Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Origin and Early Evolution of Roots1

Exceptionally well-preserved fossils shed light on the earliest roots and their interactions with the environment. Geological sites of exceptional fossil preservation are becoming a focus of research on root evolution because they retain edaphic and ecological context, and the remains of plant soft tissues are preserved in some. New information is emerging on the origins of rooting systems, their interactions with fungi, and their nature and diversity in the earliest forest ecosystems. Remarkably well-preserved fossils prove that mycorrhizal symbionts were diverse in simple rhizoid-based systems. Roots evolved in a piecemeal fashion and independently in several major clades through the Devonian Period (416 to 360 million years ago), rapidly extending functionality and complexity. Evidence from extinct arborescent clades indicates that polar auxin transport was recruited independently in several to regulate wood and root development. The broader impact of root evolution on the geochemical carbon cycle is a developing area and one in which the interests of the plant physiologist intersect with those of the geochemist.
Port-based Modeling and Simulation of Planetary Rover Locomotion on Rough Terrain

This paper presents the implementation of a planetary rover simulation environment focused on locomotion aspects. A multibody, port-based modeling approach was taken combined with screw theory for the description of the kinematics and dynamics. Bond graphs are used as the modeling language. The contact model considers the interacting surfaces to be smooth and utilizes their differential geometry parameters. For the tracking of the wheel-terrain contact points, we utilize contact kinematic equations previously published in literature. The proposed wheel-terrain interaction model combines a Kelvin-Voigt viscoelastic system with Bekker terramechanics equations. The first simulation results of the developed system are presented, with main focus on a static stability case study for the Type-E candidate concept chassis for the ExoMars mission.
Statin prescribing patterns in a cohort of cancer patients with poor prognosis.

BACKGROUND There are no evidence-based recommendations for statin continuation or discontinuation near the end of life. However, some expert opinion recommends continuing statins prescribed for secondary versus primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVES Our aim was to explore statin prescribing patterns in a longitudinal cohort of individuals with life-limiting illness, and to evaluate differences in these patterns based on secondary versus primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. DESIGN AND SETTING This study was a retrospective cohort analysis of 539 persons in an integrated, not-for-profit health maintenance organization (HMO) setting who were receiving statins at diagnosis of a cancer with 0% to 25% predicted 5-year survival. Of the cohort patients, 343 were taking statins for secondary prevention and 196 for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Measurements included number and timing of statin refills between diagnosis and date of death, disenrollment, or the end of the observation period. RESULTS Four hundred and ninety-six cohort members died within the observation period. Fifty-eight percent of the secondary prevention and 62% of the primary prevention group had at least one statin refill after diagnosis. There were no significant differences between groups for number of days between diagnosis and last refill, or between last refill and death. Two deaths were attributable to cardiovascular causes in each group. CONCLUSIONS Our retrospective cohort analysis of persons with incident poor-prognosis cancer describes diminished, but persistent statin refills after diagnosis. Neither timing of statin discontinuation nor cardiovascular mortality differed by prescribing indication. There may be an opportunity to reevaluate medication burden in persons taking statins for primary prevention, and it is unclear whether continuing statins prescribed for secondary prevention affects cardiovascular outcomes.
Cdc25A is a novel phosphatase functioning early in the cell cycle.

The cdc25+ tyrosine phosphatase is a key mitotic inducer of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, controlling the timing of the initiation of mitosis. Mammals contain at least three cdc25+ homologues called cdc25A, cdc25B and cdc25C. In this study we investigate the biological function of cdc25A. Although very potent in rescuing the S.pombe cdc25 mutant, cdc25A is less structurally related to the S.pombe enzyme. Northern and Western blotting detection reveals that unlike cdc25B, cdc25C and cdc2, cdc25A is predominantly expressed in late G1. Moreover, immunodepletion of cdc25A in rat cells by microinjection of a specific antibody effectively blocks their cell cycle progression from G1 into the S phase, as determined by laser scanning single cell cytometry. These results indicate that cdc25A is not a mitotic regulator but a novel phosphatase that plays a crucial role in the start of the cell cycle. In view of its strong ability to activate cdc2 kinase and its specific expression in late G1, cdc2‐related kinases functioning early in the cell cycle may be targets for this phosphatase.
Chloride‐sensitive nature of the histamine‐induced Ca2+ entry in cultured human aortic endothelial cells

1 Whole‐cell currents and intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) were recorded in cultured human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) to study the mechanisms underlying Cl−‐sensitive Ca2+ entry. 2 In the absence of histamine the membrane potential ranged between ‐90 and +5 mV and showed bimodal distribution with peaks at ‐17.8 and ‐67.5 mV. 3 Histamine (1‐100 μm) activated an outward current, followed by a sustained inward current at ‐50 mV. The reversal potential (Vrev) was more negative than ‐60 mV for the initial outward current, and approximately ‐30 mV for the sustained inward current with normal Tyrode solution and internal solution containing 30 mM Cl−. 4 V rev of the sustained inward current was hardly affected by varying the external concentrations of K+, Na+ and Ca2+, but was greatly changed by varying the external Cl− concentration ([Cl−]o). The relationship between Vrev and log[Cl−]o showed a slope of ‐44.8 mV per tenfold increase of [Cl−]o. 5 The Cl− channel blockers 9‐anthracene carboxylic acid (1 mM), N‐phenylanthranilic acid (0.1 mM) and niflumic acid (0.1 mM) all depressed the histamine‐induced inward current. The non‐selective cation channel blocker Gd3+ (10 μm) was without effect on the current. 6 In the absence of histamine, [Ca2+]i was not affected by varying the membrane potential. During the continuous presence of histamine, however, hyperpolarization increased and depolarization decreased [Ca2+]i, indicating that Ca2+ entry through the plasma membrane was activated by histamine. 7 V rev of the histamine‐induced Cl− current, measured by the gramicidin‐perforated patch clamp method, was ‐28.4 ± 6.6 mV (n= 8), which gave an intracellular Cl− concentration of approximately 34 mM. Under the current clamp condition, the membrane potential varied from cell to cell in the control, but application of histamine induced either depolarization or hyperpolarization, depending on the membrane potential before histamine application, and the membrane potential became stable near the equilibrium potential for Cl−. 8 We conclude that the histamine‐induced inward current is carried mainly by Cl−. Although Ca2+ entry was also activated, we consider that its amplitude was too small to be resolved by the patch clamp method. The Cl− current may play a functional role in the sustained [Ca2+]i elevation by providing a constant driving force for Ca2+ entry in the presence of histamine.
Multidimensional Online Self in Collective Action: an empirical study on Wikipedia's deletion discussion

A user’s trust and trustworthiness is an important facet of her motivation for online knowledge exchange. Current online knowledge exchange becomes increasingly interactive and collaborative, which calls for a more dynamic understanding of online users in this regard. We argue that an online user’s self can be reified through her experience and activities within an online community over time rather than becomes a displacement of a corporal self. Drawing upon Goffman’s concept of the presentation of self (1959), we propose a three-dimensional view of online self: backstage activity, an artifact of self-representation, and frontstage performance. We develop a research model that explains how a user establishes and maintains self as a trustworthy social member through the three dimensions of online self during collective action.
Chronic expiratory air-flow obstruction--cause or effect of centrilobular emphysema?

1. This report presents the results of post-mortem function and structure measurements and their correlations in 139 normal lungs and 101 lungs with centrilobular emphysema (CLE). 2. Total lung volume is consistently increased above normal in lungs with CLE even when the disease is discovered incidentally in persons dying of other diseases, including trauma. The greater the extent of emphysema, the larger the total lung volume. 3. The one-second expiratory volume is slightly lower than normal in lungs with slight emphysema and is markedly reduced in lungs with moderate or severe disease, i.e. more than 30 per cent. 4. These data are interpreted as supporting the conclusion that emphysema causes expiratory air-flow obstruction rather than air-flow obstruction being the cause of emphysema.
Effective bandwidth utilization in IEEE 802.11e

IEEE 802.11e standard develops a reference design for a sample scheduler and admission control unit to support the contention-free access. However, the reference design can not effectively utilize the bandwidth. This paper proposes an equal-spacing-based (equal-SP) design to address the problem. In the equal-SP design, which generalizes the reference design, each stream is scheduled with equal-spacing and different streams are scheduled with different equal-spacings. The equal-SP design not only keeps all advantages of the reference design, but it can also utilize the bandwidth effectively.
Ultrafine Particle Collection Performance of a Two-Stage ESP With a Novel Mixing-Type Charging Stage Using Different Geometries and Electrical Conditions

We improved the two-stage electrostatic precipitator (ESP) developed for information technology manufacturing with highly corrosive and explosive gases by adding a novel mixing-type charger to generate unipolar ions outside of the gas duct and inject them into the main gas flow using an additional electric field. The charging stage (100 × 100 × 400 mm3) is composed of a brush-type charger located outside of the upper part of the charging stage and two parallel plates with an additional electric field. Downstream of the charging stage is a typical collection stage with parallel plates and a collection area of 0.1 m2 at 50 L/min. Electrical and particle removal characteristics of the ESP were evaluated using ultrafine particles and varying the thickness, hole size, and electrical connections in the charging stage. The total air flow rate in the ESP during tests was approximately 50 L/min, with a 10:1 ratio of the main and mixing flows. Using our novel mixing-type charging stage and electrical connections, a high voltage of −5 kV was applied between the brush charger and the grounded upper plate, and a positive high voltage was applied to the lower plate in the charging stage. Collection efficiency ranged from 20% to 90% of 60 nm particles over a wide range of electrical potentials between the upper and lower plates of 0–15 kV.
Language as a Means of Excommunication: An Exploration of the Use of Language to Oust 'Others' in Contemporary Egyptian/Arabic Discourse

One of the most common definitions of language is that it is a means of communication. The present research is, however, interested in quite a different aspect of language use, hence the title: Language as a Means of Excommunication. The term 'excommunication', strictly meaning to "exclude from a church or a religious community"(Note 1), is also used to mean "oust or exclude from a group or membership by decree" (Note 2) . This paper deals with the use of language to 'excommunicate' 'others', whether literally or metaphorically, from the membership of a particular group, regardless of its secular or religious nature. The act of excommunication in its broad sense denotes "exclusion from fellowship" (Note 3) (Merriam-Webster, 2002) (Note 4). The researcher focuses on informal acts of 'excommunication' practiced by language users who are not authorized to do so in any way. The research is thus an exploration in contemporary Egyptian discourse with an eye on the use of language to oust 'others' as such. Two events have been selected for that purpose: a basically religious one (Note 5) and an originally sports event that has almost turned into a national dispute (Note 6). The paper shall mainly deal with two linguistic tools used for the disqualification of others as members of a given group; the use of particular lexemes that imply rather than state that the 'other' is some sort of 'infidel' or 'traitor', and the resort to direct quotations from and allusions to decontextualized religious texts that would virtually entail the condemnation of the 'other' as an outcast.
MMP‐2 regulates rat ventral prostate development in vitro

We have hypothesized that epithelial growth, branching, and canalization in the rodent ventral prostate (VP) would require matrix remodeling, and hence matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of blocking MMP‐2, using whole organ culture. siRNA was employed to inhibit MMP‐2 expression, and this was compared to GM6001's (a broad‐spectrum MMP inhibitor) inhibition of general MMPs. These blocks impaired VP morphogenesis. MMP‐2 silencing reduced organ size, epithelial area, and the number of tips, as well as caused a dilation of the distal parts of the epithelium. Histology, 3‐D reconstruction, biochemistry, and second harmonic generation (SHG) revealed that MMP‐2 silencing affected VP architecture by interfering in epithelial cell proliferation, lumen formation, and cellular organization of both epithelium and stroma, besides intense accumulation of collagen fibers. These data suggest that MMP‐2 plays important roles in prostate growth, being directly involved with epithelial morphogenesis. Developmental Dynamics 239:737–746, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Rule Based Phonetic Search for Slavic Surnames

for indentifying a person, surname is natural identifier. There are different applications in Natural Language Processing among which we are considering searching of surname for databases of communications service providers, person registries, social networks or genealogy as a matching string of surname. This paper is about solution to searching algorithms for these databases. This paper defeats the issue of phonetic algorithm for Slovak and (regional) neighboring languages (Czech, Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, German, Hungarian, Jewish) surnames. This solution provides high precision and recall for searching surnames in these languages, with the help of phonetic search algorithm. The algorithm provides method for conducting search to find information related to imperfectly identified surname. Keywords— Phonetic Algorithms, Rules, Natural Language Processing
Wide-Bandgap-Based Power Devices: Reshaping the power electronics landscape

For the last few years, the virtues of power devices based on gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) technologies have been well promoted. Now, with the availability of qualified devices from multiple suppliers and falling prices due to the rise in production and the use of larger substrates, more designers are adopting widebandgap (WBG)-based power devices in their new designs to get to the next level of performance, while others are looking to replace the maturing silicon (Si) with more robust emerging technologies.
Retail logistics in the transition from multi-channel to omni-channel

Purpose – Online retailing changes all retail systems significantly. The growing importance of online sales requires the creation of new fulfillment models. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how retailers develop from separate multi-channel (MC) to integrated omni-channel (OC) fulfillment. OC retailing has an integrated perspective, with seamless interactions between online and bricks-and-mortar channels. Design/methodology/approach – More than 60 internationally active retailers and experts from Germany participated in an exploratory survey. With a response rate of 40 percent the authors achieved the goal to adequately depict the German MC and OC retail market. It is currently the largest empirical study of MC and OC fulfillment. Findings – It is the first study to comprehensively analyze the logistical development options open to retailers for integrated fulfillment. The authors discuss the conceptual development options and formulate propositions for an advanced OC fulfillment approach. OC re.
On Synchronous, Asynchronous, and Randomized Best-Response schemes for computing equilibria in Stochastic Nash games.

This work considers a stochastic Nash game in which each player solves a parameterized stochastic optimization problem. In deterministic regimes, best-response schemes have been shown to be convergent under a suitable spectral property associated with the proximal best-response map. However, a direct application of this scheme to stochastic settings requires obtaining exact solutions to stochastic optimization at each iteration. Instead, we propose an inexact generalization in which an inexact solution is computed via an increasing number of projected stochastic gradient steps. Based on this framework, we present three inexact best-response schemes: (i) First, we propose a synchronous scheme where all players simultaneously update their strategies; (ii) Subsequently, we extend this to a randomized setting where a subset of players is randomly chosen to their update strategies while the others keep their strategies invariant; (iii) Finally, we propose an asynchronous scheme, where each player determines its own update frequency and may use outdated rival-specific data in updating its strategy. Under a suitable contractive property of the proximal best-response map, we derive a.s. convergence of the iterates for (i) and (ii) and mean-convergence for (i) -- (iii). In addition, we show that for (i) -- (iii), the iterates converge to the unique equilibrium in mean at a prescribed linear rate. Finally, we establish the overall iteration complexity in terms of projected stochastic gradient steps for computing an $\epsilon-$Nash equilibrium and in all settings, the iteration complexity is ${\cal O}(1/\epsilon^{2(1+c) + \delta})$ where $c = 0$ in the context of (i) and represents the positive cost of randomization (in (ii)) and asynchronicity and delay (in (iii)). The schemes are further extended to linear and quadratic recourse-based stochastic Nash games.
Price Discovery of Index Futures across Markets

The trading of foreign index futures by the Singapore Exchange (SGX) offers an ideal opportunity to study price discovery and information of trading across different markets. We examine four popular indices - Nikkei 225 Index, MSCI Taiwan Index, CNX Nifty Index and the FTSE China A50 Index traded in SGX and compare them with their home market trading. In contrary to standard theory and evidence, we show that smaller bid-ask spread, lower minimum lots and cheaper transaction cost do not necessary improve information efficiency. These results may shed some light on the usefulness of the role of an international financial centre on the price discovery of foreign indices.
Power loss due to Corona on High Voltage Transmission Lines

The effect of corona on high-voltage transmission lines is one of the causes power loss and this is uneconomical and undesirable. The study of corona and factors responsible for the loss is investigated through sample calculation based on Peek's formula and the results are then simulated through matlab program. This paper presents the relations between power loss due to corona to corona parameters through matlab programs When in an insulation system, the voltage gradient (voltage stress) exceeds a critical voltage, the air molecules surrounding the high voltage transmission line conductors become ionized (transient gaseous ionization) resulting in partial discharges. Corona loss occurs if the line to line voltage exceeds the corona threshold. The conductive region is not high enough to cause electrical breakdown or arcing to any nearby objects (1). Corona can occur within voids of an insulator, at the conductor or at the insulator interface. Rough surfaces are more liable to corona because the unevenness of the surface decreases the value of the breakdown voltage. It can be detected due to its visible light in form of purple glow consisting of micro arcs and its sound can be heard through its hissing and cracking sound (2). The smelling of the presence of ozone production is noticed during corona activity (3). The effects of corona are cumulative and permanent and the failure can occur without warning. In insulation system, corona discharges result in voltage transients. The effects of corona associated with the operation of high voltage transmission lines include radio interference, audible noise, gaseous effluents (Ozone and Nitrogen oxide) and shock potential. Conductor voltage, diameter and shape, dusts, water drops, and surface irregularities such as scratches are factors that affect the performance and conductor's electrical surface gradients. The energy loss due to corona is transformed into sound, radio noise, chemical reactions of the air components and heat (4). Corona reduces the reliability of insulation system thereby degrading insulation and causes system failure due to dielectric breakdown. The study becomes necessary because of the prevailing negative effect of corona parameters on the power loss of high voltage transmission lines. The power loss under fair weather conditions and under stormy weather conditions when investigated, analyzed and simulated using matlab programs gives the results which help us to take necessary measures to minimize the power loss under fair and stormy weather conditions. High quality insulated and good service design underground high transmission cables can help to eliminate the loss due corona effect The advantage of corona is that the sound generated during corona activity can be used to build high accuracy audio speakers and also it has no mass to be moved to create the sound so that transient response is improved. The controlled corona discharge can be used for filtrations and printing.
Generic early-deciding techniques for Consensus

Two techniques for obtaining efficient agreement protocols are described. Firstly, Consensus frameworks, such as Lambda [7], allow one to easily construct latencyoptimal agreement protocols tailored to particular settings. Unlike Lambda, our framework consists of rounds that do not have to terminate and thus are easier to implement. It can also handle Byzantine failures. Our second technique presented exploits the Validity property of Consensus and we used it to design an atomic broadcast algorithm that is one communication step faster than any other known algorithm [13].