Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Near-Field Investigations of the Landers Earthquake Sequence, April to July 1992

The Landers earthquake, which had a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.3, was the largest earthquake to strike the contiguous United States in 40 years. This earthquake resulted from the rupture of five major and many minor right-lateral faults near the southern end of the eastern California shear zone, just north of the San Andreas fault. Its Mw 6.1 preshock and Mw 6.2 aftershock had their own aftershocks and foreshocks. Surficial geological observations are consistent with local and far-field seismologic observations of the earthquake. Large surficial offsets (as great as 6 meters) and a relatively short rupture length (85 kilometers) are consistent with seismological calculations of a high stress drop (200 bars), which is in turn consistent with an apparently long recurrence interval for these faults.
Accuracy of template-based dental implant placement.

PURPOSE The accuracy of a system for image-guided dental implant planning and placement based on individually fabricated oral templates was investigated in a phantom study. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was performed on identical phantoms of a partially edentulous mandible. In one phantom mandible (the master model), pilot boreholes for dental implants were placed. Computerized tomography image data were then acquired. Using a system for template-based dental implant placement, identical boreholes were planned on the image data and then reproduced in the 10 remaining phantom mandibles (the "slave" models). The resulting positions were compared to the positions in the master model using a three-dimensional digitizer arm. RESULTS The mean deviation of borehole apex positions in the slave phantoms, as compared to the master phantom, was 0.50+/-0.04 mm and was below 1 mm in 29 of 30 models. The accuracy was highly reproducible, irrespective of the template used and the surgeon involved. CONCLUSIONS The use of templates for image-guided insertion of dental implants is a method with high and reproducible accuracy.
Embryonal carcinoma cell lines stably transfected with mRARbeta2-lacZ: sensitive system for measuring levels of active retinoids.

Embryonal carcinoma cell lines (F9 EC and P19 EC) were stably transfected with 1.8 kb promoter sequence of RARbeta2 coupled to the lacZ gene as a system for measuring active retinoids. These stable transfectants, designated F9-1.8 and P19-1.8, were used as reporter cell lines to investigate different retinoids for their ability to activate the reporter gene. F9-1.8 cells showed similar EC(50) values for the acidic retinoids all-trans retinoic acid (RA), 4-oxo RA, 9-cis RA, and 13-cis RA, in the range of 1-7 nM, while P19-1.8 cells were less sensitive. Retinal showed decreased activity compared to the RA isomers in both lines. However, P19-1.8 cells hardly showed beta-gal activity after treatment with retinol, while the lacZ reporter in F9-1.8 cells was still inducible by this retinoid. In addition, the reporter system was used to investigate RA metabolism and its inhibition by P450 inhibitors. A combination of RA and liarozole showed a 10 times greater induction of the RARbeta2-lacZ reporter in P19-1.8 cells, but not in F9-1.8 cells. The EC(50) value for 4-oxo RA, however, was not altered, indicating that metabolic conversion of RA to 4-oxo RA is the target for inhibition by liarozole in P19-1.8 cells. HPLC analysis revealed nearly complete inhibition of RA metabolism after liarozole treatment in P19-1.8 cells, resulting in higher levels of RA. Finally, the F9-1.8 cells were used to detect active retinoids during different stages of chick limb bud development, demonstrating that it is the limb bud mesenchyme which generates RA and not the epidermis, with a twofold higher level of RA in the posterior half than in the anterior half.
Exploring the impact of blurred boundaries in teleworkers.

Over the past twenty years the increase in women and dual earner couples within the North American workplace has generated research interest in understanding the work-family interface. Other changes in the business world have occurred through the adoption of alternative work arrangements, such as teleworking, where employees re-locate their paid work from organizational sites to their homes. Telework arrangements provide employees with unique opportunities to enact both family and work roles within the same setting. It also gives researchers the ideal environment for testing theoretical models that address work-family linkages. The overarching purpose of this study was to advance current understanding of work-family linkages by testing specific hypotheses in teleworkers and comparing them with a balanced non-teleworking sample. It focuses on answering the following questions. Does telework blur the boundaries between work and family? If so, what effect does blurring have on existing relationships between work, family, and organizational variables? Specifically, does blurring of the boundaries between work and family lead to positive or negative consequences for the teleworkers? Thirty-seven teleworkers and non-teleworkers (n = 74) participated in the study by completing questionnaires. Additionally, a subset of teleworkers was interviewed. Quantitative and qualitative results indicated that telework does indeed blur the boundaries between work and family and it may play a role in altering some important relationships between work, family, and organizational relationships.
A Global Reflexion Portfolio-based Competence Development Process - Design for Lifelong Learning in Companies with a High Degree of Diversity

Competence management in multi-national companies is a complex challenge. Business needs generate competence requirements which are imposed on the workforce. A conflict emerges between the imposed requirements with generated standardized learning offerings and a workforce with heterogeneous backgrounds and learning needs. Goal of the paper is the investigation of this conflict from a lifelong learning perspective of individual work process embedded learning. Core contributions of the paper are a study of work processes and a competence management process. For this purpose an extensive observation study was conducted, covering 800 hours of data collected from 50 participants over 100 days. A competence management process is proposed which builds on the creation of reflexion portfolios to analyze the distribution of a competence among different locations and target groups.
Requirement of PEN-2 for Stabilization of the Presenilin N-/C-terminal Fragment Heterodimer within the γ-Secretase Complex*

γ-Secretase is a protease complex composed of presenilin (PS), nicastrin (NCT), APH-1, and PEN-2, which catalyzes intramembrane cleavage of several type I transmembrane proteins including the Alzheimer's disease-associated β-amyloid precursor protein. We generated stable RNA interference-mediated PEN-2 knockdown cells to probe mutant PEN-2 variants for functional activity. Knockdown of PEN-2 was associated with impaired NCT maturation and deficient PS1 endoproteolysis, which was efficiently rescued by wild type or N-terminally tagged PEN-2 but not by C-terminally tagged PEN-2 or by the C-terminally truncated PEN-2-ΔC mutant. Although the latter mutants rescued the PS1 holoprotein accumulation associated with the PEN-2 knockdown, they failed to restore normal levels of the PS1 N- and C-terminal fragments and to maturate NCT. PEN-2-ΔC was highly unstable and rapidly turned over by proteasomal degradation consistent with its failure to become stably incorporated into the γ-secretase complex. In addition, expression of PEN-2-ΔC caused a selective instability of the PS1 N-/C-terminal fragment heterodimer that underwent proteasomal degradation, whereas NCT and APH-1 were stable. Interestingly, when we knocked down PEN-2 in the background of the endoproteolysis-deficient PS1 Δexon9 mutant, immature NCT still accumulated, demonstrating that PEN-2 is also required for γ-secretase complex maturation when PS endoproteolysis cannot occur. Taken together, our data suggest that PEN-2 is required for the stabilization of the PS fragment heterodimer within the γ-secretase complex following PS endoproteolysis. This function critically depends on the PEN-2 C terminus. Moreover, our data show that PEN-2 is generally required for γ-secretase complex maturation independent of its activity in PS1 endoproteolysis.
The Practical Accomplishment of Location-Based Game-Play: Design and Analysis of Mobile Collaborative Gaming

Location-based games are believed to be one promising way to exploit the educational potential of mobile technology. In such games, the physical and cultural surroundings become an integrate part of a game space and provide a way to tie content to a game activity and create immersive learning experiences. To explore the properties of such games, and how they are played out in practice we have designed, deployed and analysed a location-based game for learning history embedded in a pedagogical scenario based on collaborative mobile learning. In the video-based, detailed analysis of actual game-play, we study the practical accomplishment of a collaborative gaming activity with mobile technology. In focus are how the participants make use of the resources available in the game space and how these resources, including the historical narrative, feature in the participants' practical accomplishment of the game. In the analysis we identify a number of implications for design of location-based games.
Oxygen-saturation targets and outcomes in extremely preterm infants.

BACKGROUND Physiological studies have shown that chronic hypoxemia may occur in preterm infants who require supplemental oxygen for extended periods and that this hypoxemia may contribute to poor growth and development. Anecdotal reports and uncontrolled observational studies have suggested that a higher oxygen-saturation range may be beneficial in terms of growth and development. METHODS We conducted a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial involving 358 infants born at less than 30 weeks of gestation who remained dependent on supplemental oxygen at 32 weeks of postmenstrual age. They were randomly assigned to a target functional oxygen-saturation range of either 91 to 94 percent (standard-saturation group) or 95 to 98 percent (high-saturation group); this target was maintained for the duration of supplemental-oxygen therapy. The primary outcomes were growth and neurodevelopmental measures at a corrected age of 12 months. RESULTS There were no significant differences between the groups in weight, length, or head circumference at a corrected age of 12 months. The frequency of major developmental abnormalities also did not differ significantly between the standard-saturation group and the high-saturation group (24 percent and 23 percent, respectively, P=0.85). There were six deaths due to pulmonary causes in the high-saturation group and one such death in the standard-saturation group (P=0.12). The high-saturation group received oxygen for a longer period after randomization (median, 40 days vs. 18 days; P<0.001) and had a significantly higher rate of dependence on supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks of postmenstrual age and a significantly higher frequency of home-based oxygen therapy. CONCLUSIONS Targeting a higher oxygen-saturation range in extremely preterm infants who were dependent on supplemental oxygen conferred no significant benefit with respect to growth and development and resulted in an increased burden on health services.
A New Approach to Image-Based Estimation of Food Volume

A balanced diet is the key to a healthy lifestyle and is crucial for preventing or dealing with many chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Therefore, monitoring diet can be an effective way of improving people’s health. However, manual reporting of food intake has been shown to be inaccurate and often impractical. This paper presents a new approach to food intake quantity estimation using image-based modeling. The modeling method consists of three steps: firstly, a short video of the food is taken by the user’s smartphone. From such a video, six frames are selected based on the pictures’ viewpoints as determined by the smartphone’s orientation sensors. Secondly, the user marks one of the frames to seed an interactive segmentation algorithm. Segmentation is based on a Gaussian Mixture Model alongside the graph-cut algorithm. Finally, a customized image-based modeling algorithm generates a point-cloud to model the food. At the same time, a stochastic object-detection method locates a checkerboard used as size/ground reference. The modeling algorithm is optimized such that the use of six input images still results in an acceptable computation cost. In our evaluation procedure, we achieved an average accuracy of 92 % on a test set that includes images of different kinds of pasta and bread, with an average processing time of about 23 s.
On the performance of multicell MU-MIMO uplink transmission scheme based on SVD

In this paper, a SVD based multicell MU-MIMO uplink transmission and joint detection (JD) scheme is presented. It can decompose the MU-MIMO system into SU-MIMO channel and then the simplified JD algorithm can be performed at the cooperative eNBs. The pairwise error probability (PEP) of each link is derived and the system capacity with perfect CSI is analyzed. Simulation results show that this scheme is a feasible transmission solution for multicell MU-MIMO uplink.
BRCT domain of DNA polymerase μ has DNA‐binding activity and promotes the DNA polymerization activity

DNA polymerase μ (pol μ) catalyzes nonhomologous end‐joining in DNA double‐stranded break repair. Pol μ consists of an amino‐terminal BRCA1 carboxyl‐terminal homology (BRCT) domain and a pol β‐like region, which contains the catalytic site. By DNA cellulose column chromatography, using full‐length pol μ and five different deletion mutants, we found that the amino‐terminal region has double‐stranded DNA (dsDNA)‐binding activity. Pol μ without BRCT domain reduces the DNA polymerization activity when compared to full‐length pol μ. Observation by atomic force microscopy showed that full‐length pol μ binds to the ends and middle part of dsDNA. Pol μ lacking the amino‐terminal region or with a mutation within the BRCT domain bound only to DNA ends, whereas the amino‐terminal region with the BRCT domain bound to both the ends and the middle part of dsDNA (mpdDNA). Terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase, which, like pol μ, belongs to the X family DNA polymerases, also bound to mpdDNA through its amino‐terminal region.
Clinical and bacteriological implications of macrolide resistance in group A streptococcal pharyngitis.

735 sumed recurrent TB infection. He was treated with co-amoxiclav, and an intercostal drain was inserted to reduce the concomitant pleural effusion. He responded well to therapy, and an acid-fast smear of his sputum confirmed TB; TB therapy (rifampicin, isoniazid, ethambutol and pyrazinamide), as recommended by the South African Department of Health, was commenced. The patient was unable to recall prior fluoroquinolone use. N16 was isolated from a 55-year-old female, with previous renal impairment, admitted with pneumonia. She was treated with cefuroxime and responded well. She had received ciprofloxacin for a urinary tract infection within the previous 10 months of admission. Emergence of these highly resistant Haemophilus species may be the result of several factors. Firstly, in the South African community, there is considered to be a relatively high use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics for the treatment—among other infections—of sexually transmitted diseases and urinary tract infections. Secondly, during the winter of 2001, two new fluoroquinolones (moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin) were licensed for use, widely advertised and recommended in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia. It should be noted that both of the isolates described in this report were resistant to these new agents. Previous use of a fluoroquinolone has been associated with fluoroquinolone resistance in H. influenzae,3 and it is suggested that prior exposure to a quinolone selected the bacteria described. However, the high-level resistance of both these isolates has been considered previously to be extremely rare, and such strains have not been isolated easily in the laboratory after exposure to the older fluoroquinolones, such as ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin. Therefore, we caution the use of these newer fluoroquinolones, and emphasize the importance of vigilance and surveillance of bacterial species considered previously to be exquisitely susceptible to these agents, so that any changes in the population can be identified quickly and policies put in place to prevent transmission.
Inhaled corticosteroids for stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND The role of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been the subject of much controversy. Major international guidelines recommend selective use of ICS. Recently published meta-analyses have reported conflicting findings on the effects of inhaled steroid therapy in COPD. OBJECTIVES The objective of the review is to determine the efficacy of regular use of inhaled corticosteroids in patients with stable COPD. SEARCH STRATEGY A pre-defined search strategy was used to search the Cochrane Airways Group specialised register for relevant literature. Searches are current as of October 2006. SELECTION CRITERIA We selected randomised trials comparing any dose of any type of inhaled steroid with a placebo control in patients with COPD. Acute bronchodilator reversibility to short term beta2-agonists and bronchial hyperresponsiveness were not exclusion criteria. The a priori primary outcome was change in lung function. Data on mortality, exacerbations, quality of life and symptoms, rescue bronchodilator use, exercise capacity, biomarkers and safety were also analysed. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. Study authors were contacted for additional information. Adverse effects information was collected from the trials. MAIN RESULTS Forty-seven primary studies with 13,139 participants met the inclusion criteria. Medium term use of ICS (> two months and up to six months) resulted in a small improvement in FEV1 in some studies. Long term use of ICS (> six months) did not significantly reduce the rate of decline in FEV1 in COPD patients (weighted mean difference (WMD) 5.80 ml/year with ICS over placebo, 95% CI -0.28 to 11.88, 2333 participants). There was no statistically significant effect on mortality in COPD patients (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.16, 8390 participants). Long term use of ICS reduced the mean rate of exacerbations in those studies where pooling of data was possible (WMD -0.26 exacerbations per patient per year, 95% CI -0.37 to -0.14, 2586 participants). ICS slowed the rate of decline in quality of life, as measured by the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (WMD -1.22 units/year, 95% CI -1.83 to -0.60, 2507 participants). Response to ICS was not predicted by oral steroid response, bronchodilator reversibility or bronchial hyper-responsiveness in COPD patients. There was an increased risk of oropharyngeal candidiasis (OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.78 to 3.49, 4380 participants) and hoarseness. The few long term studies that measured bone effects generally showed no major effect on fractures and bone mineral density over 3 years. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Patients and clinicians should balance the potential benefits of inhaled steroids in COPD (reduced rate of exacerbations, reduced rate of decline in quality of life), against the known increase in local side effects (oropharyngeal candidiasis and hoarseness). The risk of long term adverse effects is unknown.
Etude de schémas multi-échelles pour la simulation de réservoir

En simulation de reservoir, les variations spatiales des proprietes des roches sont donnees par un modele geologique defini sur une grille pouvant comporter plusieurs centaines de millions de mailles. Simuler des ecoulements polyphasiques sur ce type de grille peut etre tres couteux en temps de calculs. Les ingenieurs de gisement procedent souvent a une mise a l'echelle de ces proprietes sur une grille plus grossiere, utilisee ensuite pour la simulation. Cette facon de proceder ne permet pas toujours de bien prendre en compte l'influence sur l'ecoulement des heterogeneites presentes a l'echelle fine. Plusieurs methodes multi-echelles ont donc ete proposees ces dernieres annees afin d'obtenir un meilleur compromis entre les temps de calculs et la precision des solutions obtenues. Actuellement, la plupart de ces methodes permettent de resoudre plus efficacement l'equation en pression. Les equations de transport sont, quant a elles, toujours resolues sur la grille fine. La premiere partie de cette these presente la mise en œuvre et les resultats de tests realises sur la methode des elements finis mixtes multi-echelles dans un environnement de calcul parallele. Le second et principal objectif de ce travail est de proposer une nouvelle methode multi-echelle pour la simulation du transport d'un traceur dans un milieu poreux. Cette methode est construite a partir de resultats rigoureux d'homogeneisation en milieux periodiques. Cette these fournit une vitesse de convergence explicite pour ce procede d'homogeneisation ainsi qu'une estimation d'erreur pour la methode numerique multi-echelle associee. Des exemples numeriques sont ensuite presentes.
Aerobic glycolysis in bone: lactate production and gradients in calvaria.

The experiments utilized specially designed Ussing chambers to measure lactate production and release by intact cranial bones in vitro. The net outflow of lactate was measured from both the inner and outer surfaces of cranial bones (18-day-old embryonic chicks and 2- to 3-day old rat pups were the donor sources). The net outward fluxes were surprisingly large: 0.5-1.0 . mu.mol/cm/sup 2/. h; so large that the skeleton must be considered an important source of lactate in the overall carbohydrate economy of the intact animal. Lactate production was inhibited by lowered pH, external lactate, and disruption of the K/sup +/ gradient between bone and the external medium. Lactate production was increased by pretreatment with parathyroid hormone or an inhibitor of phosphorylation, carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). A good, positive correlation was observed between serum calcium in the rat pup and lactate production in vitro. Measurements of the lactate levels in the bone fluid showed that a real gradient exists, in concentrations 5 mM or more greater than those of the external medium.
A novel trust model based on D-S evidence reasoning and Fuzzy Cognitive time Map

This paper presented an approach for trust computing using fuzzy cognitive map and D-S evidence reasoning theory. As fuzzy inference can deal with variable dependencies in the system by decoupling dependable variables, FCM provides an efficient way to trust deducing, and also the difficulty and complexity of trust computing. The approach of DS evidence overcomes the problem of over-precision.
Tensor Decomposition via Simultaneous Power Iteration ( Supplementary Material )

Proof. One can relate the singular values of the Hadamard product Z 2 to those of the Kronecker product Z ⊗ Z. In particular, as Z Z can be obtain from Z ⊗ Z by deleting some rows and columns, Lemma A.1 tells us that σmin(Z Z) ≥ σmin(Z ⊗ Z) and σmax(Z Z) ≤ σmax(Z ⊗ Z). Then the lemma follows as the Kronecker product Z⊗Z is known to have the property that σmin(Z⊗ Z) = (σmin(Z)) 2 and σmax(Z ⊗ Z) = (σmax(Z)).