Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
X-ray imaging of spin currents and magnetisation dynamics at the nanoscale

Understanding how spins move in time and space is the aim of both fundamental and applied research in modern magnetism. Over the past three decades, research in this field has led to technological advances that have had a major impact on our society, while improving the understanding of the fundamentals of spin physics. However, important questions still remain unanswered, because it is experimentally challenging to directly observe spins and their motion with a combined high spatial and temporal resolution. In this article, we present an overview of the recent advances in x-ray microscopy that allow researchers to directly watch spins move in time and space at the microscopically relevant scales. We discuss scanning x-ray transmission microscopy (STXM) at resonant soft x-ray edges, which is available at most modern synchrotron light sources. This technique measures magnetic contrast through the x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) effect at the resonant absorption edges, while focusing the x-ray radiation at the nanometre scale, and using the intrinsic pulsed structure of synchrotron-generated x-rays to create time-resolved images of magnetism at the nanoscale. In particular, we discuss how the presence of spin currents can be detected by imaging spin accumulation, and how the magnetisation dynamics in thin ferromagnetic films can be directly imaged. We discuss how a direct look at the phenomena allows for a deeper understanding of the the physics at play, that is not accessible to other, more indirect techniques. Finally, we present an overview of the exciting opportunities that lie ahead to further understand the fundamentals of novel spin physics, opportunities offered by the appearance of diffraction limited storage rings and free electron lasers.
Principles for effective virtual teamwork

OrganizatiOns tOday Often establish OperatiOns and strategic alliances across the globe, making virtual teamwork critical to their success.5 Many government and military organizations face new challenges, such as combating terrorism, that are better tackled by nimble, well-informed teams than by large hierarchical bureaucracies. In the wake of global expansion and outsourcing, other organizations seek to cut the cost and hassle of bringing team members to a single location. Virtual teams are becoming ubiquitous (Figure 1). Intel Corporation recently conducted a study which revealed that approximately two-thirds of their employees collaborated with team members located at different sites and in different regions. Therefore, it is important to understand how to make virtual teams effective. Virtual teams face new challenges that make them more difficult to manage than traditional face-to-face teams (see Table 1). For example, approximately half of the employees in the study above worked with team members whose work processes and collaboration technologies differed from their own. Virtual teams may struggle to establish cohesive relationships necessary for achieving their objectives. Virtual team members also face competing demands for their attention from their virtual team and from their immediate workplace, and from the practical challenges of assimilating new technologies into their daily routines. Over the past decade of working with virtual teams, we have derived a set of principles for effective virtual teamwork (Table 2). These principles are derived from field experience with hundreds of virtual teams in government, military and business organizations and from extensive laboratory studies. Two assumptions underlie these principles. First, we assume that the collaboration is interpersonal which implies that the virtual team consists of a welldefined group of individuals brought together to produce a specific deliverable such as a software specification, a strategic plan, or a budget proposal. This is referred to as “closed” collaboration by Pisano and Verganti and is distinguished from community-based collaboration which is open to the public. Second, we assume that the technology employed by the virtual teams is reliable and secure. Technological glitches will cripple the productivity of even the most knowledgeable and motivated virtual teams. Our principles are intended to help designers, managers, and virtual team members improve the effectiveness of their virtual teams.
Femoral Intercondylar Notch Stenosis and Correlation to Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

To evaluate the possible relationship between femoral intercondylar notch stenosis and anterior cruciate liga ment injuries in pivoting and cutting sports, a 2-year prospective study was performed on intercollegiate ath letes at a Division I university. Daily practice times and athlete participation in practices and games were re corded for each sport during the 2-year period. Bilateral intercondylar notch view radiographs were taken of all athletes enrolled in the study. The notch width index, a ratio that measures the width of the anterior outlet of the intercondylar notch divided by the total condylar width at the level of the popliteal groove, was measured for each knee. A total of 213 athletes, representing 415 anterior cruciate ligament-intact knees, were enrolled in the study. There were 7 anterior cruciate ligament tears. Statistical analysis demonstrated a correlation between femoral intercondylar notch stenosis and anterior cru ciate ligament injuries. No statistical difference was found between the sex of the athlete and notch width indices or rate of anterior cruciate ligament tears. Ath letes with intercondylar notch stenosis appear to be at increased risk for noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
The Impact of Price Information on Consumer Behavior: An Experiment

We conduct blind tests to examine the connection between consumer’s choices and price differentials, for two goods with different levels of observable quality, bottled spring water and toilet paper (we pose that toilet paper’s quality is more easily observable). We gave subjects two samples of those goods, with no labels for their brands, but with two different prices. Given that the samples were exactly the same, we aimed at testing whether the price differentials influenced their perceptions of quality, for a given level of quality observability. The most striking result is that quality information inferred via price differentials have significant effects on consumer choices, when such difference is relatively high and quality is not easy to observe. Moreover, in such a case, prices shape the perceptions of quality: "If it is expensive, it tastes good". In contrast, when quality is easy to observe, we find no significant relationship between price differentials and perceived quality.
Transcription factor Sox11 is essential for both embryonic and adult neurogenesis

Background: Neurogenesis requires neural progenitor cell (NPC) proliferation, neuronal migration, and differentiation. During embryonic development, neurons are generated in specific areas of the developing neuroepithelium and migrate to their appropriate positions. In the adult brain, neurogenesis continues in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampal dentate gyrus and the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle. Although neurogenesis is fundamental to brain development and function, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate neurogenesis is still limited. Results: In this study, we generated a Sox11 floxed allele and a Sox11 null allele in mice using the Cre‐loxP technology. We first analyzed the role of the transcription factor Sox11 in embryonic neurogenesis using Sox11 null embryos. We also examined the role of Sox11 in adult hippocampal neurogenesis using Sox11 conditional knockout mice in which Sox11 is specifically deleted in adult NPCs. Sox11 null embryos developed small and disorganized brains, accompanied by transient proliferation deficits in NPCs. Deletion of Sox11 in adult NPCs blunted proliferation in the SGZ. Using functional genomics, we identified potential downstream target genes of Sox11. Conclusions: Taken together, our work provides evidence that Sox11 is required for both embryonic and adult neurogenesis, and identifies potential downstream target genes. Developmental Dynamics 242:638–653, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Priorities for protected area research

A hundred research priorities of critical importance to protected area management were identified by a targeted survey of conservation professionals; half researchers and half practitioners. Respondents were selected to represent a range of disciplines, every continent except Antarctica and roughly equal numbers of men and women. The results analysed thematically and grouped as potential research topics as by both practitioners and researchers. Priority research gaps reveal a high interest to demonstrate the role of protected areas within a broader discussion about sustainable futures and if and how protected areas can address a range of conservation and socio-economic challenges effectively. The paper lists the hundred priorities structured under broad headings of management, ecology, governance and social (including political and economic issues) and helps contribute to setting future research agendas.
Adaptive MMSE-based beamformer design for multiuser MIMO interference channels

With the presence of perfect channel state information (CSI), the achievable degrees of freedom (DoF) in wireless interference networks can be linearly scaled up with the number of users. Achievability is based on the idea of interference alignment (IA). However, with the presence of imperfect CSI, the sum rate becomes degraded and full DoF may not be achievable anymore. In this paper and by considering a generalized CSI mismatch model, we propose a novel MMSE-based IA scheme such that the unitary beamformers are adaptively designed to achieve better performance when only imperfect CSI is available. We then compare the performance of the proposed scheme with maximum signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (Max-SINR) algorithm. We show that while under perfect CSI the proposed algorithm achieves the same performance as Max-SINR, the former outperforms the latter under CSI mismatch. Meanwhile, it is shown that the proposed algorithm needs less CSI to be available and has less computational complexity compared to Max-SINR.
Immunophilin–protein interactions in Plasmodium falciparum

SUMMARY Immunophilins comprise two protein families, cyclophilins (CYPs) and FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs), and are the major receptors for the immunosuppressive drugs cyclosporin A (CsA) and FK506 (tacrolimus), respectively. Most eukaryotic species have at least one immunophilin and some of them have been associated with pathogenesis of infectious or parasitic diseases or the action of antiparasitic drugs. The human malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum has 13 immunophilin or immunophilin-like genes but the functions of their products are unknown. We set out to identify the parasite proteins that interact with the major CYPs, PfCYP19A and PfCYP19B, and the FKBP, PfFKBP35, using a combination of co-immunoprecipitation and yeast two-hybrid screening. We identified a cohort of putative interacting partners and further investigation of some of these revealed potentially novel roles in parasite biology. We demonstrated that (i) P. falciparum CYPs interacted with the heat shock protein 70, (ii) treatment of parasites with CYP ligands disrupted transport of the rhoptry-associated protein 1, and (iii) PfFKBP35 interacted with parasite histones in a way that might modulate gene expression. These findings begin to elucidate the functions of immunophilins in malaria. Furthermore, the known antimalarial effects of CsA, FK506 and non-immunosuppressive derivatives of these immunophilin ligands could be mediated through these partner proteins.
2q37.3 Deletion Syndrome: Two Cases with Highly Distinctive Facial Phenotype, Discordant Association with Schizophrenic Psychosis, and Shared Deletion Breakpoint Region on 2q37.3

2q37.3 deletion syndrome belongs to the chromosomal 2q37 deletion spectrum which clinically resembles Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO) syndrome. It is is mainly characterized by short stature, obesity, round face, brachydactyly type E, intellectual disability, behavioral problems, and variable intellectual deficits. Different from classical AHO syndrome, patients with 2q37 deletion syndrome lack renal parathyroid hormone resistance (pseudohypoparathyroidism) and soft tissue ossification. So far, deletion mapping or molecular breakpoint analyses of 2q37 have been performed in only few patients. Here, we report on 2 patients with 2q37.3 deletion syndrome. In both patients the breakpoint of the 5.5-Mb terminal microdeletion could be narrowed down to the same ∼200-kb interval on 2q37.3 by BAC-FISH and/or array-CGH. Flanking low-copy repeats may indicate a classical microdeletion syndrome genesis for the 2q37.3 microdeletion subgroup. Clinical evaluation revealed intellectual deficits and type E brachydactyly typical for classical AHO syndrome together with distinctive facial dysmorphisms not present in the former. Furthermore, one patient presented with schizophrenic psychosis, an observation that would be in accordance with previous reports about an association between schizophrenia susceptibility and an unknown gene within the chromosomal region 2q37.
Comparison of the Computerized ACTIVITYGRAM Instrument and the Previous Day Physical Activity Recall for Assessing Physical Activity in Children

Abstract This study compared the validity of children's physical activity recall through a computerized assessment (ACTIVITTYGRAM) and through a popular paper and pencil assessment (Previous Day Physical Activity Recall; PDPAR). A total of 147 sixth-grade children from two schools completed the two recall instruments. Data from both self-report instruments were obtained over the same 3 days, and these data were matched by time with data from a subsample of children who wore an accelerometry-based activity monitor (n = 28). To confirm previous validity research with the PDPAR, a larger sample (n = 128) with matched data on the PDPAR and the accelerometer were also used. Activity levels recorded from all three instruments were computed for three periods (afternoon: 3–6 pm, evening: 6–11 p.m. and afternoon/evening: 3–11 p.m.). Descriptive and correlational analyses were conducted across days and for the separate time periods to evaluate the two self-report instruments. There were no differences in mean activity bouts reported on the ACTIVTTYGRAM and the PDPAR (p>.05). Ccrrelations with the activity monitor were above. 50 for both the PDPAR and the ACTIVITYGRAM, and the relationships were consistent across days and periods for both measures. The magnitude of the correlations varied widely in the two schools for the ACTIVITYGRAM comparisons (r = .80 vs. r = .20) but not for the PDPAR, suggesting differential administration or understanding of the ACTIVIYGRAM instrument. Direct correlations between the ACTIVITYGRAM and the PDPAR measures were high (r =. 72), and classification agreement exceeded 80% for the school that provided adequate assistance and training on the ACTIVITYGRAM. Results were weaker in the school with less staff support. This study provides convergent and criterion evidence to support the validity of the computerized ACTIVITYGRAM assessment and suggests similar information as the paper and pencil PDPAR assessment in young children. The study also revealed no differences in PDPAR values or associations, when a simpler scoring procedure was used instead of the traditional more complex metabolic equivalent-based approach.
The impact of computer use on wages in a developing country: evidence from Ecuador

This paper examines the wage premium to computer use in a developing country: Ecuador. We use different approaches to establish whether the premium is causal. Controlling for a large set of observables we find a wage difference between users and non-users of around 27%. Using first differences, the premium reduces to around 10%. We find however, no effect of the number of hours of computer use on wages. Moreover, the premium to using pencils is very similar to the computer premium. Groups that earn a higher computer premium also earn a higher pencil premium, and the penalty/gain for losing/winning a computer are almost identical to the penalty/gain of losing/gaining pencils. Taken together, these findings suggest that also in this developing country the computer premium does not reflect a causal impact of computers on productivity, but should be attributed to unobserved worker and/or job characteristics. JEL-codes: Keywords: Computers, wage inequality, developing country, Ecuador
A software testing framework for networked industrial systems

We present a framework for emulating the physical mobility of computers, e.g., transport robots, by the logical mobility of software designed for running on computers through virtual machine technology. The framework is useful to test software designed for running on transfer robotics, which may be connected/disconnected to/from local area networks due to their movements. It enables software to run within target local networks so that the software can connect to the services or protocols available within the networks, e.g., plug-and-play services based on UDP multicasts.
Development of Cellulosic Secondary Walls in Flax Fibers Requires β-Galactosidase1[C][W][OA]

Bast (phloem) fibers, tension wood fibers, and other cells with gelatinous-type secondary walls are rich in crystalline cellulose. In developing bast fibers of flax (Linum usitatissimum), a galactan-enriched matrix (Gn-layer) is gradually modified into a mature cellulosic gelatinous-layer (G-layer), which ultimately comprises most of the secondary cell wall. Previous studies have correlated this maturation process with expression of a putative β-galactosidase. Here, we demonstrate that β-galactosidase activity is in fact necessary for the dynamic remodeling of polysaccharides that occurs during normal secondary wall development in flax fibers. We found that developing stems of transgenic (LuBGAL-RNAi) flax with reduced β-galactosidase activity had lower concentrations of free Gal and had significant reductions in the thickness of mature cellulosic G-layers compared with controls. Conversely, Gn-layers, labeled intensively by the galactan-specific LM5 antibody, were greatly expanded in LuBGAL-RNAi transgenic plants. Gross morphology and stem anatomy, including the thickness of bast fiber walls, were otherwise unaffected by silencing of β-galactosidase transcripts. These results demonstrate a specific requirement for β-galactosidase in hydrolysis of galactans during formation of cellulosic G-layers. Transgenic lines with reduced β-galactosidase activity also had biochemical and spectroscopic properties consistent with a reduction in cellulose crystallinity. We further demonstrated that the tensile strength of normal flax stems is dependent on β-galactosidase-mediated development of the phloem fiber G-layer. Thus, the mechanical strength that typifies flax stems is dependent on a thick, cellulosic G-layer, which itself depends on β-galactosidase activity within the precursor Gn-layer. These observations demonstrate a novel role for matrix polysaccharides in cellulose deposition; the relevance of these observations to the development of cell walls in other species is also discussed.
Imaging-based diagnostic systems for hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE Noninvasive imaging plays critical roles in the treatment of patients with cirrhosis or other risk factors for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. In recognition of the critical roles played by imaging, numerous international scientific organizations and societies have, in the past 12 years, proposed diagnostic systems for the interpretation of liver imaging examinations performed of at-risk patients. CONCLUSION Although these imaging-based diagnostic systems represent important advances, they have limitations and they are not perfectly consistent with each other. The limitations and inconsistencies potentially cause confusion and may impair the integration of the systems into clinical practice as well as their utilization in research studies. The purpose of this article is to synthesize and critically appraise the current published imaging-based diagnostic systems endorsed by major societies for the noninvasive diagnosis and staging of hepatocellular carcinoma and to propose future directions that we hope may be helpful in further advancing the field.
A numerically efficient closed-form representation of mean-variance hedging for exponential additive processes based on Malliavin calculus

ABSTRACT We focus on mean-variance hedging problem for models whose asset price follows an exponential additive process. Some representations of mean-variance hedging strategies for jump-type models have already been suggested, but none is suited to develop numerical methods of the values of strategies for any given time up to the maturity. In this paper, we aim to derive a new explicit closed-form representation, which enables us to develop an efficient numerical method using the fast Fourier transforms. Note that our representation is described in terms of Malliavin derivatives. In addition, we illustrate numerical results for exponential Lévy models.
Cytomegalovirus infection enhances smooth muscle cell proliferation and intimal thickening of rat aortic allografts.

Inbred DA (AG-B4, RT1a) and WF (AG-B2, RT1v) rats were used as donors and recipients of aortic allografts. The recipient rats were inoculated i.p. either on day 1 (early infection) or on day 60 (late infection) with 10(5) plaque-forming units of rat cytomegalovirus (RCMV). The control rats were left noninfected. The presence of viral infection was demonstrated by plaque assays from biopsies of the salivary glands, liver, and spleen at sacrifice. The rats received 300 microCi[3H]thymidine by i.v. injection 3 h before sacrifice, and the grafts were removed at various time points for histology, immunohistochemistry, and autoradiography. RCMV infection significantly enhanced the generation of allograft arteriosclerosis. Infection at the time of transplantation had two important effects. First, the infection was associated with an early, prominent inflammatory episode and proliferation of inflammatory cells in the allograft adventitia. Second, the viral infection doubled the proliferation rate of smooth muscle cells and the arteriosclerotic alterations in the intima. In late infection the impact of RCMV infection on the allograft histology was nearly nonexistent. RCMV infection showed no effect in syngeneic grafts. These results suggest that early infection is more important to the generation of accelerated allograft arteriosclerosis than late infection, and that an acute alloimmune response must be associated with virus infection, to induce accelerated allograft arteriosclerosis. RCMV-infected aortic allografts, as described here, provide the first experimental model to investigate the interaction between the virus and the vascular wall of the transplant.