Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electronic structure of amorphous indium oxide transparent conductors

Received 19 May 2009; revised manuscript received 6 August 2009; published 28 September 2009 Using empirical atomistic simulations and density functional theory DFT, we examine the atomic and electronic structure of pure- and tin-doped indium oxide in various degrees of amorphisation. Atomic structures ranging from maximally amorphous within fixed periodic boundary conditions to fully crystalline are prepared using liquid-quench molecular dynamics simulations in which the cooling/quench rate is the governing parameter. The final structures are reoptimized using DFT and the electronic structure band gaps and carrier effective masses are compared to the crystalline material. We find that the conduction bands of In2O3 are quite resilient in several aspects to changes in the atomic structure. This suggests that local coordination geometries around indium and oxygen are less critical to transparent conductivity than previously thought.
New Techniques in Clausal Form Generation

In automated reasoning it is common that first-order formulas need to be translated into clausal normal form for proof search. The structure of this normal form can have a large impact on the performance of first-order theorem provers, influencing whether a proof can be found and how quickly. It is common folklore that transformations should ideally minimise both the size of the generated clause set and extensions to the signature. This paper introduces a new top-down approach to clausal form generation for first-order formulas that aims to achieve this goal in a new way. The main advantage of this approach over existing bottom-up techniques is that more contextual information is available at points where decisions such as subformula-naming and Skolemisation occur. Experimental results show that our implementation of the transformation in Vampire can lead to clausal forms which are smaller and better suited to proof search.
Detection of pathologic prion protein in the olfactory epithelium in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

BACKGROUND Olfactory cortexes and the olfactory tracts are involved in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. We examined peripheral regions of the olfactory sensory pathway, including the olfactory mucosa, to assess whether pathologic infectious prion protein (PrPSc) is deposited in the epithelium lining the nasal cavity. METHODS We studied nine patients with neuropathologically confirmed sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. We obtained the brain, the cribriform plate with the attached olfactory mucosa, and the surrounding respiratory epithelium at autopsy. Control samples of nasal mucosa were obtained post mortem or at biopsy from age-matched control subjects and from control patients with other neurodegenerative diseases. The olfactory and respiratory mucosa and the intracranial olfactory system were analyzed by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting for pathological changes and for deposition of PrPSc. RESULTS In all nine patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, PrPSc was found in the olfactory cilia and central olfactory pathway but not in the respiratory mucosa. No PrPSc was detected in any of the tissue samples from the 11 controls. CONCLUSIONS Our pathological and biochemical studies show that PrPSc is deposited in the neuroepithelium of the olfactory mucosa in patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, indicating that olfactory biopsy may provide diagnostic information in living patients. The olfactory pathway may represent a route of infection and a means of spreading prions.
Adaptive fuzzy control of MIMO dynamical systems using differential flatness theory

The paper proposes adaptive fuzzy control for uncertain MIMO nonlinear dynamical systems using the differential flatness theory. Through the considered control scheme the paper defines an extended class of systems in which indirect adaptive fuzzy control can be applied. Nonlinear systems satisfying the differential flatness property can be written in the Brunovsky form via a transformation of their state variables and control inputs. The resulting control signal is shown to contain nonlinear elements, which in case of unknown system parameters can be calculated using neuro-fuzzy approximators. Using Lyapunov stability analysis it is shown that one can compute an adaptation law for the neuro-fuzzy approximators which assures stability of the closed loop. The performance of the proposed flatness-based adaptive fuzzy control scheme is tested through simulation experiments on the MIMO model of a robotic manipulator.
Junctional epithelium in rats is characterized by slow cell proliferation.

BACKGROUND The integrity of junctional epithelium (JE) and a firm epithelial adhesion to the tooth surface are maintained by the balance between cell proliferation and cell death. Maintaining the JE structure is essential for the protection of periodontal connective tissues against oral microbes. In this study, the proliferative activity and the expression of caspase 3, a cysteine protease associated with cell death, were studied in rat JE and other epithelial structures during molar tooth development. METHODS Fourteen rats aged 10 to 70 days were injected with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Samples of first and second molars were selected for immunohistochemical staining. BrdU incorporation was studied in oral epithelium (OE) covering the erupting tooth, reduced enamel epithelium (REE), and gingival epithelium (GE), sulcular epithelium (SE), and JE. Samples were also subjected to immunohistochemical analysis for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and caspase 3. RESULTS The basal cells of the GE were actively proliferating, but in the JE, only a few cells were positive for BrdU or PCNA immunostaining. Some outer REE cells were proliferating during tooth eruption. Caspase 3 expression was in specific areas of REE after completion of amelogenesis. CONCLUSIONS Results showed slow proliferative activity in the rat JE. However, specific studies on cellular turnover and cell migration are needed to understand tissue homeostasis in this area.
Leukocyte depletion for safe blood transfusion

Leukocytes have ability to distinguish between self cells (body own cells) and foreign (allogenic) cells on the basis of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) proteins that are present on the cell membrane and are effectively unique to a person. During allogenic blood transfusion a person receives large number of allogenic donor leukocytes and these are recognized as foreign cells by the recipient immune system which leads to several adverse reactions. To avoid such leukocyte‐mediated adverse reactions leukodepleted blood transfusion is required. Leukocytes can be separated on the basis of size, dielectric properties, by affinity separation, freeze‐thawing and centrifugation but all these methods are time consuming and costly. Filtration is another method for leukocyte depletion that is comparatively less expensive and more efficient as it gives more than 90% leukodepletion of blood along with minimal cell loss. However, present filtration procedures also have some limitations as they work efficiently with blood components but not with whole blood and show non‐specific adhesion of large number of platelets and red blood cells along with leukocytes. All the currently available filters are costly, which has been a major reason for their limited application. Therefore, demand for a more efficient and cost‐effective filter is high in medical community and scientists are attenpting to improve the efficiency of currently available filters. The present review gives an overview of the significance of leukodepleted blood transfusion and focuses on different methods for leukocyte depletion and challenges involved in all these technologies.
Antioxidant capacity of small dark fruits: Influence of cultivars and harvest time

BACKGROUND: Small dark fruits represent one of the most important sources of bioactive compounds with antioxidant capacity in the human diet. The content of health-promoting antioxidants in these fruits may be important information to take into account when a fruit producer has to choose which cultivar to grow. OBJECTIVE: It is important to know how antioxidant capacity and antioxidant compounds as total phenolics and ascorbic acid vary between 9 small dark fruit species and for each species among cultivars (2 to 10 per species). METHODS: The antioxidant capacity (ORAC assay), total phenolic (Folin-Ciocalteu) and ascorbic acid content were measured in 9 fruits (plums, blackcurrants, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, redcurrants, raspberries, white currants and gooseberries) / 42 cultivars harvested at maturity during their high production period. RESULTS: The comparison of the average of the various cultivars of each small fruits showed that blackcurrants had the best antioxidant capacity (with plums), the highest ascorbic acid content and the highest total phenolic content (with blackberries). The present study shows that total phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid and antioxidant capacity strongly differed between genotypes of each small dark fruits. Other parameters as harvest time, culture conditions and maturity degree at the harvest may also influence the antioxidant capacity of small fruits. CONCLUSIONS: Among small dark fruits, blackcurrants have high qualities. Choices of variety, harvest time and maturity degree are important for all fruits.
Mid-Infrared IRS Spectroscopy of NGC 7331: A First Look at the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS) Legacy

The nearby spiral galaxy NGC 7331 was spectrally mapped from 5 to 38 μm using all modules of Spitzer's Infrared Spectrograph (IRS). A strong new dust emission feature, presumed due to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, was discovered at 17.1 μm. The feature's intensity is nearly half that of the ubiquitous 11.3 μm band. The 7-14 μm spectral maps revealed significant variation in the 7.7 and 11.3 μm PAH features between the stellar ring and nucleus. Weak [O IV] 25.9 μm line emission was found to be centrally concentrated in the nucleus, with an observed strength of over 10% of the combined neon line flux, indicating an AGN or unusually active massive star photoionization. Two [S III] lines fix the characteristic electron density in the H II regions at ne ≲ 200 cm-3. Three detected H2 rotational lines, tracing warm molecular gas, together with the observed IR continuum, are difficult to match with standard photodissociation region (PDR) models. Either additional PDR heating or shocks are required to simultaneously match lines and continuum.
A Model for Problem Solving in Discrete Trial Training for Children with Autism.

Discrete trial training (DTT) is a well-established intervention for teaching skills to children with autism; however, few published guidelines are available for determining whether a child’s rate of learning a particular skill is satisfactory and, if not, what to do. We assert that progress within 8-10 teaching sessions usually is evidence of satisfactory skill acquisition, whereas absence of progress within this time frame indicates a need to consider modifying or stopping instruction of that skill. Absence of progress may involve (a) consistently low rates of correct responding, (b) variable performance across sessions, (c) increases in problem behavior (often in conjunction with low or variable rates of correct responding), or (d) limited generalization of the skill outside intervention. Likely reasons for each of these patterns are described, and decision flowcharts for identifying possible solutions are outlined. When implemented with supervision from a qualified professional, these flowcharts may facilitate systematic problem solving.
PREDICTIVE VALUE OF ANTEPARTUM FETAL HEART RATE NON‐STRESS TEST IN HIGH‐RISK PREGNANCY

Abstract. For antepartum evaluation of high‐risk pregnancies the non‐stress test (NST) was performed in order to predict favorable or adverse fetal outcome. Between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 1980, 4078 NSTs were performed on 454 women with high‐risk pregnancies. The NSTs were evaluated for pathology by a CTG pathology score. The NST interpretation were normal 95%, slight pathological 4% and severe pathological 1%. The group of women in whom all NST results were normal gave birth to healthy babies. In tact with an increasing number of pathologica‐NSTs and with worsening CTG pathology score, a significant increase was found for cesarean section rate, acute operative delivery, low Apgar score, low umbilical cord artery pH and infants born small for gestational age or clinically dysmature. The frequence of perinatal morbidity was almost the same, irrespective of whether the NSTs showed accelarations or not on one or more occasions. To identify fetuses suffering from retarded intra‐uterine growth the predictive value of normal NST was 97.3% and the predictive value of pathological NST was 34.8%. To identify perinatal morbidity the predictive values were 87.4% and 55.1% respectively. The NST appears to be a realiable test for antepartum assessment of fetal well‐being in high‐risk pregnancies.
Membrane Fluidity and Temperature Perception

Plants are incapable of escaping from a changing environment. Therefore, they have developed sophisticated mechanisms for acclimation and survival under unfavorable conditions, such as unfavorable temperatures. Low temperatures induce a number of alterations in cellular components, including the extent of fatty acid unsaturation (Cossins, 1994), the composition of glycerolipids (Lynch and Thompson, 1982), the positional redistribution of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids within lipid molecules (Thompson and Nozawa, 1984), changes in the protein composition (Raison, 1973; Tiku et al., 1996), and activation of ion channels (Knight et al., 1996). Low temperatures activate a number of cold-inducible genes (Jones and Inouye, 1994), such as those that encode dehydrins, lipid transfer proteins, translation elongation factors, and the late-embryogenesis-abundant proteins (for refs., see Nishida and Murata, 1996). Despite extensive research on the mechanisms that regulate the expression of such temperature-induced genes, little is known about the primary sensor that detects a change in temperature or about the transducers of the temperature signal. In this Update, we focus on the role of biological membranes in the perception of cold temperatures and the subsequent signal transduction.
Extensive Allelic Variation among Francisella tularensis Strains in a Short-Sequence Tandem Repeat Region

ABSTRACT Members of the genus Francisella and the speciesF. tularensis appear to be genetically very similar despite pronounced differences in virulence and geographic localization, and currently used typing methods do not allow discrimination of individual strains. Here we show that a number of short-sequence tandem repeat (SSTR) loci are present in F. tularensis genomes and that two of these loci, SSTR9 and SSTR16, are together highly discriminatory. Labeled PCR amplification products from the loci were identified by an automated DNA sequencer for size determination, and each allelic variant was sequenced. Simpson's index of diversity was 0.97 based on an analysis of 39 nonrelated F. tularensisisolates. The locus showing the highest discrimination, SSTR9, gave an index of diversity of 0.95. Thirty-two strains isolated from humans during five outbreaks of tularemia showed much less variation. For example, 11 of 12 strains isolated in the Ljusdal area, Sweden in 1995 and 1998 had identical allelic variants. Phenotypic variants of strains and extensively cultured replicates within strains did not differ, and, for example, the same allelic combination was present in 55 isolates of the live-vaccine strain of F. tularensis and another one was present in all 13 isolates of a strain passaged in animals. The analysis of short-sequence repeats of F. tularensis strains appears to be a powerful tool for discrimination of individual strains and may be useful for a detailed analysis of the epidemiology of this potent pathogen.
Curriculum design and program to train older adults to use personal digital assistants.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to demonstrate that many older adults can share in the potential benefits of using a personal digital assistant (PDA), including using the device as a memory aid for addresses and appointments, to improve medication adherence, and as a useful organizational tool and communication device. DESIGN AND METHODS A curriculum, designed specifically for older adults, was developed that provided the necessary information and practice to use the technology. The degree to which the curriculum improved user skills was measured by testing participants on basic and advanced features of each of the standard PDA programs. RESULTS Participants were successful in using the technology and indicated satisfaction with the medication-reminder program specifically designed to accommodate the needs of older adults. IMPLICATIONS The PDA, supported with well-designed software and well-executed training, can provide unique benefits to older adults.
Evaluation des enfants nouvellement arrivés en France : évaluer des enfants non francophones, allophones et/ou plurilingues ?

Depuis une trentaine d'annees, la notion de francais langue seconde s'est progressivement institutionnalisee (Cordier-Gauthier et Dion 2007) et construite en tant que concept, ce qui se manifeste entre autres par la multiplication des travaux dans ce domaine, notamment depuis la fin des annees 90 (Chiss 2006, Chiss (dir.) 2008, Verdelhan-Bourgade 2007, entre autres). Cependant, si on considere ces parutions recentes, l'evaluation y est encore peu abordee en tant que thematique de recherche, alors que des enjeux forts se nouent a ce niveau. En effet, les evaluations, notamment diagnostiques et certificatives, ont une place importante dans les dispositifs d'accueil des migrants 1 et jouent de ce fait un role non negligeable dans les dynamiques d'insertion sociale et scolaire / professionnelle des personnes concernees. Par ailleurs, l'evaluation, quelle que soit sa fonction, se fonde sur des referentiels, plus ou moins explicites et explicites, qui ont pour but de distinguer/separer ce qui est acceptable et ce qui ne l'est pas. Dans ce sens, ces referentiels constituent un filtre au travers duquel l'evaluateur apprehende la performance de la personne evaluee. Apres avoir brievement presente la place et le role de l'evaluation dans le cadre plus general des dispositifs d'accueil pour les migrants, j'analyserai quelques activites et referentiels d'evaluation diagnostique utilises pour orienter les enfants nouvellement arrives (desormais ENA) au debut de leur parcours scolaire en France. J'interrogerai plus particulierement les fondements methodologiques et epistemologiques de ces outils, ainsi que la maniere dont la construction des activites et des referentiels d'evaluation font emerger, visibilisent, voire contribuent a renforcer, des representations sur les enfants nouvellement arrives, leurs competences et leurs parcours.
Las tecnologías en el mejoramiento de los procesos educativos en la Educación Superior en América Latina

Con el desarrollo de las nuevas tecnologias de la educacion y comunicacion se edifica uno de los elementos centrales para entender y analizar las transformaciones en areas economicas, culturales, politicas y sociales, en las ultimas decadas. Los cambios que provocan las innovaciones tecnologicas en la sociedad y su cultura, generan aun controversia. Sin embargo esta problematica tiene mas importancia en el ambito educativo, en donde se generan concepciones sobre las reformas que el ambito educacional debe enfrentar para que exista calidad en los procesos de ensenanza -aprendizaje. La implementacion de nuevas tecnologias en el area educativa juega un rol de suma importancia en la transformacion social en cuanto al sistema educativo al que acceden. Por lo que se realizara un estudio de la incidencia de las nuevas tecnologias en las aulas y los efectos que estos presentan. El desarrollo acelerado de las nuevas tecnologias genera que el proceso de ensenanza que los docentes poseen no sea la mas adecuada y actualizada puesto que los estudiantes deben aprender ya no con la educacion tradicional sino mas bien con la implementacion de instrumentos tecnologicos que abandonen el conocimiento monopolizado, y se generen nuevos conocimientos fueras de las aulas. A nivel de Latinoamerica existen 243 instituciones de educacion superior y del total de estas instituciones contempladas en formato virtual el (138) de instituciones privadas, predominan sobre los 105 publicas.
Práctica variable frente habilidades cerradas, en la precisión de golpeo de balón en el fútbol, una caracterización en niños de escuela primaria

espanolLa presente investigacion tiene como objetivo analizar el efecto de la variabilidad sobre la precision de un pase de futbol. En este estudio han participado 10 ninos de la escuela primaria “Gorgonio Avalos T.M. ” con un promedio edades de 11 y 12 anos y con poca experiencia sobre todo las ninas con relacion a la actividad realizada. Los sujetos fueron sometidos a dos condiciones de practica diferente (en variabilidad y en especificidad). Los resultados han mostrado que la practica cerrada es mas efectiva para generar mayor precision en los pases cuando se trabaja en periodos cortos de tiempo (4.8 ± 1.79), comparando con las ejecuciones en variabilidad de movil fue de (3.70±1.76) y variabilidad de gesto motor (3.41±1.75). Se concluye que la practica repetitiva es mas efectiva si se quiere desarrollar un aprendizaje a corto plazo. Sin embargo, se debe de considerar las limitaciones de este tipo de practica con relacion a la poca reflexion y adaptacion que genera. EnglishThe research aims to analyze the effect of variability on the accuracy of a soccer pass. In this study, 10 children from the elementary school “Gorgonio Avalos T.M. ” participated, with an average age of 11 and 12 years old and with scant experience, especially girls in relation to the activity performed. Subjects were submitted to two different practice conditions (in variability and specificity). The results have shown that closed practice is more effective to generate greater accuracy in the passes when working in short periods of time (4.8 ± 1.79), compared with the performances in mobile variability was (3.70 ± 1.76) and motor gesture variability (3.41 ± 1.75). It is concluded that repetitive practice is more effective as required to develop a short term learning. However, the limitations of this type of practice should be considered in relation to the scant reflection and adaptation that it generates.