Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study of Laser Speckle Scattering in Vitreous Humor Models

Oh, Wanseok M.S.O.E Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology May 2015 Study of Laser Speckle Scattering in Vitreous Humor Models Thesis Advisor: Dr. Charles Joenathan When a highly high coherent light propagates through a medium, interactions between light and the medium produces a unique intensity speckle pattern that is dependent on several factors such as particle size in the medium, wavelength of the light, concentration of medium, and scattering angle. Speckle patterns from either static or dynamic specimens have been studied using optical techniques due to its non-invasive nature. Speckle patterns from biological specimens (dynamic) are different from that of the static specimens since random movement of molecules (Brownian motion) in the biological specimen affect the light interactions and thereby the intensity of the speckles in the speckle pattern. Several studies have shown the optical properties of the biological specimen can be characterized using statistical properties from the speckle pattern. A histogram of intensity distribution of the speckle pattern can be used to extract certain optical properties of the specimen such as bioactivity, blood flow, and skin perfusion. In this thesis, a new approach for analyzing biological specimens is presented utilizing a peak shift in the histogram plot (called the Histogram Wavelength Analysis Method) of the intensity of the speckles when changing the wavelength of the incident light. Five different wavelengths were used in a modified slit-lamp equipment for the experiment. Also six different sizes of nanobeads embedded in vitreous humor (biological specimen) were studied. The theory developed for this experimental method matches well with the results and will be presented in the thesis
Targeting Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 1 Blocks RBM15-MKL1 Fusion-Initiated Human Stem Cell Transformation

Objective: The chromosome translocation t (1;22), which generates the RBM15-MKL1 fusion gene, is found in approximately 10% of pediatric acute megakaryoblastic leukemia cases. Given that PRMT1 downregulation is critical for megakaryocyte differentiation, we propose the use of the PRMT1 inhibitor furamidine to stimulate RBM15- MKL1-transformed human cord blood cells to undergo megakaryocyte differentiation. Materials and methods: Human CD34+ cells were purified from umbilical cord blood with anti-CD34 magnetic beads. Lentivirus-infected CD34+ cells were sorted using flow cytometry. The methylcellulose colony replating assay was performed to evaluate the transformation efficiency. Cell viability was calculated using a CellTiter-Glo® luminescent cell viability assay kit. Results: The simultaneous transduction of RBM15-MKL1 and MPLW515L, a mutated MPL gene found in AMKL patients, into human CD34+ cells resulted in long-term growth in the presence of a cytokine mix that maintains a population of hematopoietic stem progenitor cells. Elevated expression of PRMT1 was detected in cells transduced with RBM15-MKL1 together with MPLW515L. The PRMT1 inhibitor furamidine (aka DB75) reversed the inhibition of RBM15-MKL1-mediated megakaryocytic differentiation and impeded the replating capability of the transformed cells. Conclusion: PRMT1 facilitates the transformation induced by RBM15-MKL1, and inhibiting PRMT1 activity promotes MK differentiation. Given that furamidine has been used for treating trypanosomiasis in clinical trials and proven to be safe, using furamidine to treat AMKL may be a new curative option for RBM15-MKL1-associated leukemia.
Cloning and molecular characterization of selenocysteine methyltransferase (AchSMT) cDNA from Astragalus chrysochlorus

Selenium (Se) is a dietary essential trace element in human nutrition and has been implicated in health, including cancer preventation. Methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys) is an effective chemopreventative compound. Astragalus sp. are known to accumulate Se with the majority of the selenoamino acids in the form of MeSeCys. The aim of this study was the cloning and charactherization of a cDNA encoding selenocysteine methyltransferase (SMT), the key enzyme responsible for MeSeCys formation, from Astragalus chrysochlorus using specific primers. Our results showed that Astragalus chrysochlorus SMT (AchSMT) is a 1020 bp (base pair) cDNA (GQ844862) with an open reading frame predicted to encode a 339 amino acid, 36.94 kDa protein. The predicted amino acid sequence of AchSMT (AEI53593) revealed 97% identity with A. bisulcatus selenocysteine methyltransferase (AbSMT). Bioinformatic analysis revealed that AchSMT lacks chloroplast and mitochondrial targeting sequences. The AchSMT possess a possible zinc-binding motif (GGCC) and a conserved cysteine residue upstream of this motif. AchSMT was expressed in Escherichia coli, then confirmed by DNA sequence analysis, western blotting and enzyme activity. Expression of AchSMT correlated with the presence of SMT enzyme activity in cell extracts. In A. chrysochlrous plants, analysis of AchSMT gene expression in response to selenate treatments showed that the AchSMT was constitutively expressed. The isolation of SMT gene will result in further studies for overproduction of valuable metabolite, methylselenocysteine.
Yasmine Bouagga (dir.) – De Lesbos à Calais : comment l’Europe fabrique des camps

De Lesbos à Calais : Comment l’Europe fabrique des camps est un des sept titres de la collection « Bibliothèque des frontières », qui rassemble des publications de chercheur·e·s réuni·e·s autour de Michel Agier, dans le cadre du programme de recherche Babels.
First tsunami gravity wave detection in ionospheric radio occultation data

After the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Tohoku, the ionospheric signature of the displacements induced in the overlying atmosphere has been observed by ground stations in various regions of the Pacific Ocean. We analyze here the data of radio occultation satellites, detecting the tsunami‐driven gravity wave for the first time using a fully space‐based ionospheric observation system. One satellite of the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) recorded an occultation in the region above the tsunami 2.5 h after the earthquake. The ionosphere was sounded from top to bottom, thus providing the vertical structure of the gravity wave excited by the tsunami propagation, observed as oscillations of the ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC). The observed vertical wavelength was about 50 km, with maximum amplitude exceeding 1 total electron content unit when the occultation reached 200 km height. We compared the observations with synthetic data obtained by summation of the tsunami‐coupled gravity normal modes of the Earth/Ocean/atmosphere system, which models the associated motion of the ionosphere plasma. These results provide experimental constraints on the attenuation of the gravity wave with altitude due to atmosphere viscosity, improving the understanding of the propagation of tsunami‐driven gravity waves in the upper atmosphere. They demonstrate that the amplitude of the tsunami can be estimated to within 20% by the recorded ionospheric data.
IRISH SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' INTENTION TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION: AN INVESTIGATION TO IDENTIFY THE STRONGEST PREDICTORS

The present study aimed to identify the strongest predictors of intention to pursue higher education (HE) among a sample of Irish secondary school students. The predictors under investigation were school socio-economic status (SES), parental occupation, parental education, gender, family structure, and academic self-efficacy. One hundred and thirty nine participants took part in the study, with an even gender breakdown (70 females and 69 males) and a mean age of 16.04 years. Standard multiple regression analysis revealed that school SES was the only statistically significant predictor, explaining 11% of the variance in intention to pursue HE. Specifically, low SES schools differed from both medium and high SES schools on intentions to pursue HE but medium and high SES schools did not differ from each other. The other predictor variables did not contribute significantly to the predictive ability of the model. This provided only partial support for the hypothesis. Implications for research in the area and future directions are discussed.
Postharvest longevity of 'BRS Vitória' seedless grapes subjected to cold storage and acibenzolar-S-methyl application

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate cold storage periods and postharvest longevity of the seedless table grape 'BRS Vitória' subjected to the application of the disease-resistance inducer acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM). Bunches were treated or not with 1% ASM, placed individually in plastic clamshell trays and stored in a cold chamber at 2±1ºC, at a high relative humidity, for three periods (30, 45, and 60 days), followed by a 5-day period of shelf life in plastic clamshells, at 22±2ºC. After each storage period, gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) incidence was evaluated, and the physicochemical analysis was performed. A completely randomized design, with four replicates, was used in two 2x3 factorial arrangements: one evaluating ASM application and cold storage periods; and another, ASM and cold storage + shelf-life periods. ASM did not change the physicochemical characteristics of the bunches, and the incidence of gray mold was lower than 1% in all treatments. Water loss from bunches increased with storage periods. Even without ASM application, 'BRS Vitória' grape can preserve its postharvest quality for up to 60 days of cold storage, plus five days of shelf life in plastic clamshells.
Modeling habitat use for dusky dolphin and Commerson's dolphin in Patagonia

Several species of small cetaceans inhabit the coastal area of Patagonia (Argentina), but little is known about their distribution and the degree of overlap between them. The goal of the present study was to build habitat-selection models for small cetaceans in order to assess areas of particular importance for the different species. These models were constructed using physiographic and remotely sensed variables. From 1994 to 2007, 13 aerial surveys were conducted along the Patagonian coast (from Golfo San Matias: 40° 40'-42° 14' S, 65° 00'-63° 47' W to Bahia de los Nodales: 48° 00' S, 65° 35' W). A grid of 0.5° × 0.5° cells was constructed for the study area. Each cell was characterized by environmental variables and by the encounter rate (ER) for each cetacean species. The ER of each species was investigated in relation to environmental variables using generalized lin- ear models, and model averaging (multimodel inference) was used to obtain a predicted ER for the different species. The correlation between the ER of different species was analyzed by Spearman rank correlation. The environmental variables that were found to be significant predictors of species distribution differed between species. The ERs of dusky dolphin Lagenorhynchus obscurus and Peale's dolphin L. australis showed a positive relationship. Commerson's dolphin Cephalorhynchus commersonii presented a more coastal distribution than the other species, and individuals were more often found feeding in estuarine zones. Knowledge of the patterns of distribution of small cetaceans along the Patagonian coast provides baseline knowledge of how these species interact with each other and their environment. Such information should be considered when managing potential areas of conflict between coastal small cetaceans and human activities.
Strategy and business models - strange bedfellows? A case for convergence and its evolution into strategic architecture

Strategy aims for sustainable competitive advantage; business models are said to be the sine qua non of value creation. Firms in the networked economy may ask which approach is the more relevant and whether either, or both, are sufficient for success - and then misinterpret the linkage between them. Internet-based businesses are faced with rapid change in an environment characterised by connectedness and choice in which dynamism, innovation and customer-centricity appear to be the winning ingredients for success. In the networked economy the internet with its open standards has created commercial arrangements which manifest a disdain for traditional boundaries and demand new patterns of management behaviour for effective performance. The classic approach to strategy formulation with its perceived indifference, for example, towards network formation, confusion around generic strategy deployment, lack of dynamism and its vacuous treatment of customer-centricity have led electronic business practitioners to the flawed conclusion that a business model is the only compelling strategic behaviour which predicates success. This conceptual paper builds a theoretical base which traces the roots of strategy and business models, reviews the context of each, postulates a relationship between these two fundamental approaches and offers some guidelines on the missing ingredients.
THE MASS POLITICS OF SOCIAL CITIZENSHIP

Much has been written over the last decade concerning the retrenchment and restructuring of state social policies in Canada. Although opinion as to the determinants of change is diverse (Matthews 2001), one important theme that has emerged is that the dominant ideas about social provision and the welfare state have substantially altered. The post-war consensus on the desirability of a relatively generous welfare state has been challenged by arguments that the demands of globalization require a reduction in state provision, more room for the free play of market forces and cutbacks in social spending by governments. From claims about ideological shifts (Maioni 1994) to accounts of the embedding of a neo-liberal discourse (McBride and Shields 1997) to descriptions of change in the “understandings” guiding social policy decisions (Jenson 1997), this theme of a shift in dominant ideas has been reiterated in a number of different ways. For some, references to this change is limited to discussion of elite politics. Others, however, do make mention of changes in public opinion/values relevant to welfare state politics. Yet empirical documentation of the nature of this opinion and changes in it is largely lacking (although see Peters 1995 and Mendelsohn 2002). Thus, notwithstanding the considerable attention to changing state politics in this arena, there is surprisingly little evidence about the public’s (changing? ) orientations to the policy and ideological choices relevant to social provision. It is the purpose of this paper to attempt to address this gap by exploring, at the mass level, the structure of opinion and opinion change concerning welfare state issues since the 1980s. Informed by a concept of “social citizenship” developed in the literature on the welfare state, this paper looks at opinion concerning two aspects of social rights: “conventional rights” to state provision of social welfare services and benefits, and “new social citizenship rights” that address forms of inter-group inequality that cannot be reduced solely to economic class divisions. The latter include policies and provisions that focus on the material situation and recognition of groups such as women and racial minorities that have traditionally experienced “second class” status in Canadian society. The paper begins with a discussion of some of the theoretical considerations that animate our study. It then describes the data and methodology used in our analysis. This is followed first by a discussion of the statics and dynamics of opinion on particular issues, and then by an analysis of the structure of public opinion across four different election studies. We conclude with a summary of our empirical findings.
Pharmacological and non pharmacological treatment for relief of perineal pain after vaginal delivery

Objective: To identify the types of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments used during hospitalization, in the relief of perineal pain after vaginal deliveries. Methods: Data were obtained from medical files of patients who had vaginal deliveries during 2007. Results: The mean age of mothers was 32.4 years, and 97.7% of them suffered perineal trauma. As to treatment for relief of perineal pain after a vaginal delivery, 98.5% used drugs, the most frequent of which were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and 62.3% of them also used non-drug treatments, especially ice packs. Conclusion: It is important that healthcare professionals, who attend to new puerperas, know how to assess and treat perineal pain. Considering the high rates of perineal trauma following vaginal deliveries, we need to offer patients treatment alternatives for perineal pain, based on scientific evidence. Objetivo: Identificar os tipos de tratamentos farmacologicos e nao farmacologicos utilizados no alivio da dor perineal apos o parto normal, utilizados pela puerpera no periodo de internacao. Metodos: Os dados foram obtidos por meio dos prontuarios medicos de puerperas que tiveram parto normal no ano de 2007. Resultados: A media de idade das puerperas foi de 32,4 anos e 97,7% sofreram trauma perineal. Quanto ao tratamento para o alivio da dor perineal, apos o parto normal 98,5% utilizaram farmacos, sendo o anti-inflamatorio nao esteroidal o mais frequente, e 62,3% utilizaram tambem o tratamento nao farmacologico, o farmaco mais utilizado foi bolsa de gelo. Conclusao: E importante que os profissionais que atendem a puerpera, saibam avaliar e tratar a dor perineal. Considerando as elevadas taxas de traumatismo perineal apos o parto normal ainda presentes em nossa populacao, precisa-se oferecer as puerperas alternativas de tratamento para a dor perineal, com base em evidencias cientificas.
Promoting Community Renewable Energy in a Corporate Energy World

Small-scale, decentralized and community-owned renewable energy is widely acknowledged to be a desirable feature of low carbon futures, but faces a range of challenges in the context of conventional, centralized energy systems. This paper draws on transition frameworks to investigate why the UK has been an inhospitable context for community-owned renewables and assesses whether anything fundamental is changing in this regard. We give particular attention to whether political devolution, the creation of elected governments for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, has affected the trajectory of community renewables. Our analysis notes that devolution has increased political attention to community renewables, including new policy targets and support schemes. However, these initiatives are arguably less important than the persistence of key features of socio-technical regimes: market support systems for renewable energy and land-use planning arrangements that systemically favour major projects and large corporations, and keep community renewables to the margins. There is scope for rolling out hybrid pathways to community renewables, via joint ownership or through community benefit funds, but this still positions community energy as an adjunct to energy pathways dominated by large, corporate generation facilities.
Throughput-Delay Trade-Off for Cognitive Radio Networks: A Convex Optimization Perspective

The throughput-delay trade-off problem for cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS) is investigated. It is proved that the maximum achievable throughput and the minimum transmission delay cannot be obtained simultaneously. An efficient algorithm is proposed to optimize the sensing bandwidth and the final decision threshold jointly such that the throughput is maximized while the delay is constrained. It is demonstrated that convex optimization plays an essential role in solving the problem in an efficient way. Simulation results show that the proposed optimal scheme can significantly improve the throughput of the secondary users (SUs) under the constraint that the delay Quality of Service (QoS) requirements of the SUs are satisfied.
Lingual thrombosis presenting as tongue carcinoma

We report a case of a 57-year old man who was admitted to our department with a necrotic ulcer of the tongue. Carcinoma of the tongue was initially suspected and incisional biopsies were performed along with Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the head and neck and a Computerized Tomography of the head, neck and thorax. The images were normal and the biopsies surprisingly did not show malignancy but venous thrombosis. The patient experienced complete remission without treatment. When re-examining the biopsies the pathologist was unable to rule out vasculitis as a possible cause, because the specimen lacked the appropriate sized vessels for diagnostics. We would like to emphasize that vasculitis should always be considered as a differential diagnosis, when biopsies turn out non-malignant in a patient with a necrotic ulcer of the tongue.
Calendar Anomalies, reality or an illusion? KSE-Pakistan

This paper investigates the calendar anomalies in Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) of Pakistan, during 2002-04 periods. The data for this study was taken from KSE 100, involving the daily stock exchange and were tested for turn of the month and time of the month effects. The results, regarding mean returns showed the presence of both effects. Results after regression analysis didn’t show the presence of Turn of the Month (TOM) effect in KSE. Slight evidence was witnessed regarding the time of the month effect in KSE, which confirmed the presence of anomalies and proved the market inefficiency. Limitations to this study are the time period, which was short. Future studies may consider a longer period of time for testing KSE, regarding the calendar anomalies. Key words: Turn of the Month (TOM), Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE), Calendar Anomalies, Pakistan, KSE-100 index, Investor’s psychology in Pakistan.
A comparison of rain attenuation and drop size distributions measured in Chilbolton and Singapore

Attenuation of radio waves caused by precipitation, especially in the form of rain, is considered to be the limiting factor for new communication systems that will exploit the radio wave spectrum at frequencies higher than about 30 GHz. Over the last 40 years, much effort has gone into theoretical studies characterizing rain in terms of statistical drop size distributions (DSDs), the shapes and velocity dependence of raindrops, and the calculation of raindrop extinction cross sections. This paper focuses on specific data sets and data processing and different ways of viewing DSDs that may help in quantifying some of the important parameters in radio wave propagation from experimental data. Values for the coefficients k and α in the relationship for specific rain attenuation γ = kRα are presented, together with rain‐rate‐dependent parameters for fits of DSDs to standard statistical distributions. These are based on data from Chilbolton, England, and from Singapore. The distributions measured at Chilbolton and Singapore are very different, which strongly suggests that drop size distributions differ under different climatic conditions. Comparisons are also presented of attenuations calculated with values of k and α determined from the DSDs and values found from logarithmic regression between simultaneous rain rate and attenuation measurements at 57, 97, 135, and 210 GHz at Chilbolton. This paper gives a strong indication that the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector model for specific rain attenuation is inadequate at frequencies higher than about 70 GHz.
Evaluation of Rhizospheric Bacteria from Ocimum sp. as Potential Pgpr

In the present investigation, 24 rhizospheric soil samples of Ocimum sp. were collected from different vicinities of Delhi, Kurukshetra and Haridwar (India). A total of 266 bacterial strains were isolated and screened for in vitro plant growth promoting trait. About 86.46% bacterial isolates showed ammonium production, 89.09% exhibited phosphate solubilization and 87.59% for catalase production whereas only 7.14% showed positive reaction for HCN production. Five isolates viz., CHII(II)K7, CHIII(I)Y6, DDI(I)1, UHI(II)7 and CHII(I)NA4 were found to exhibit maximum number of plant growth promoting traits.