Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vacuum properties of non-symmetric gravity in de Sitter space

We consider quantum effects of a massive antisymmetric tensor field on the dynamics of de Sitter space–time. Our starting point is the most general, stable, linearized Lagrangian arising in non-symmetric gravitational theories, where part of the antisymmetric field mass is generated by the cosmological term. We construct a renormalization group (RG) improved effective action by integrating out one-loop vacuum fluctuations of the antisymmetric tensor field and show that, in the limit when the RG scale goes to zero, the Hubble parameter—and thus the effective cosmological constant—relaxes rapidly to zero. We thus conclude that quantum loop effects in de Sitter space can dramatically change the infrared sector of the on-shell gravity, making the expansion rate insensitive to the original (bare) cosmological constant.
Expression of viral p21ras during acquisition of a transformed phenotype by rat adrenal cortex cells infected with Kirsten murine sarcoma virus

Rat adrenal cortex cells infected with Kirsten murine sarcoma virus acquire a transformed phenotype in a progressive fashion. The expression of the viral p21ras does not appear to correlate with the degree of transformation of the adrenocortical cells but rather is produced at similar levels as the culture becomes transformed. This indicates that the expression of an oncogenic form of p21ras is not of itself sufficient to completely transform rat adrenal cortex cells.
Nickel toxicity in embryos and larvae of the South American toad: Effects on cell differentiation, morphogenesis, and oxygen consumption

Nickel, a widely distributed heavy metal in the biosphere, produces systemic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic effects. The objectives of the present study are to report the acute, short‐term chronic, and chronic toxicity of Ni in Rhinella arenarum embryos as well as the stage‐dependent susceptibility to this heavy metal, including oxygen consumption, teratogenesis, and adverse effects on cell differentiation processes. The stages evaluated were blastula (S.7), gastrula (S.11), tail bud (S.17), fin circulation (S.22), and complete operculum (S.25), in this last case by means of toxicity profile curves. Nickel increases its adverse effects gradually, with a maximum value after 96 h. The 50% lethal concentrations (LC50s) for 96, 168, and 240 h at S.25 were 1.14, 0.60, and 0.48 mg Ni2+/L, respectively; S.11 and S.22 were the least and most susceptible to Ni with, LC50s 96 h of 6.12 and 0.19 mg Ni2+/L, respectively. A reduction of approximately 25% in oxygen consumption anticipates lethal effects from S.17 onward. The main teratogenic effects were retarded growth and development, extremely severe axis incurvations, persistent yolk plug, asymmetry, microcephaly and mouth and gill agenesia, and limited neuromuscular activity. Ciliated cells were not functional. The possibility of associating the remarkable stage‐dependent susceptibility to Ni with environmental changes during the evolutionary process is also considered. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011; 30:1146–1152. © 2011 SETAC
Perceptions of Leadership Competencies and the Acquisition of Them by CEOs in Vietnamese Small Enterprises

Leadership competencies are expected to be critical factors for Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to be successful and to lead their SMEs to play the role as the major driver toward economic development in Vietnam. This paper aims to understand the perceptions of CEOs of Vietnamese SMEs regarding the importance of some leadership competencies and the extent to which the competencies of knowledge, skills and attitudes have been acquired by these CEOs. This research was used them a large-scale survey and in-depth interviews method to solve those issues. The result of this research included the significant difference between the perceived importance and the level of acquisition of these competencies, particularly in Vietnam Small and Medium Entreprises. The result of this research can be seen as the important source for practioners in order to design effective training and development programs tailored for CEOs of SMEs.
Optic Discs Mimicking Glaucoma

Traditionally the diagnosis of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is a triad of increased intraocular pressures, characteristic optic nerve head (ONH) changes and corresponding visual field changes. Recent definition of glaucoma excludes intraocular pressure as a defining factor (1). The diagnosis of glaucoma depends on functional psychological tests and imaging technology of ONH morphology. Structural changes precedes that of functional changes. Despite the advent of new technology to assess ONH changes with Heidelberg Retinal Tomogram (HRT), Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope (SLO) and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) available for research, clinical acumen in detecting glaucomatous features of ONH is imperative in routine clinical practice. Very often in our busy outpatient practice , large disc associated with large cup and similar lesions are over diagnosed and labeled as “glaucoma”. It is therefore imperative to differentiate glaucoma from non glaucomatous disc anomaly. Several conditions pose as ONH mimickers and these lesions often reiterates the need of careful clinical examination of ONH. (2,3). We present a series of three such cases.
Linking legal open data: breaking the accessibility and language barrier in european legislation and case law

In this paper we describe how the EUCases FP7 project is addressing the problem of lifting Legal Open Data to Linked Open Data to develop new applications for the legal information provision market by enriching structurally the documents (first of all with navigable references among legal texts) and semantically (with concepts from ontologies and classification). First we describe the social and economic need for breaking the accessibility barrier in legal information in the EU, then we describe the technological challenges and finally we explain how the EUCases project is addressing them by a combination of Human Language Technologies.
L-Ascorbic Acid Metabolism in the Ascorbate-Deficient Arabidopsis Mutant vtc1

The biosynthesis of L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is not well understood in plants. The ozone-sensitive Arabidopsis thaliana mutant vitamin c-1 (vtc1; formerly known as soz1) is deficient in ascorbic acid, accumulating approximately 30% of wild-type levels. This deficiency could result from elevated catabolism or decreased biosynthesis. No differences that could account for the deficiency were found in the activities of enzymes that catalyze the oxidation or reduction of ascorbic acid. The absolute rate of ascorbic acid turnover is actually less in vtc1 than in wild type; however, the turnover rate relative to the pool of ascorbic acid is not significantly different. The results from [U-14C]Glc labeling experiments suggest that the deficiency is the result of a biosynthetic defect: less L-[14C]ascorbic acid as a percentage of total soluble 14C accumulates in vtc1 than in wild type. The feeding of two putative biosynthetic intermediates, D-glucosone and L-sorbosone, had no positive effect on ascorbic acid levels in either genotype. The vtc1 defect does not appear to be the result of a deficiency in L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase, an enzyme able to convert L-galactono-1,4-lactone to ascorbic acid.
Effect of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on the Growth of Malus hupehensis Rehd. Seedlings

Apple replant disease (ARD) is a common disease in apple producing areas, and more and more evidence shows that soil-borne pathogens are the main factor. However, most of the drugs used to kill microorganisms are not friendly to the environment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify a method that can effectively eliminate these harmful microorganisms and to construct a microbial community structure that is conducive to plant growth in the soil. Herein, we use four different application technologies: foliar spraying, foliar soaking, root soaking, and soil soaking, to examine the inhibitory effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) on ARD. This study found that they all promoted the growth of Malus hupehensis Rehd. seedlings, and the plant height was 1.09 times, 1.15 times, 1.26 times, and 1.36 times higher that of the control, respectively. Soil soaking had the best promotion effect, and the changes in the soil microbial community structure after root soaking were analyzed. After treatment with ZnO-NPs, the abundances of Neocosmospora, Gibberella, and Fusarium were reduced, whereas the abundances of Tausonia, Chaetomium, and Mrakia were increased. The copy numbers of Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum were 55.7 and 68.9% lower in the ZnO-NPs treatment group than those in the control group, respectively. This study found that after ZnO-NPs were applied to the soil, a new microbial community structure that was conducive to plant growth was formed to overcome ARD. In summary, ZnO-NPs, as a green chemical reagent, can overcome ARD, and it can also be applied to other continuous crops.
Synchronous Responses of Plant Functional Traits to Nitrogen Deposition From Dominant Species to Functional Groups and Whole Communities in Alpine Grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Nitrogen deposition is recognized as one of the major threats to the ecosystem function of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). However, few studies have documented the gradient responses of plant species, functional groups, and communities in alpine grassland ecosystems to various levels of N deposition on the QTP. We applied eight linear mixed-effect models combing acidification, eutrophication, and phosphorus availability to explore if the responses of functional traits (particularly plant height and specific leaf area) of plants from dominant species to functional groups and whole communities in different types of grassland to nitrogen deposition were consistent with the same or different models. We found that the specific leaf area of Stipa capillata, non-forb, and community-weighted mean value in the alpine steppe were synchronous and related to acidification with nitrogen addition; the height of Stipa capillata, non-forb, and community-weighted mean value in the alpine steppe was synchronous and related to acidification, eutrophication, and phosphorus availability with nitrogen addition; the height and specific leaf area of Elymus breviaristatus to functional groups and community-weighted mean value in cultivated grasslands (CGs) were synchronous and related to acidification, eutrophication, and phosphorus availability with nitrogen addition. Most of the responses of functional traits of plants to acidification, eutrophication, and phosphorus availability associated with nitrogen deposition in the alpine steppe and the CG were synchronous, while only the response of the specific leaf area of forb functional groups to eutrophication associated with N deposition in the alpine steppe was asynchronous.
Role of superoxide and reactive nitrogen intermediates in Rhodnius prolixus (Reduviidae)/Trypanosoma rangeli interactions.

This study compares aspects of the superoxide, nitric oxide and prophenoloxidase pathways in Rhodnius prolixus hemolymph, measured in parallel, in response to Trypanosoma rangeli inoculation. Responses to two strains of T. rangeli, and two developmental forms, were studied, and the results obtained were correlated with the ability of the parasites to survive, multiply, and complete their life cycles in the hemolymph of the host. T. rangeli H14 strain parasites, which fail to complete their life cycle in Rhodnius by invading the salivary glands, stimulated high levels of superoxide and prophenoloxidase activity, which peaked 24 h after inoculation. Simultaneously, the concentration of hemolymph nitrites and nitrates increased, indicative of nitric oxide activity, but parasite numbers remained low. T. rangeli Choachi strain parasite inoculation also stimulated superoxide and prophenoloxidase activity, which, though significantly lower than the equivalent responses to the H14 strain, also peaked at 24 h. However, nitrate and nitrite levels in Choachi strain-inoculated hemolymph remained low, and this parasite strain multiplied rapidly, especially following peak superoxide activity, and eventually invaded the salivary glands for transmission to a vertebrate host. In both strains, short form epimastigotes stimulated greater superoxide and prophenoloxidase responses than long form epimastigotes. Injection of the NADPH oxidase inhibitor N-ethylmaleimide or the inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor S-methyl isothiourea sulfate caused significantly higher insect mortalities in groups of R. prolixus inoculated with either parasite strain compared with those of uninfected control insects. This indicates that both NADPH oxidase and nitric oxide synthase activity may be involved in the immune response of R. prolixus to infection by T. rangeli. Finally, Western blotting of R. prolixus hemocyte lysates revealed the presence of a protein immunologically related to the human NADPH oxidase complex, the initiator enzyme of the respiratory burst.
Data compression of power quality disturbances using wavelet transform and spline interpolation method

In this paper is described a data compression technique based on wavelet decomposition and spline interpolation for power quality disturbance. The technique consist in signal decomposition, thresholding of wavelet transform coefficients, decimation of the last coefficient and signal reconstruction using spline interpolation for the last coefficient. The optimal order of Daubechies scaling function recommended in order to achieve the best compression ratio and comparative compression results using different types of power quality disturbances are also presented. This technique is suitable mainly for data acquired at high sample rates.
The use of theatre time for paediatric dentistry under general anaesthesia.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper was to determine the use of theatre time for all procedures performed under general anaesthetic on a paediatric dental list. METHODS A prospective study of paediatric dental general anaesthetic procedures was undertaken at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, NHS Tayside, Dundee, UK. Data were collected prospectively for 71 operating lists over a 3-year period from April 2003 to March 2006. Both operator status and the procedure being undertaken were recorded. In addition, pre-anaesthetic, anaesthetic, operating and disconnection times were recorded. RESULTS Of the 71 lists examined, 61 either finished early or on time, with a median unused time of 32.50 min (interquartile range = 19.50, 50.00 min), whilst 10 lists finished late with a median overrun time of 30.50 min (interquartile range = 9.25, 45.50 min). Comparing lists which finished late with those which were completed within time, the median pre-anaesthetic time was significantly longer (Mann-Whitney U-test, W = 20.05, P = 0.048). Overall, the theatre was in use for 78.22% of time combining pre-anaesthetic, anaesthetic, operating and disconnection times; hence, there was poor time utilization of theatre for 21.78% of the total theatre time. CONCLUSIONS Overall, 85.9% of theatre sessions for dental procedures under general anaesthetic in children finished early or on time. Where lists finished late, the duration of the pre-anaesthetic time appeared to be the significant factor.
Tracing the Trophic Fate of Aquafeed Macronutrients With Carbon Isotope Ratios of Amino Acids

To meet future seafood demands, ingredients derived from algae and other novel and sustainable sources are increasingly being tested and used as replacers to traditional aquafeed ingredients. Algal ingredients in particular are being promoted for their sustainability and their additional functional attributes in farmed aquatic animals. Test on algal supplemented aquafeeds typically focus on a suite of immunological and physiological indicators along with fish growth performance or muscle quality. However, to optimize the replacement of fish meal with algal derived ingredients, it is crucial to understand the metabolic fate in the algal macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins), and their nutritional interactions with other ingredients after ingestion. Here, we assess the potential of using the emerging technology- stable carbon isotope (δ13C) analysis of single amino acids (AAs) as a nutritional biomarker in aquaculture. Applications of δ13CAA-based approaches in feeding trials show promise in closing the knowledge gap in terms of understanding how fish and other aquaculture taxa assimilate and metabolize algal derived macronutrients. Source diagnostic δ13C fingerprints among the essential AAs can trace the protein origins to broad phylogenetic groups such as red macroalgae, brown macroalgae, bacteria, and terrestrial plants. Among the non-essential AAs, δ13C patterns have the potential to inform about metabolic routing and utilization of dietary lipids and carbohydrates. Despite the potential of δ13CAA as a nutritional biomarker, the few applications to date in fish feeding trials warrant further development and implementation of δ13CAA-based approaches to improve understanding of protein origins and macronutrient metabolic routing.
Metamaterial for gain enhancement of printed antennas: Theory, measurements and optimization

Metamaterials have been shown to enhance specific performance parameters of low profile and high-profile antennas. Our focus in this paper on specifically increasing the gain of low-profile antennas and in particular the microstrip patch antenna. By placing a metamaterial slab above a microstrip patch antenna (as a superstrate), we show that the gain of the antenna can be enhanced appreciably. The key advantage of using the superstrate is to maintain the low-profile advantage of microstrip patch antennas. In previous works, different types of superstrates were proposed to enhance the gain of microstrip antennas, however, to the best of our knowledge, no theory was developed to understand the mechanism behind the enhancement in the gain. In this paper, we present a simple analytical formulation that provides a very accurate prediction of the gain when a superstrate is used. In fact, our analytical technique is capable of predicting the gain when a multilayer superstrate structures is used. To validate the theory of gain enhancement, antennas and superstrates using metamaterials were fabricated and tested in an echoic chamber. The metamaterials developed were based on split-ring resonators. Strong agreement was found between the measurements and full-wave simulation using commercial tools. Finally, we present optimization results to demonstrate the maximum gain enhancement potential that can be achieved when superstrates are used.
The Mouse Gene Expression Database (GXD)

The Gene Expression Database (GXD) is a community resource of gene expression information for the laboratory mouse. By combining the different types of expression data, GXD aims to provide increasingly complete information about the expression profiles of genes in different mouse strains and mutants, thus enabling valuable insights into the molecular networks that underlie normal development and disease. GXD is integrated with the Mouse Genome Database (MGD). Extensive interconnections with sequence databases and with databases from other species, and the development and use of shared controlled vocabularies extend GXD's utility for the analysis of gene expression information. GXD is accessible through the Mouse Genome Informatics web site at http://www.informatics. jax.org/ or directly at http://www.informatics. jax.org/menus/expression_menu. shtml.
Vector Control , Pest Management , Resistance , Repellents The Role of Detoxification Enzymes in the Adaptation of the Major Malaria Vector Anopheles gambiae ( Giles ; Diptera : Culicidae ) to Polluted Water

The main malaria vectors in sub-Saharan Africa, the Anopheles gambiae (Giles; Diptera: Culicidae), normally breed in clean water sources. However, evidence suggests an on-going adaptation of Anopheline species to polluted breeding habitats in urban settings. This study aimed at understanding the adaptation to breeding in water bodies with different qualities, in five selected mosquito breeding sites in urban Accra, Ghana. The study sites were also evaluated for the WHO water-quality parameters as a measure of pollution, and insecticide residues. Field mosquitoes were evaluated for five genes; CYP6P3, CYP4H19, CYP4H24, GSTD1-4, and ABCC11—associated with insecticide detoxification—using quantitative RT-PCR, as well as Mono-oxygenase, Alpha Esterase, Glutathione S-transferase, and insensitive acetylcholinesterase (AChE) using biochemical enzyme assays. The lab-reared, insecticide susceptible An. gambiae Kisumu strain was bred in the most polluted water source for 10 generations and evaluated for the same genes and enzymes. The results revealed that the fold expression of the genes was higher in the larvae compared with the adults. The results also suggest that detoxification enzymes could be involved in the adaptation of An. gambiae to polluted breeding sites. Correlation analysis revealed a highly positive significant correlation between calcium levels and all five genes (P < 0.05). Stepwise linear regression to understand which of the variables predicted the expression of the genes revealed that sulphate was responsible for ABCC11 and CYP4H24, alkalinity for GSTD1-4, and calcium for CYP4H19 and CYP6P3. The detailed genetic basis of this adaptation need to be further investigated. A further understanding of this adaptation may provide outlooks for controlling malaria and other disease vectors adapted to polluted breeding water sources.
The dissociation by colchicine of phagocytosis from increased oxygen consumption in human leukocytes.

The effect of colchicine on the uptake of oxygen by human leukocytes during phagocytosis of live streptococci or of killed staphylococci was compared with the effect of colchicine on phagocytosis per se, measured in a sensitive bacterial system. The increase in oxygen consumption that normally accompanies phagocytosis was consistently diminished in leukocytes incubated with colchicine in concentrations as low as 2.5 x 10(-6) mole per L (1 mug per ml), and this inhibition was dosage dependent. Yet there was no evidence of decreased phagocytosis with concentrations of colchicine as high as 2.5 x 10(-4) mole per L (100 mug per ml). Furthermore, with measurements at 20, 40, and 60 minutes, the rate of phagocytosis was comparable with and without colchicine.A clue to the dissociation between oxygen consumption and phagocytosis was found in rapidly dried preparations of the incubated leukocytes. Ingested bacteria were present in both control and colchicine-treated granulocytes. In addition, control cells showed normal loss of granules (lysosomal particles) and prominent cytoplasmic vacuoles (digestive vacuoles). Colchicine-treated cells, however, showed less such degranulation and vacuolization. Measurements of granule-associated acid phosphatase activity after phagocytosis support the morphologic observations of less degranulation in colchicine-treated leukocytes. The muted metabolic and morpholgic response to phagocytosis in colchicine-treated cells may be important for the anti-inflammatory effect of colchicine in acute gouty arthritis. Colchicine may also find wider use in defining structure-function dependencies in metabolically stimulated cells.