Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Topological Properties of WK-Recursive Networks

The WK-recursive networks, which have been proposed by Vecchia and Sanges, offer high degree of regularity, scalability, and symmetry. They have also the properties of expansibility and equal degree. Many algorithmic results have been obtained for the WK-recursive networks, and a VLSI implementation of a 16-node WK-recursive network has been realized. In this paper, we investigate some topological properties of the WK-recursive networks, including container, wide diameter, and fault diameter.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging-integrated Neuronavigation: Correlation between Lesion-to-Motor Cortex Distance and Outcome

OBJECTIVE:The integration of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data into neuronavigation is a new concept for surgery adjacent to the motor cortex. However, the clinical value remains to be defined. In this study, we investigated the correlation between the lesion-to-fMRI activation distance and the occurrence of a new postoperative deficit. METHODS:fMRI-integrated “functional” neuronavigation was used for surgery around the motor strip in 54 patients. During standardized paradigms for hand, foot, and tongue movements, echo-planar imaging T2* blood oxygen level-dependent sequences were acquired and processed with BrainVoyager 2000 software (Brain Innovation, Maastricht, The Netherlands). Neuronavigation was performed with the VectorVision2 system (BrainLAB, Heimstetten, Germany). For outcome analysis, patient age, histological findings, size of lesion, distance to the fMRI areas, preoperative and postoperative Karnofsky index, postoperative motor deficit, and type of resection were analyzed. RESULTS:In 45 patients, a gross total resection (>95%) was performed, and for 9 lesions (low-grade glioma, 4; glioblastoma, 5), a subtotal resection (80–95%) was achieved. The neurological outcome improved in 16 patients (29.6%), was unchanged in 29 patients (53.7%), and deteriorated in 9 patients (16.7%). Significant predictors of a new neurological deficit were a lesion-to-activation distance of less than 5 mm (P < 0.01) and incomplete resection (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION:fMRI-integrated neuronavigation is a useful concept to assess the risk of a new motor deficit after surgery. Our data suggest that a lesion-to-activation distance of less than 5 mm is associated with a higher risk of neurological deterioration. Within a 10-mm range, cortical stimulation should be performed. For a lesion-to-activation distance of more than 10 mm, a complete resection can be achieved safely. The visualization of fiber tracks is desirable to complete the representation of the motor system.
Effectiveness of Capsaicin as a Repellent to Birdseed Consumption by Gray Squirrels

We evaluated the efficacy of capsaicin as an aversive agent to captive and free-ranging gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis). Capsaicin appeared more aversive in lipid-based formulations. Sunflower hearts treated with capsaicin oleoresins at 100,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU's) demonstrated nearcomplete aversiveness to captive squirrels. These treatments were sampled by food-deprived captive squirrels, but were not consumed due to their extreme pungency. Additionally, capsaicin-treated suet was very effective at lower concentrations than was observed with seeds (24,000 SHU-suet versus 100,000 SHU-seed). Three ground-pepper treatments (A = 8,250 SHU's, B = 27,500 SHU's, and C = 82,500 SHU's) offered simultaneously with control seeds to free-ranging squirrels revealed a dose-dependent aversive response. These same three treatments (A, B, and C) on sunflower hearts with control hearts available were also avoided by free-ranging squirrels; however, there was no significant differences (P>0.05) in mean consumption between the capsaicin levels. Apparently, even low capsaicin concentrations (8,250 SHU's) are as aversive as higher concentrations (27,500 to 82,500 SHU's) when applied directly to sunflower hearts.
Expression of cartilage extracellular matrix and potential regulatory genes in a new human chondrosarcoma cell line

A human chondrosarcoma cell line has been established from an aggressive chondrosarcoma. The cells grow in a monolayer culture (doubling time: 2 days) and form aggregates. The aggregates consist of a rim of cells surrounding a hollow core. The cell line exhibits a unique pattern of mRNA expression with several molecules characteristic of the chondrocyte phenotype. Consistent with the chondrocyte phenotype, mRNAsencoding types IX and XI collagens were present along with an abundant expression of mRNAsencoding the core protein of the cartilage proteoglycans biglycan and aggrecan. No expression of mRNAs encoding types I or II fibrillar collagens or the proteoglycan decorin was observed. Sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis of [35S]sulfate‐radiolabeled material confirmed the translation of proteoglycans containing glycosaminoglycan chains. The expression of molecules that contribute to cartilage development and tumorigenesis was examined. The cell line produces abundant mRNA that encodes transforming growth factor‐β1, a member of a family of cartilage and bone inductive proteins. The expression of mRNA encoding two proteins associated specifically with chondrogenesis was detected: Cart‐1, a homeobox protein involved in cartilage differentiation, and CD‐RAP, a secreted molecule restricted under normal conditions to differentiating chondrocytes and cartilage. Overexpression of p53, a tumor‐suppressor gene, was detected. DNA analysis revealed a loss of heterozygosity at the chromosomal locus encoding p53, with the deletion of one p53 allele and the mutation of the remaining allele in both the parent tumor and the cell line. The malignant chondrosarcoma phenotype may be related to the unique gene expression pattern that is characteristic in many ways of differentiating chondroblasts, as well as to the inactivation of the p53 function that could contribute to the proliferative capacity of the cell line. This cell line may serve as a biological model for further investigation of the etiology of human chondrosarcomas and for the synthesis and regulation of cartilage‐specific genes.
Regulation of Estrogen Receptor-Dependent Transcriptional Activation by a Cyclin-Dependent Kinase.

Abstract : The estrogen receptor a is transcription factor that is regulated by ligand binding and phosphorylation. The phosphorylation of three serine residues (S104, S106 and S118) located within the N-terminal transcriptional activation domain (AF- 1) of the receptor are important for full receptor transcriptional activation. We provide evidence that alteration in the regulation of cyclinA/Cdk2 complex lead to changes in hormone-dependent and hormone-independent transcriptional enhancement by ER This is accomplished, at least in part, through the direct phosphorylation of ER S104, S106 and S118 by the cyclinA/Cdk2 complex. Since alterations in cydin dependent kinase regulatory proteins are a common feature in breast cancer, these findings provide a framework for understanding the mechanism by which CDK dysregulation can directly affect ER signaling through alterations in receptor phosphorylation.
Conjoint versus one-person family therapy: some evidence for the effectiveness of conducting family therapy through one person.

This article presents the results of a therapy-outcome study designed to compare the relative effectiveness of conjoint family therapy (CFT, therapy with the entire family present for most sessions) and one-person family therapy (OPFT, therapy with only one family member present for most sessions). The working hypothesis of the study was that it would be possible to achieve the goals of family therapy (structural family change and symptom reduction) by working primarily with one person. Results were presented on 37 Hispanic families randomly assigned to one of the two treatment modalities (i.e., CFT or OPFT). Data were analyzed using a mixed-design (repeated measures plus between-group independent variable) analysis of variance with treatment (OPFT vs. CFT) as the between-group independent variable and time of assessment (intake, termination, follow-up) as the repeated measure. The results indicated that both conditions were highly effective in improving family functioning and that OPFT was slightly more effective in reducing identified patient symptomatology. Clinical and practical issues are discussed as well as the implications of the findings for the current theory and practice of family therapy.
A phased-array radar transmitter based on 77-GHz cascadable transceivers

A 77-GHz phased-array radar transmitter that is based on fully integrated, differential, cascadable transceiver circuits is presented. The building blocks of the 77-GHz IQ transceiver are explained in detail, along with measurement results of the transmitter part. A demonstration of the beam-forming capability of the presented transceiver is given using a 4-channel phased-array radar demonstrator that incorporates the generation of PLL stabilized 77-GHz signals.
Metformin-Induced Pancreatitis

The Diabetes Quality Improvement Project established performance indicators that were adopted by The National Committee for Quality Assurance in the Diabetes Physician Recognition Program (DPRP) (1,2). The HbA1c (A1C) factors heavily in the scoring system, accounting for 15 of a possible 80 points. To achieve full credit, 9.0% and at least 40% must be <7.0%. This methodology may bias against diabetes consultants who are referred patients in worse control. Improvements in A1C may more readily reflect quality of care. The American Diabetes Association recommends an A1C of <7.0% (3) and in previous guidelines …
Quantum State Engineering on an Optical Transition and Decoherence in a Paul Trap

A single Ca+ ion in a Paul trap has been cooled to the ground state of vibration with up to 99.9% probability. Starting from this Fock state |n=0> we have demonstrated coherent quantum state manipulation on an optical transition. Up to 30 Rabi oscillations within 1.4 ms have been observed. We find a similar number of Rabi oscillations after preparation of the ion in the |n=1> Fock state. The coherence of optical state manipulation is only limited by laser and ambient magnetic field fluctuations. Motional heating has been measured to be as low as one vibrational quantum in 190 ms.
Oligomeric Dop1p is Part of the Endosomal Neo1p‐Ysl2p‐Arl1p Membrane Remodeling Complex

Yeast Dop1p is an essential protein that is highly conserved in evolution and whose function is largely unknown. Here, we provide evidence that Dop1p localizes to endosomes and exists in a complex with two other conserved proteins: Neo1p, a P4‐ATPase and putative flippase, and the scaffolding protein Ysl2p/Mon2p. The latter operates during membrane budding at the tubular endosomal network/trans‐Golgi network (TEN/TGN) in a process that includes clathrin recruitment via adaptor proteins. Consistent with a role for Dop1p during this process, temperature‐sensitive dop1‐3 cells accumulate multivesicular, elongated tubular and ring‐like structures similar to those displayed by neo1 and ysl2 mutants. In further agreement with the concept of Dop1p‐Neo1p‐Ysl2p complex formation and co‐operation, we show that dop1‐3 cells exhibit reduced levels of Neo1p and Ysl2p at steady state. Conversely, mutations or deletions in NEO1 and YSL2 lead to a decrease in Dop1p levels. In addition to binding to Neo1p and Ysl2p, Dop1p can form dimers or multimers. A critical region for dimerization resides in the C‐terminus with leucine zipper‐like domains. Dop1p's membrane association is largely mediated by its internal region, but Ysl2p might not be crucial for membrane recruitment.
Model Analysis of Electric Fields Induced by High-Voltage Pulsing in Cylindrical Nerves

A cylindrical dielectric model is used to compute transmembrane potential changes and evaluate the axial electric field magnitudes produced within a nerve by a high-intensity relatively short electrical pulse. For concreteness, the pulse was taken to have a duration of about 700 ns and large current magnitudes in keeping with ongoing experimental studies within our group. Interest in this quantitative analysis arises from probing the possibility of triggering bioeffects at intracellular organelles in tissues (or even whole animals) through such electric stimulation. Almost all other studies have focused on simple spherical cells. This paper provides a theoretical framework for computing electric fields (especially the axial components) within such cylindrical geometries (e.g., nerve cells). It is shown that fields can become sufficiently high within microseconds and initiate electroporation, modulate electrochemical processes (e.g., calcium release), or trigger secondary biochemical effects depending on the electrical pulsing parameters.
Influence of Different Dialyzer Membranes on Plasma Fibronectin Levels in Hemodialyzed Patients

Plasma fibronectin (FN) was assayed in 30 patients with chronic renal failure under conservative therapy, 60 uremic patients undergoing periodic hemodialysis, and 7 patients treated by hemofiltration. Plasma FN was significantly lower in uremic patients on conservative therapy and in those who received intermittent hemodialysis than in the control group. No difference was seen between mean FN concentrations using different dialyzer membranes. Nevertheless, plasma FN levels were significantly higher in subjects after intermittent hemofiltration. There was no evidence of activation of the coagulation system or of any correlation between FN and fibrinogen values. These findings suggest that conventional hemodialysis is not effective in improving the low levels of plasma FN found in uremic patients, whereas intermittent hemofiltration raises FN. These differences may be due to the fact that during hemofiltration, even when using the same dialyzer membranes as in conventional hemodialysis, some “substances” with high molecular weight that could block the synthesis of FN could be removed.
Two Tales of Technology: Business and IT Managers' Technological Frames Related to Cloud Computing

While cloud computing is becoming a mainstream IT sourcing option, especially large companies struggle with the internal governance of cloud and the issue of shadow IT. This study takes a technological frames perspective to contrast the knowledge and expectations that business versus IT stakeholders have regarding cloud IT. Our interview data from 20 business and IT managers display the incongruences between these two groups’ technological frames and how this relates to their governing actions: While business managers emphasize the benefits frames of cloud computing and tend to undermine IT governance, IT managers stress its threat frames and their desire to strengthen the IT governance framework. We discuss how these frame incongruences are related and how they can be resolved. This discussion contributes to the literature a stakeholder-specific view that may help understand the duality of the shadow IT phenomenon. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Clinical complexity and person‐centered integrative diagnosis

Clinical complexity is emerging as a pointed indicator of the conceptual and empirical richness of psychiatry and general medicine and of the intricate challenges faced by our field. This complexity needs to be appraised, understood and formulated in attention to its various aspects and levels in order to inform adequately the development of crucial clinical tools such as an effective diagnostic model. A broad model relevant to this concern is being outlined under the term of person-centered integrative diagnosis (PID) 1,2.
An architecture for IP over WDM using time-division switching

This paper proposes an architecture for routing Internet protocol (IP) packets directly on optical networks. The use of label switching is assumed in the IP routers, while a new routing architecture is introduced to transport IP packets across an optical backbone network. The architecture is based on a two-tier multiplexing approach with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) addressing the number of regional exchanges and time-division switching communicating among the hubs. Such an architecture not only has the advantages of simple network management and high efficiency with low latency; it also is scalable by addition of regional exchanges, hubs, and fibers.
FlexBox: Sandboxing internet servers based on layer-7 contexts

Internet servers are constantly exposed to malicious attacks launched remotely. Sandbox is a promising approach to reducing the damage caused by malicious attacks. A sandbox system provides a restricted environment for executing programs/codes from an Internet server, in which the accessible resources are limited to those required for legal execution. However, traditional sandbox systems are not suitable for preventing sensitive files, legally accessed by Internet servers, from being leaked or tampered. A sandbox system must permit access to sensitive files if the sandboxed server requires access to them. This paper presents FlexBox, a novel sandbox system that reduces the possibility of leaking or tampering with sensitive files accessed by Internet servers. The key observation is that Internet servers typically have several execution states, each of which requires different access rights to resources such as files, especially sensitive files that are usually accessed only in a few execution states. Therefore, if FlexBox dynamically changes a set of accessible files according to serverspsila execution states, it is expected to dramatically reduce the possibility of information leakage/tampering. To obtain the execution states of Internet servers, FlexBox exploits the layer-7 contexts of Internet servers, i.e., it monitors the network messages exchanged between the server and clients. We demonstrate that FlexBox can be applied to several real Internet servers and the overhead from FlexBox is reasonably low.
Lack of Hormonal Influences on Mechanical Properties of Sheep Knee Ligaments *

Background: The number of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female athletes exceeds that in male athletes at similar competitive levels. This difference has been attributed by some authors to hormone-mediated alteration in knee laxity in women. Hypothesis: Sheep anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligament strength and stiffness are not altered by administration for 6 months of estrogen or a selective estrogen receptor agonist (raloxifene). Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Thirty-eight mature ewes were divided into five groups: sham operation (N = 6), ovariectomy (N = 9), ovariectomy and estradiol implant (N = 7), low-dose raloxifene (N = 9), and high-dose raloxifene (N = 7). After 6 months, the animals were sacrificed and ligaments were tested along with those from five rams’ knees. Results: No differences were found between treatment groups for maximum force, stiffness, energy to failure, or failure site. The ultimate stress of the rams’ anterior cruciate ligaments was significantly higher than that of the ewes. Conclusions: Estrogen and estrogen receptor agonists at physiologic levels do not lead to decreased knee ligament strength. Clinical Relevance: The female hormonal milieu may not be responsible for the increased incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injury in female athletes compared with their male counterparts.
How Economic Shocks Affect Poor Households and Children

The global financial crisis that erupted in 2008, coupled with food and fuel price volatility, are likely to affect developing countries, and within them the vast majority of the world’s poor population in profound ways. Based on both experiences in previous crises and the information that is available thus far on the current crises, this working brief will examine the channels through which this combination of crises will affect households and their children.
Notes on the Occurrence and Habitats of Sabethes purpureus in Salta Province, Argentina

Abstract The finding of Sabethes purpureus larvae and pupae in tree holes both in urban and forest environments in San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, Salta Province, Argentina, is reported, together with information on the larval habitat. Tree holes were sampled monthly from January to March or April of 2011, 2012, and 2013 along sidewalks, in public access areas, and in 3 sites within forested areas outside the city, selected along an urban gradient in Orán. Sabathes purpureus was most frequently found in low numbers and with other mosquito species. A higher proportion of tree holes was positive in the urban compared to the forest environment, although there were no significant differences in abundances or densities per hole. To our best knowledge, this paper reports the species for the first time breeding in an urban environment, and extends its geographical distribution from the Atlantic and Paranaense forests to the Southern Andean Yungas in northwestern Argentina.
EUROCARE: a cross‐national study of co‐resident spouse carers for people with Alzheimer's disease: II—a qualitative analysis of the experience of caregiving

Spouses caring for a partner with dementia are subject to physical, psychological and social stresses. In view of the part played by spouse carers in preventing admission to institutional care, a fuller understanding of the subjective experience of caring is an important area of enquiry. Qualitative analysis of their accounts of the difficulties and rewards in looking after their partners may indicate strategies to support them and to alleviate the stresses that they experience.
2 Carbon Dioxide Capture and Air Quality

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the most important greenhouse gases (GHG). The most dominant source of anthropogenic CO2 contributing to the rise in atmospheric concentration since the industrial revolution is the combustion of fossil fuels. These emissions are expected to result in global climate change with potentially severe consequences for ecosystems and mankind. In this context, these emissions should be restrained in order to mitigate climate change. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a technological concept to reduce the atmospheric emissions of CO2 that result from various industrial processes, in particular from the use of fossil fuels (mainly coal and natural gas) in power generation and from combustion and process related emissions in industrial sectors. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) regards CCS as “an option in the portfolio of mitigation actions” to combat climate change (IPCC 2005). However, the deployment of CO2 capture at power plants and large industrial sources may influence local and transboundary air pollution, i.e. the emission of key atmospheric emissions such as SO2, NOX, NH3, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), and Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10). Both positive as negative impacts on overall air quality when applying CCS are being suggested in the literature. The scientific base supporting both viewpoints is rapidly advancing. The potential interaction between CO2 capture and air quality targets is crucial as countries are currently developing GHG mitigation action plans. External and unwanted trade-offs regarding air quality as well as co-benefits when implementing CCS should be known before rolling out this technology on a large scale. The goal of this chapter is to provide an overview of the existing scientific base and provide insights into ongoing and needed scientific endeavours aimed at expanding the science base. The chapter outline is as follows. We first discuss the basics of CO2 capture, transport and storage in section 2. In section 3, we discuss the change in the direct emission profile of key atmospheric pollutants when equipping power plants with CO2 capture. Section 4 expands on atmospheric emissions in the life cycle of CCS concepts. We provide insights in section 5 into how air quality policy and GHG reduction policy may interact in the Netherlands and the European Union. Section 6 focuses on atmospheric emissions from post-combustion CO2