Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analyse spectrale et analyse semi-classique pour l'étude de la métastabilité en dynamique moléculaire

Dans cette these, nous etudions le comportement asymptotique precis a basse temperature de l’evenement de sortie d'un domaine metastable $Omegasubset mathbb R^d$ (point de sortie et temps de sortie) pour le processus de Langevin sur amorti. En pratique, le processus de Langevin sur amorti peut par exemple simuler l'evolution des positions des atomes d'une molecule ou la diffusion d'impuretes interstitielles dans un cristal. Nos resultats principaux concernent le comportement asymptotique precis de la distribution de la loi du point de sortie de $Omega$. Dans la limite d'une petite temperature, ces resultats permettent de justifier l'utilisation de la formule d'Eyring-Kramers pour modeliser les evenements de sortie de $Omega$. La loi d'Eyring-Kramers est par exemple utilisee pour calculer les taux de transition entre les etats d'un systeme dans un algorithme de Monte-Carlo cinetique afin de simuler efficacement les differents etats visites par le systeme. L'analyse repose de maniere essentielle sur la distribution quasi stationnaire associee au processus de Langevin sur amorti dans $Omega$. Nos preuves utilisent des outils d'analyse semi-classique. La these se decompose en trois chapitres independants. Le premier chapitre (redige en francais) est une introduction aux resultats obtenus. Les deux autres chapitres (redigees en anglais) sont consacres aux enonces mathematiques
The Effect of Blood Transfusions on the Rate of Anastomotic Leakage After Gastric Resections for Carcinoma

Experimental studies reported association between blood transfusion and impaired healing of intestinal anastomosis. To date no clinical study has addressed this issue in particular and this study was undertaken in order to assess to probable effects of blood component therapy on the rate of anastomotic leakage after gastric resections for carcinoma. Records of419 patients who had undergone curative gastric resections for carcinoma during a 10 year period were reviewed with special reference to the perioperative transfusion status. All variables that may have a probable role in anastomotic leakage were recorded. Statistical analysis was done by chi-square and stu­ dent t tests as appropriate. Simultaneous adjustment of the ef­ fects of all variables on leakage was done using multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis. Postoperative upper gas­ trointestinal contrast studies documented 20 leakages (4.7 per­ cent). Among all variables studied by multivariate analysis; perioperative blood transfusion, was found to be the only in­ dependent risk factor that is significantly associated with high­ er leakage rates (p<0.05). In conclusion; as the clinical con­ sequences of leakage are well known, surgeons can be advised to be more cautious when using blood products.
Evidence for Eurogondwana: the roles of dispersal, extinction and vicariance in the evolution and biogeography of Indo‐Pacific Hormuridae (Scorpiones: Scorpionoidea)

Scorpions previously assigned to the genus Liocheles Sundevall, 1883, of the family Hormuridae Laurie, 1896, are widely distributed in the tropical forests of the Indo‐Pacific region. Revisionary systematics of these poorly known scorpions has revealed a tremendous diversity of species. As part of an ongoing investigation, the first analysis of Indo‐Pacific hormurid scorpion phylogeny based on morphological data scored for all currently recognized species of Hormiops Fage, , Hormurus Thorell, 1876, and Liocheles, is presented. The taxonomy of these scorpions is reassessed and their biogeography reinterpreted in the light of the phylogeny. Phylogenetic, morphological, and distributional data support the revalidation of Hormiops and Hormurus, previously synonymized with Liocheles. The phylogeny indicates that the Australasian hormurids are more closely related to the Afrotropical and Neotropical hormurids than to the Indian hormurids, as previously proposed, refuting the “out‐of‐India” origin of Asian hormurids. A recent paleogeographical hypothesis, the “Eurogondwana model”, is supported instead. According to this hypothesis, hormurid scorpions colonized Laurasia from Africa via the Apulia microplate (Europa terrane) in the Cretaceous, subsequently colonized the Australo‐Papuan archipelago in the early‐mid Cenozoic, and then went extinct in the Northern Hemisphere during the second half of the Cenozoic. These results suggest that, contrary to the traditional paradigm, dispersal and extinction may affect spatial and temporal biotic distributions as much as vicariance, even in animals with limited vagility, such as scorpions.
Vitamin D and Bone Health Positive association between 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels and bone mineral density : A population-based study of younger and older adults

Q: What’s so exciting about vitamin D? A: The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has concluded that there appears to be a link between an individual’s vitamin D levels and the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Studies have also revealed that higher vitamin D levels are associated with a decreased incidence of other malignancies, including breast cancer.
HAPPINESS: Also known as ‘life-satisfaction’ and ‘subjective well-being’

Happiness is a main goal, most individuals reach out for a happy life and many policy makers aim at greater happiness for a greater number. This pursuit of happiness calls for understanding of conditions for happiness and for that reason the subject has received much attention in the history of western thought. The study of happiness has long been a playground for philosophical speculation. By lack of empirical measures of happiness, it was not possible to check propositions about the matter. Hence, understanding of happiness remained speculative and uncertain. During the last decades, survey-research methods introduced by the social sciences have brought a break-through. Dependable measures of happiness have developed, by means of which a significant body of knowledge has evolved. This chapter presents an account of this field. The literature on happiness can be framed within some key-questions that can be ordered as steps in the process for creating greater happiness for a greater number. 1) What is happiness precisely? 2) Can happiness be measured? 3) How happy are people presently? 4) What causes us to be happy or unhappy? 5) Can happiness be raised lastingly?
A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Structured Teaching Program regarding Knowledge on Non-Communicable Diseases among Class IV Workers

: Non communicable disease is the killer disease”Non communicable disease is a medical condition or disease that can defined as non infectious and non transmissible among people. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of planned teaching programme on knowledge regarding knowledge on non communicable diseases among class IV workers of KLE Institute, Ankola. Problem Statement: “A study to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching program regarding knowledge on non communicable diseases among class IV workers of KLE Institute, Ankola. ” Objectives: To assess the level of knowledge regarding non communicable diseases among class IV workers KLE‟S Institute Ankola. To associate pre test level of knowledge regarding non communicable diseases among class IV workers with demographic variable in KLE‟S Institute Ankola. To assess the effectiveness of structured teaching programme regarding knowledge on non communicable diseases among class IV workers. To associate the post test level of knowledge of class IV workers regarding non-communicable diseases with demographic variable in KLE‟S Institute Ankola. Research Methodology: Research approach : An evaluative approach, Research design : One group pre test, post test design, Research setting : K.L. E‟ Institute, Ankola, Population : Class IV workers of KLE‟S Institute, Ankola, Sample size : 30 workers, Sampling technique : Purposive sampling technique, Tool : Structured questionnaire. Result: The paired „t‟ test established at 0.05 level of significance revealed that mean post test knowledge score of the sample is significantly higher than their mean pre-test knowledge score which signifies that calculated value is greater than the table value. Conclusion: The overall findings of the study revealed that there was a significant increase in knowledge level of class IV workers after administration of structured teaching regarding NCDs. The knowledge regarding NCDs, introduction, types, cause, investigation, treatment and prevention regarding NCDs which rose after the structured teaching.
Endogenous tidal and semilunar moulting rhythms in early juvenile shore crabs Carcinus maenas : implications for adaptation to a high intertidal habitat

Newly recruited early juveniles of the shore crab Carcinus maenas in North Wales are most abundant on the high intertidal of gravelly shores and, unlike adults, they do not undertake up-and-down shore migration with tides. Freshly collected first and second instar juvenile crabs showed persistent circatidal rhythms of moulting when maintained in constant laboratory conditions. Peaks of moulting occurred around expected times of high tides, with few crabs moulting at other times. The circatidal moulting patterns were similar in crabs collected at different stages of the neap-spring cycle. Daily monitoring of moulting in the laboratory of 23 batches of early crabs, collected from the high intertidal at 1 to 3 d intervals over 2 spring-neap cycles, further showed a marked circasemilunar moulting pattern superimposed on the tidal moulting rhythms. Significantly more crabs moulted within 24 h after collection when collected during spring tides than when collected at neaps. Moreover, the daily percentage moulting of the crabs on consecutive days after collection clearly followed the trend of predicted tidal height changes. Crabs collected on days of increasing tidal amplitude showed increasing moulting rates on the days after collection, whilst a decreasing trend of daily moulting rate was found if they were collected on days of decreasing tidal amplitude. For crabs collected at minimum neaps, when water did not reach the high intertidal even at high tides, virtually no moulting took place on the following days. Moulting at high tide, particularly during spring high tides, appears to be an adaptation to a high intertidal habitat which is only inundated at certain times during semilunar and tidal cycles. For C. maenas early juveniles, which remain in the high intertidal even when tides recede, anticipation of the rising and falling of tides through endogenous physiological programming to avoid ecdysis at the time exposed to air has clear adaptive value. The coupling of circatidal and circasemilunar moulting rhythms, and their endogenous control, reported in the present study appears to be the first demonstration of such a phenomenon in a crustacean.
Vehicle Re-identification in Camera Networks : A Review and New Perspectives

Vehicle re-identification aims to establish a match of the same vehicle in traffic-scenes over different cameras. Moving vehicle often changes appearance when located at different physical locations or regions duo to the lighting and angle of view variations. This paper provides a survey of the recent progress in the literature of vehicle reidentification in camera networks. The survey highlights the most recent approaches used to establish the correspondence between different video sequences provided by different cameras. The vehicles reidentification stills not a well investigated issue compared to the person re-identification. Several key issues still uncovered in the literature are wellcovered. The paper points to several promoting directions for future research. Keywords— Vehicle re-identification; field-of-view; Vehicle detection; styling; insert (key words)
Chitosan and Its Modifications: Are They Possible Vehicles for Gene Therapy?

[Extract] In gene therapy, the most important step is how to effectively deliver the therapeutic gene to the target cells or organ. At present, there are two methods, which are those using a viral and a non-viral vector system. The most common viral vectors that have been used include retroviruses, herpes simplex viruses, lentiviruses, adenoviruses and adeno-associated viruses (Oligino et al., 2000). The advantages of most viral vectors are high transfection efficiency and fast transcription of the foreign material inserted in the viral genome. However, a number of disadvantages have also been described, such as poor target-specificity, low capacity to incorporate foreign deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence to their genome (Mansouri et al., 2004), toxic and inflammatory effects, wild– type mutations, potential oncogenic effects (Lee et al., 1998), and, in particular, unwanted immune responses. In clinical trials of gene replacement therapy using viral vectors, significant adverse effects have been reported, including a fatal inflammatory response associated with adenoviral vector (Raper et al., 2003), and the development of acute leukaemia in recipients of ex-vivo, adenoviral vector-transduced hematopoietic cells (Woods et al., 2006). Intravenous adenoviral vector has also resulted in high liver toxicity due to uptake by hepatocytes or Kupffer cells of the liver reticular endothelial system, immediately following systemic administration.
Chinese EFL Teachers’ Cognition about the Effectiveness of Genre Pedagogy: A Case Study

Developing students’ communicative competence became the primary goal of the current College English Curriculum Requirements in 2004 in China. There has been increasing concern, however, that this goal has yet to be realized, particularly in relation to the teaching of writing. This study investigated the potential of a Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL-) informed genre approach to enhance Chinese students’ communicative competence in writing. As teachers’ beliefs have a strong impact on the effectiveness of their teaching practice (Borg, 2003), the study examined six Chinese College English teachers’ shifts in their beliefs and practices after attending a training workshop in the genre-based approach to writing development. Using pre- and post- workshop interviews and classroom observations and drawing on the analytical frameworks of teacher cognition (Borg, 2003), teacher knowledge (Shulman, 1986) and interactional scaffolding (Hammond and Gibbon, 2005), the study found that professional training in SFL genre pedagogy had a positive impact on teachers’ cognition about writing instruction, albeit with one notable constraint; the teachers paid only partial attention to the social purpose of the targeted genre, thus limiting the successful implementation of the pedagogy to a certain extent.
Evaluation of Food Lures for Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) Captured in a Citrus Orchard of the Serra Gaúcha

Abstract The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of 5 food lures for fruit fly monitoring in citrus orchards in the municipality of Pinto Bandeira, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, from Nov 2012 to Oct 2013. Food lures included: 1) CeraTrap™ (undiluted), 2) Torula™ (6 tablets of 3 g/L), 3) BioAnastrepha (5%), 4) 10% corn syrup, and 5) 25% red grape juice (control). The lures were replaced weekly with the exception of CeraTrap™, which was replaced every 45 d. McPhail traps were baited with 300 mL of each food lure, and the traps were placed 10 m apart at the edge of the orchard. Traps were rotated weekly to prevent any bias in treatment location. Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) was the species with the greatest mean number of fruit fly adults per trap per day (FTD), with 7.8, 2.8, 2.6, 1.7, and 0.9 FTD for the food lures CeraTrap™, Torula™, BioAnastrepha, corn syrup, and grape juice, respectively. CeraTrap™ lured A. fraterculus in amounts above the economic threshold (0.5 FTD) over 73% of the study period, whereas Torula™, BioAnastrepha, corn syrup, and grape juice lured A. fraterculus in amounts above the control level for 28, 20, 11, and 6% of the study period, respectively. Thus, the hydrolyzed protein CeraTrap™ showed the highest efficacy for fruit fly monitoring in the citrus orchard.
Postsecondary Research and Recommendations for Federal Datasets With American Indians and Alaska Natives: Challenges and Future Directions

Abstract:This article discusses methodological strengths and limitations of federally managed postsecondary data with American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) college student populations. To support understanding, we define fundamental research and measurement validity concepts associated with credible quantitative research. The validity concepts are then applied to dominant culture and AI/AN postsecondary persistence theories. Challenges of conducting scientifically valid research with AI/AN populations using large federally available datasets are considered within the described research and measurement validity frameworks. Our critique focuses on vital needs for culturally relevant constructs and AI/AN subpopulation-specific studies. Our discussion concludes with implications and policy recommendations for postsecondary research with AIs/ANs.
A DISTANCE-WEIGHTED GRAPH-CUT METHOD FOR THE SEGMENTATION OF LASER POINT CLOUDS

Abstract. Normalized Cut according to (Shi and Malik 2000) is a well-established divisive image segmentation method. Here we use Normalized Cut for the segmentation of laser point clouds in urban areas. In particular we propose an edge weight measure which takes local plane parameters, RGB values and eigenvalues of the covariance matrices of the local point distribution into account. Due to its target function, Normalized Cut favours cuts with “small cut lines/surfaces”, which appears to be a drawback for our application. We therefore modify the target function, weighting the similarity measures with distant-depending weights. We call the induced minimization problem “Distance-weighted Cut” (DWCut). The new target function leads to a slightly more complicated generalized eigenvalue problem than in case of the Normalized Cut; on the other hand, the new target function is easier to interpret and avoids the just-mentioned drawback. DWCut can be beneficially combined with an aggregation in order to reduce the computational effort and to avoid shortcomings due to insufficient plane parameters. Finally we present examples for the successful application of the Distance-weighted Cut principle. The method was implemented as a plugin into the free and open source geographic information system SAGA; for preprocessing steps the proprietary SAGA-based LiDAR software LIS was applied.
Stimulative Effects of Ascorbic Acid, Thiamin or Pyridoxine on Vicia faba Growth and Some Related Metabolic Activities

Soaking of bean seeds in 100 ppm ascorbic acid, thiamin or pyridoxine induced a stimulation effect on germination. Also, soaking of seeds or spraying of bean seedlings (25 day old) with 100 ppm of each of these vitamins, stimulated fresh and dry weight, biosynthesis of photosynthetic pigment fractions and net photosynthetic rate. However, these treatments did not induce a considerable change in dark respiration.
CONSTRAINTS ON THE EMISSION GEOMETRIES AND SPIN EVOLUTION OF GAMMA-RAY MILLISECOND PULSARS

Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are a growing class of gamma-ray emitters. Pulsed gamma-ray signals have been detected from more than 40 MSPs with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). The wider radio beams and more compact magnetospheres of MSPs enable studies of emission geometries over a broader range of phase space than non-recycled radio-loud gamma-ray pulsars. We have modeled the gamma-ray light curves of 40 LAT-detected MSPs using geometric emission models assuming a vacuum retarded-dipole magnetic field. We modeled the radio profiles using a single-altitude hollow-cone beam, with a core component when indicated by polarimetry; however, for MSPs with gamma-ray and radio light curve peaks occurring at nearly the same rotational phase, we assume that the radio emission is co-located with the gamma rays and caustic in nature. The best-fit parameters and confidence intervals are determined using a maximum likelihood technique. We divide the light curves into three model classes, with gamma-ray peaks trailing (Class I), aligned (Class II), or leading (Class III) the radio peaks. Outer gap and slot gap (two-pole caustic) models best fit roughly equal numbers of Class I and II, while Class III are exclusively fit with pair-starved polar cap models. Distinguishing between the model classes based on typical derived parameters is difficult. We explore the evolution of the magnetic inclination angle with period and spin-down power, finding possible correlations. While the presence of significant off-peak emission can often be used as a discriminator between outer gap and slot gap models, a hybrid model may be needed.
Toward a service web: integrating the Semantic Web and service orientation

By a variety of metrics, the Semantic Web is doing very well. For example, the 2006 Gartner report included the “Corporate Semantic Web” as one of three key technology themes, and in 2007, Tim Berners-Lee briefed a hearing of the US Congress subcommittee on the topic. The current state of the Semantic Web is said to be comparable with that of the early days of the Web. Until very recently, growth has been linear, but signs of exponential growth are beginning to emerge. Given this promising situation, we should ask ourselves where and how we expect the Semantic Web to continue to grow in the near- to mid-term future. Our view is that the Semantic Web will come to the fore through a comprehensive integration with service orientation. In particular, we envisage that the combination of Semantic Web and SOAs will lead to the creation of a “service Web”—a Web where billions of parties are exposing and consuming billions services seamlessly and transparently and where all types of stakeholders, from large enterprises to SMEs and singleton end users, engage as peers consuming and providing services within a network of equals.
Estimating the concentration of aluminum‐substituted hematite and goethite using diffuse reflectance spectrometry and rock magnetism: Feasibility and limitations

Hematite and goethite in soils are often aluminum (Al) substituted, which can dramatically change their reflectance and magnetic properties and bias abundance estimates using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and magnetic techniques. In this study, synthetic Al‐substituted hematites and goethites and two Chinese loess/paleosol sequences were investigated to test the feasibility and limitations of estimating Al‐hematite and Al‐goethite concentration. When Al substitution is limited (Al/(Al + Fe) molar ratio < ~8%), the reflectance spectrum provides a reliable estimate of the goethite/hematite concentration ratio. New empirical relationships between the DRS band intensity ratio and the true concentration goethite/hematite ratio are estimated as goethite/hematite = 1.56 × (I425 nm/I535 nm) or goethite/hematite = 6.32 × (I480 nm/I535 nm), where I425 nm, I480 nm, and I535 nm are the amplitudes of DRS second‐derivative curves for characteristic bands at ~425 nm, ~480 nm, and ~535 nm, respectively. High Al substitution (> ~8%) reduces DRS band intensity, which leads to biased estimates of mineral concentration. Al substitution and grain size exert a control on coercivity distributions of hematite and goethite and, thus, affect the hard isothermal remanent magnetization. By integrating DRS and magnetic methods, we suggest a way to constrain hematite and goethite Al substitution in natural loess. Results indicate that hematite and goethite in Chinese loess have Al contents lower than ~8% and, thus, that DRS can be used to trace hematite and goethite concentration variations.