effective in retaining consumers’ usage and purchase levels at the same rate as a content-based recommender. We also found that the profit-based algorithm generated higher profits for the firm. Further, to measure trust, we issued a post-experiment survey to participants in the experiment; we found there were no significant differences in trust across treatment. We related the survey results to the accuracy and diversity of recommendations and found that accuracy and diversity were both positively and significantly related to trust. The study has broader implications for firms using recommenders as a marketing tool, in that the approach successfully addresses the relevance-profit tradeoff in a real-world context.
Maximum Strength, Rate of Force Development, Jump Height, and Peak Power Alterations in Weightlifters across Five Months of Training

The purpose of this monitoring study was to investigate how alterations in training affect changes in force-related characteristics and weightlifting performance. Subjects: Seven competitive weightlifters participated in the study. Methods: The weightlifters performed a block style periodized plan across 20 weeks. Force plate data from the isometric mid-thigh pull and static jumps with 0 kg, 11 kg, and 20 kg were collected near the end of each training block (weeks 1, 6, 10, 13, 17, and 20). Weightlifting performance was measured at weeks 0, 7, 11, and 20. Results: Very strong correlations were noted between weightlifting performances and isometric rate of force development (RFD), isometric peak force (PF), peak power (PP), and jump height (JH). Men responded in a more predictable manner than the women. During periods of higher training volume, RFD was depressed to a greater extent than PF. JH at 20 kg responded in a manner reflecting the expected fatigue response more so than JH at 0 kg and 11 kg. Conclusions: PF appears to have been more resistant to volume alterations than RFD and JH at 20 kg. RFD and JH at 20 kg appear to be superior monitoring metrics due to their “sensitivity. ”
Cluster Formation of Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor Requires Its Transition to Open State*

The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor (IP3R) Ca2+ channel plays pivotal roles in many aspects of physiological and pathological events. It was previously reported that IP3R forms clusters on the endoplasmic reticulum when cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]C) is elevated. However, the molecular mechanism of IP3R clustering remains largely unknown, and thus its physiological significance is far from clear. In this study we found that the time course of clustering of green fluorescent protein-tagged IP3R type 1 (GFP-IP3R1), evoked by IP3-generating agonists, did not correlate with [Ca2+]C but seemed compatible with cytoplasmic IP3 concentration. IP3 production alone induced GFP-IP3R1 clustering in the absence of a significant increase in [Ca2+]C but elevated [Ca2+]C without IP3 production did not. Moreover IP3R1 mutants that do not undergo an IP3-induced conformational change failed to form clusters. Thus, IP3R clustering is induced by its IP3-induced conformational change to the open state. We also found that GFP-IP3R1 clusters colocalized with ERp44, a luminal protein of endoplasmic reticulum that inhibits its channel activity. This is the first example of ligand-induced clustering of a ligand-gated channel protein.
Cooperative Behavior of Agents That Model the Other and the Self in Noisy Iterated Prisoners' Dilemma Simulation

We developed self learning for simulation study of mutual understanding between peer agents. We designed them to use various types of coplayer models and a reinforcement learning algorithm to learn to play a noisy iterated prisoners' dilemma game so that the pay-off for the agent itself is maximized. We measured the mutual-modeling ability of each type of agent in terms of cooperative behavior when playing with another equivalent agent. We observed that agents with a complex coplayer model, which includes a model of the agent itself, showed higher cooperation than agents with a simpler coplayer model only. Moreover, in low-noise environments, Level-M agent, which develops equivalent models of the self and the other, showed higher cooperation than other types of agents. These results suggest the importance of "self-observation" in the design of communicative agents
Vanishing products of one-forms and critical points of master functions

Let \A be an affine hyperplane arrangement in $\C^\ell$ with complement $U$. Let $f_1, \. , f_n$ be linear polynomials defining the hyperplanes of \A, and $A^\cdot$ the algebra of differential forms generated by the 1-forms $d \log f_1, \. , d \log f_n$. To each $l \in \C^n$ we associate the master function $\Phi=\Phi_l = \prod_{i=1}^n f_i^{l_i}$ on $U$ and the closed logarithmic 1-form $\omega= d \log \Phi$. We assume $\omega$ is an element of a rational linear subspace $D$ of $A^1$ of dimension $q>1$ such that the multiplication map $\bigwedge^k(D) \to A^k$ is zero for $p<k\leq q$. With this assumption, we prove every component of the critical locus $\crit(\Phi)$ of $\Phi$ has codimension at most $p$, and $\crit(\Phi)$ is a union of intersections of level sets of rational master functions. We give conditions that guarantee $\crit(\Phi)$ is nonempty and every component has codimension equal to $p$, in terms of syzygies among polynomial master functions. If \A is $p$-generic, then $D$ is contained in the degree $p$ resonance variety $\R^p(\A)$ -- in this sense the present work complements previous work on resonance and critical loci of master functions. Any arrangement is 1-generic; in case $p=1$ we give a precise description of $\crit(\Phi_l)$ in case $l$ lies in an isotropic subspace $D$ of $A^1$, using the multinet structure on \A corresponding to $D\subseteq \R^1(\A)$. This is carried out in detail for the Hessian arrangement. Finally, for arbitrary $p$ and \A, we establish necessary and sufficient conditions for a set of integral one-forms to span such a subspace, in terms of nested sets of \A, using tropical implicitization.
Signal Cloaking by Electric Fish

ABSTRACT Electric fish produce weak electric fields to image their world in darkness and to communicate with potential mates and rivals. Eavesdropping by electroreceptive predators exerts selective pressure on electric fish to shift their signals into less-detectable high-frequency spectral ranges. Hypopomid electric fish evolved a signal-cloaking strategy that reduces their detectability by predators in the lab (and thus presumably their risk of predation in the field). These fish produce broad-frequency electric fields close to the body, but the heterogeneous local fields merge over space to cancel the low-frequency spectrum at a distance. Mature males dynamically regulate this cloaking mechanism to enhance or suppress low-frequency energy. The mechanism underlying electric-field cloaking involves electrogenic cells that produce two independent action potentials. In a unique twist, these cells orient sodium and potassium currents in the same direction, potentially boosting their capabilities for current generation. Exploration of such evolutionary inventions could aid the design of biogenerators to power implantable medical devices, an ambition that would benefit from the complete genome sequence of a gymnotiform fish.
Rep and Rep' protein of porcine circovirus type 1 bind to the origin of replication in vitro.

Genome replication of Porcine circovirus type 1 (PCV1) relies upon expression of the full-length protein Rep and a spliced isoform (Rep'), and the presence of a 111-bp genomic fragment comprising the origin of replication. Using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), the capability of both Rep proteins to bind to partial fragments of the origin of replication of PCV1 was investigated in vitro. Both proteins formed complexes with double-stranded DNA origin fragments containing a stem-loop structure with a conserved nonamer and four hexamer repeats (5'-CGGCAG; H1 to H4). Use of truncated EMSA substrates identified minimal binding sites (MBS) for Rep and Rep' protein: The Rep binding site was mapped to the right leg of the stem-loop and the two inner hexamer repeats H1/H2, while binding of Rep' required only the presence of two hexamer repeats. Two differentially retarded complexes were observed with Rep protein, which presumably result from alternative binding to the MBS or to H3/4.
Reflection properties of photonic bandgap material containing different gradding profiles

A comparative study of multilayered structures containing different grading profiles of non magnetic material has been made using simple Transfer Matrix Method. In this study we have considered a simple periodic multiplayer structure with alternate layers of graded refractive index (exponential and linear) and other layers of constant refractive index. The band structure and reflectance for TE -modes of the structure are studied for different graded profiles. We have found large band gap and high reflectance in linear graded index materials structure compare to exponential grading in same structure.