Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EXTRAOCULAR PHOTOTRANSDUCTION AND CIRCADIAN TIMING SYSTEMS IN VERTEBRATES

It is widely accepted that, for organisms with eyes, the daily regulation of circadian rhythms is made possible by light transduction through those organs. Yet, it has been demonstrated repeatedly in recent years that ocular light receptors that mediate vision, at least in mammals, are not the same photoreceptors involved in circadian regulation. Moreover, it has been recognized for many years that circadian regulation can occur in organisms without eyes. In fact, extraocular circadian phototransduction (EOCP) appears to be a phylogenetic rule for the vast majority of species. EOCP has been reported in every nonmammalian species studied to date. In mammals, however, the story is very different. This paper presents findings from studies that have examined specifically the capacity for EOCP in vertebrate species. In addition, the literature addressing noncircadian aspects of extraocular phototransduction is briefly discussed. Finally, possible mechanisms underlying EOCP are discussed, as are some of the implications of the presence, or absence, of EOCP across phylogeny. (Chronobiology International, 18(2), 137–172, 2001)
Perceived environmental aesthetics and convenience and company are associated with walking for exercise among Australian adults.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate relationships between environmental aesthetics, convenience, and walking companions and walking for exercise or recreation and to investigate differences in these relationships by sex and by reported physical and mental health. METHODS Analyses of cross-sectional self-report data from a statewide population survey of 3,392 Australian adults were used. RESULTS Men and women reporting a less aesthetically pleasing or less convenient environment were less likely to report walking for exercise or recreation in the past 2 weeks. Those respondents, particularly women, reporting no company or pet to walk with were also less likely to walk for exercise or recreation. Associations with environmental and social influences were observed for men and women reporting both good and poor physical and mental health. CONCLUSIONS Perceived environmental aesthetics and convenience and walking companions are important correlates of walking for exercise among urban Australians. Acknowledging the cross-sectional nature of these data, findings support a case for evaluation of environmental policies to promote physical activity.
Formal verification of distributed system using an executable C model

Formal verification means to rigorously explore the correctness of system designs expressed as mathematical models, most likely with the assistance of modern computers. Original approaches were to model and express a distributed system using existing theoretical tools such as Petri Nets. Nevertheless the main problems of such approaches are the restrictions imposed by formal tools and the human factor of simplify and model a distributed system. We propose a way to do formal verification of a distributed system by modeling the communication of the system as a concurrent program, instantiating the distributed system using threads and atomic queues and testing/verifying directly to the source code with specialized verifiers for concurrent programs. As an example, we show the verification of a distributed threshold signer using CBMC verifying properties such as memory leaks, index out of bounds, and data races.
Structured least squares to improve the performance of ESPRIT-type high-resolution techniques

ESPRIT type high-resolution (spatial) frequency estimation techniques, like standard ESPRIT, state space methods, matrix pencil methods, or Unitary ESPRIT, obtain their (spatial) frequency estimates from the solution of a highly-structured, overdetermined system of equations. Here, the structure is defined in terms of two selection matrices applied to a matrix spanning the estimated signal subspace. Structured least squares (SLS) is a new algorithm to solve this overdetermined system, the so called invariance equation, by preserving its structure. Simulations confirm that SLS outperforms the least squares (LS) and total least squares (TLS) solutions of this invariance equation, since the accuracy of the resulting (spatial) frequency estimates and the accuracy of the underlying signal subspace are improved significantly. Furthermore, SLS can be used to improve the accuracy of adaptive frequency estimating schemes that are based on fast adaptive subspace tracking techniques. Moreover, SLS has been extended to the two-dimensional (2-D) case to be used in conjunction with 2-D Unitary ESPRIT, an efficient ESPRIT-type algorithm that provides automatically paired 2-D (spatial) frequency estimates.
Gene-specific Silencing by Expression of Parallel Complementary RNA in Escherichia coli *

Gene-specific silencing refers to a phenomenon in which expression of an individual gene can be specifically repressed by different mechanisms on the levels of transcription, RNA splicing, transport, degradation in nuclei or cytoplasm, or blocking of translation. In different species gene-specific silencing was observed by expression or injections of antiparallel double-stranded RNA formed by a fragment of mRNA and antisense RNA. Here we show a potent and specific gene silencing in bacteria by expression of RNA, that is complementary in a parallel orientation to Escherichia coli lon mRNA. Moreover, the expression of parallel RNA is more effective at producing interference than expression of antisense RNA corresponding to the same mRNA region. Both effects of interference mediated either by parallel RNA or antiparallel RNA gradually decrease up to the 40th generation. Together with in vitro nuclease protection studies these results indicate that a parallel RNA duplex might be formed in vivo and both types of duplexes, antiparallel or parallel, can induce gene-specific silencing by similar mechanisms.
Combination hysteresis model for accommodation magnetization

We describe an accommodation hysteresis model based on a combination of history-dependent and history-independent models. The amount of accommodation is changed by varying the weights of the models employed in the resulting model. We illustrate the operation of the proposed model with accommodating cycles attached to the major loop. The model can be useful in further investigations of the accommodation phenomenon, as we show by using complex trajectories constructed by it. It can be incorporated in magnetodynamic calculations and circuit analysis.
Trajectoires résidentielles et morphologiques des franges périurbaines : une méthode appliquée au Limousin

Cet article propose une methode d’analyse des dynamiques de developpement residentiel generant des formes spatiales discontinues. A partir d’une base de donnees spatio-temporelles originale reposant sur des donnees fiscales, cette methode permet de surmonter les difficultes rencontrees pour decrire ces formes contemporaines de la croissance urbaine a l’echelle parcellaire, sur de vastes espaces et sur une echelle temporelle qui permet de remonter aux premices du developpement periurbain. Nous proposons d’appliquer cette methode en Limousin pour caracteriser l’evolution des espaces periurbains entre 1950 et 2006. Cette methode fait emerger des franges periurbaines evoluant avec des trajectoires residentielles et morphologiques specifiques. L’analyse de ces trajectoires est mise en perspective avec les apports successifs de l’economie urbaine s’interessant aux formes spatiales de l’etalement urbain.
High voltage gain boost converter based on three-state switching cell and voltage multipliers

A new type of non-isolated step-up converter with high voltage gain is proposed on this work. It is suitable for applications with a high voltage gain between the input and the output stages. In this converter, the output to input voltage ratio, for a given duty cycle, can be raised by adding voltage multiplier stages of capacitors (mc). The theoretical and experimental results it will be present in this paper considering two configurations (mc=2) and (mc=3). An important feature of this converter is the lower blocking voltage across the controlled switches compared to similar circuits, which allows the utilization of low voltage MOSFETs switches. In order to verify the feasibility of the proposed topology, the principle of operation, theoretical analysis, and experimental waveforms are shown for a 1 kW prototype.
Brief Announcement: Scalable Diversity Maximization via Small-size Composable Core-sets

In this paper, we study the diversity maximization problem (a.k.a. maximum dispersion problem) in which given a set of n objects in a metric space, one wants to find a subset of k distinct objects with the maximum sum of pairwise distances. We address this problem using the distributed framework known as randomized composable core-sets [3]. Unlike previous work, we study small-size core-set algorithms allowing minimum possible intermediate output size (and hence achieving large speed-up in the computation and increased parallelism), and at the same time, improving significantly over the approximation guarantees of state-of-the-art core-set-based algorithms. In particular, we present a simple distributed algorithm that achieves an almost optimal communication complexity, and asymptotically achieves approximation factor of 1/2, matching the best known global approximation factor for this problem. Our algorithms are scalable and practical as shown by our extensive empirical evaluation with large datasets and they can be easily used in the major distributed computing systems like MapReduce. Furthermore, we show empirically that, in real-life instances, using small-size core-set algorithms allows speed-ups up to > 68 in running time w.r. t. to large-size core-sets while achieving close-to-optimal solutions with approximation factor of > 90%. ACM Reference Format: Alessandro Epasto, Vahab Mirrokni, and Morteza Zadimoghaddam. 2019. Brief Announcement: Scalable Diversity Maximization via, Small-size Composable Core-sets. In Proceedings of Great Lakes Symposium on VLSI 2019 (SPAA ’19). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 2 pages. https://doi.org/https://doi. org/10.1145/3323165.3323172
Molecular stop signs: regulation of cell-cycle arrest by C/EBP transcription factors

The CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) family of transcription factors plays an important role in controlling cell proliferation and differentiation. C/EBPα is a particularly potent regulator of cell-cycle exit and is induced in terminally differentiating adipocytes and myeloid cells, where it also activates differentiation-specific genes. The growth-inhibiting activity of C/EBPα suppresses tumorigenesis in myeloid cells and possibly other tissues. In addition, recent work has identified C/EBPα as a component of the p53-regulated growth arrest response elicited by DNA damage in epidermal keratinocytes. Several studies have explored the mechanism by which C/EBPα blocks cell-cycle progression at the G1-S boundary, and several models have been proposed but no universally accepted mechanism has emerged. Controversial issues include whether C/EBPα acts through an `off-DNA' mechanism to inhibit cyclin-dependent kinases, and whether and how it functions with the RB-E2F system to repress transcription of S-phase genes. Other C/EBP-family members have also been implicated in positive and negative control of cell proliferation, and the mechanisms underlying their growth-regulatory activities are beginning to be elucidated.
Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Despite significant advances in intensive care medicine, the management of brain injured patients has been hampered by the inability of clinicians to observe real-time changes in cerebral haemodynamics and oxygenation at the bedside. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used for this purpose for many years in neonatal intensive care and has the potential to be a monitor of cerebral well-being in adult intensive care and anaesthesia, particularly in the neurosciences. Although the principles underlying its use are relatively straightforward, they are often poorly understood. This review presents an overview of the physical principles involved in the measurement of tissue oxygenation with NIRS and describes how it may be used to continuously observe changes in cerebral haemodynamics and oxygenation. The clinical experience with NIRS is described in addition to the techniques for non-invasive measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral blood volume (CBV).
Time-Optimal Control of Saccadic Eye Movements

A new theory describing the time-optimal control of saccadic eye movements is proposed based on Pontryagin's minimum principle and physiological considerations. The lateral and medial rectus muscle of each eye is assumed to be a parallel combination of an active state tension generator with a viscosity and elastic element, connected to a series elastic element. The eyeball is modeled as a sphere connected to a viscosity and elastic element. Each of these elements is assumed to be ideal and linear. The neuronal control strategy is shown to be a first-order time-optimal control signal. Under this condition, the active state tension for each muscle is a low-pass filtered pulse-step waveform. The magnitude of the agonist pulse is a maximum for saccades of all sizes and only the duration of the agonist pulse affects the size of the saccade. The antagonist muscle is completely inhibited during the period of maximum stimulation for the agonist muscle. Horizontal saccadic eye movements were recorded from infrared signals reflected from the anterior surface of the cornea and then digitized. Parameter estimates for the model were calculated by using a conjugate gradient search program which minimizes the integral of the absolute value of the squared error between the model and the data. The predictions of the model under a time-optimal controller are in good agreement with the data.
Impacts du changement global sur les cycles biogéochimiques de l’eau et des nutriments dans le système sol–plante et conséquences pour la croissance de la végétation en Sibérie du sud-ouest

Dans un contexte de changement global, predire l’evolution de la productivite de la vegetation dans le sud-ouest (SO) Siberien reste un defi du fait d’incertitudes fortes sur les processus regulant la disponibilite en eau et en nutriments. Nous avons mis en evidence des relations entre cycles biogeochimiques, climat et proprietes du sol sur six sites contrastes.La croissance radiale des tiges de peuplier est principalement sensible au bilan hydrique du sol en foret de steppe, au sud du SO Siberien, alors qu’elle est stimulee par de hautes temperatures estivales en sub-taiga, dans le nord de la region.Des mesures de terrain et des simulations du bilan hydrique du sol ont montre que la fonte des neiges est importante pour la recharge des reserves hydriques du sol au sud. Au nord, ces reserves sont souvent rechargees en automne. La fonte des neiges est alors associee a du drainage. De plus, au nord, une epaisse couverture de neige protege le sol du gel en hiver. La distribution des racines fines est plus profonde en foret de steppe qu’en sub-taiga, impactee par le deficit hydrique et le gel.L’homogeneite du statut en phosphore (P) des sols dans le SO Siberien montre qu’il n’est pas encore tres impacte par la pedogenese. Les stocks en P eleves, notammen tles formes disponibles pour les plantes, suggerent que le P n’est pas et ne sera pas limitant dans le futur.La decomposition des litieres aeriennes et la liberation de l’azote (N) sont plus rapides en sub-taiga qu’en foret de steppe. Un fort drainage pourrait expliquer un transfert profond du N dans les sols en sub-taiga. Cependant ces sols semblent efficaces pour retenir le N, limitant les pertes pour le systeme sol–plante.
Prediction of the Intrinsic Hydrogen Bond Acceptor Strength of Organic Compounds by Local Molecular Parameters

A quantum chemical model has been developed for predicting the hydrogen bond (HB) acceptor strength of monofunctional organic compounds from electronic ground-state properties of the single molecules. Local molecular parameters are used to quantify electrostatic, polarizability, and charge transfer components to hydrogen bonding, employing the ab initio and density functional theory levels HF/6-31G** and B3LYP/6-31G**. The model can handle lone pairs of intermediate and strong HB acceptor heteroatoms (N, O, S) as well as of weak HB acceptor halogens (F, Cl, Br) and includes also olefinic, alkyne, and aromatic pi-bonds as weak HB acceptor sites. The model calibration with 403 compounds and experimental values for the Abraham HB acceptor strength B yielded squared correlation coefficients r(2) around 0.95, outperforming existing fragment-based schemes. Model validation was performed applying a leave-50%-out procedure, yielding predictive squared correlation coefficients q(2) of around 0.95 for the subsets that both cover the whole chemical domain as well as (almost) the whole target value range of the data set.
Weed flora of Central Anatolia

Bu calismada, 1995-2000 yillarinda Nisan-Ekim aylari arasinda, Afyon, Ankara, Cankiri, Eskisehir, Isparta, Konya, Kirsehir, Nevsehir, Nigde, Sivas ve Yozgat illeri tarim alanlarindan 3206 adet bitki ornegi toplanmistir.Toplanan bitkilerin degerlendirilmesi sonucunda 56 familyaya ait 303 cins, 695 tur tespit edilmistir. Bu bitkilerin 2'si tohumsuz, 693'u tohumlu bitki olup; kapali tohumlularin 96 tanesi tek ceneklilere, 597 tanesi ise iki ceneklilere aittir. Tespit edilen 695 taksonun 51'i endemiktir. Fitocografik bolgelere gore degerlendirildiginde, Iran. -Turan bolgesine ait 163, Avrupa-Sibirya'ya ait 42, Akdeniz Bolgesine ait 40 tur tespit edilmistir. Cok bolgeli, kozmopolit veya fitocografik bolgesi belirlenemeyenlerin sayisi 448'dir. En zengin familyalar sirasi ile: Compositae, Gramineae, Cruciferae, Leguminosae Labiatae, Boraginaceae, Umbelliferae, Scrophulariaceae ve Ranunculaceae olarak tespit edilmistir.
Theory of spin-polarized bipolar transport in magnetic p-n junctions

The interplay between spin and charge transport in electrically and magnetically inhomogeneous semiconductor systems is investigated theoretically. In particular, the theory of spin-polarized bipolar transport in magneticp-n junctions is formulated, generalizing the classic Shockley model. The theory assumes that in the depletion layer the nonequilibrium chemical potentials of spin-up and spin-down carriers are constant and carrier recombination and spin relaxation are inhibited. Under the general conditions of an applied bias and externally injected (source) spin the model formulates analytically carrier and spin transport in magnetic p-n junctions at low bias The evaluation of the carrier and spin densities at the depletion layer establishes the necessary boundary conditions for solving the diffusive transport equations in the hulk regions separately, thus greatly simplifying the problem. The carrier and spin density and current profiles in the hulk regions are calculated and the I-V characteristics of the junction are obtained. It is demonstrated that spin injection through the depletion layer of a magnetic p-n junction is not possible unless nonequilibrium spin accumulates in the bulk regions-either by external spin injection or by the application of a large bias Implications of the theory for majority spin injection across the depletion layer, minority spin pumping and spin amplification, giant magnetoresistance, spin-voltaic effect, biasing electrode spin injection, and magnetic drift in the bulk regions are discussed in details, and illustrated using the example of a GaAs based magnetic p-n junction.
The natural history of an enquiry.

WHEN I WAS first warned by Professor d'Abreu that I might be called upon for a lecture on the occasion of my admission as an Honorary Fellow, he suggested as a topic what he called " the organization and execution of real research ", with reference, as he added when we next ran into each other, to the way the work of my Department had developed since 1946, when I moved to Birmingham from Oxford. At first sight this idea seemed as beguiling as it was flattering. But after a little thought I realized that it was altogether too ambitious an undertaking to attempt, in the space of three-quarters of an hour or so, to give a comprehensive history of my Department since my accession to the Chair.
Periortree: An Extention of R-Tree for Periodic Boundary Conditions

Searching spatial data is an important operation for scientific simulations which are performed mostly with periodic boundary conditions. An R-Tree is a well known tree data structure used to contain spatial objects and it is capable of answering to spatial searching queries in an efficient way. In this paper, a novel method to construct an R-Tree considering periodic boundary conditions is presented. Unlike existing methods, the proposed method works without any kind of extra objects or queries. Moreover, because this method reduces the volume of bounding box for each node under the periodic boundary conditions, it is expected to increase the overall efficiency. While the extension of an R-Tree is presented in this work, this method is not only applicable to an R-Tree but also to other data structures that use axis-aligned bounding boxes with periodic boundary conditions. The implementation is available on GitHub.
Metasurfaces With Interleaved Conductors: Phenomenology and Applications to Frequency Selective and High Impedance Surfaces

A class of metasurfaces and high impedance surfaces (HISs) formed by doubly periodic arrays of interleaved conductors with subwavelength unit cells is proposed and discussed by way of example of the spiraled Brigid's cross arrangements. The main mechanisms underlying the distinctive features of these surfaces such as a broad fractional bandwidth (FBW), high angular and polarization stability, and low loss are revealed and elucidated. It is demonstrated that all these salient characteristics of the interleaved arrays and HISs are attainable simultaneously being controlled by the pattern geometry. It is shown that the interleaved Brigid's cross HIS with truly subwavelength unit cells exhibits practically the same FBW and losses as a square patch HIS with much larger unit cell. The effects of a dielectric substrate and near-field confinement on the properties of intertwined Brigid's cross arrays are examined, and the analytical models provide insight into the performance of the discussed metasurfaces and HISs.
Borrelia burgdorferi Changes Its Surface Antigenic Expression in Response to Host Immune Responses

ABSTRACT The Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, causes persistent mammalian infection despite the development of vigorous immune responses against the pathogen. To examine spirochetal phenotypes that dominate in the hostile immune environment, the mRNA transcripts of four prototypic surface lipoproteins, decorin-binding protein A (DbpA), outer surface protein C (OspC), BBF01, and VlsE, were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR under various immune conditions. We demonstrate that B. burgdorferi changes its surface antigenic expression in response to immune attack. dbpA expression was unchanged while the spirochetes decreased ospC expression by 446 times and increased BBF01 and vlsE expression up to 20 and 32 times, respectively, under the influence of immune pressure generated in immunocompetent mice during infection. This change in antigenic expression could be induced by passively immunizing infected severe combined immunodeficiency mice with specific Borrelia antisera or OspC antibody and appears to allow B. burgdorferi to resist immune attack.