Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Where2Stand

People often take photographs at tourist sites and these pictures usually have two main elements: a person in the foreground and scenery in the background. This type of “souvenir photo” is one of the most common photos clicked by tourists. Although algorithms that aid a user-photographer in taking a well-composed picture of a scene exist [Ni et al. 2013], few studies have addressed the issue of properly positioning human subjects in photographs. In photography, the common guidelines of composing portrait images exist. However, these rules usually do not consider the background scene. Therefore, in this article, we investigate human-scenery positional relationships and construct a photographic assistance system to optimize the position of human subjects in a given background scene, thereby assisting the user in capturing high-quality souvenir photos. We collect thousands of well-composed portrait photographs to learn human-scenery aesthetic composition rules. In addition, we define a set of negative rules to exclude undesirable compositions. Recommendation results are achieved by combining the first learned positive rule with our proposed negative rules. We implement the proposed system on an Android platform in a smartphone. The system demonstrates its efficacy by producing well-composed souvenir photos.
FDI Inflow Determinants in BRIC countries: A Panel Data Analysis

This study explores Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow determinants in Brazil, Russia Federation, India and China; collectively known as BRIC countries. A random effect model is employed on the panel data set consisting of annual frequency data of 35 years ranging from 1975 to 2009 to identify the FDI inflow determinants. The empirical results show that market size, trade openness, labour cost, infrastructure facilities and macroeconomic stability and growth prospects are potential determinants of FDI inflow in BRIC where as gross capital formation and labour force are insignificant, although macroeconomic stability and growth prospects have very little impact.
Meridional Momentum Flux and Superrotation in the Multiscale IPESD MJO Model

Abstract The derivation of the meridional momentum flux arising from a multiscale horizontal velocity field in the intraseasonal, planetary, equatorial synoptic-scale dynamics (IPESD) multiscale models of the equatorial troposphere is presented. It is shown that, because of the balance dynamics on the synoptic scales, the synoptic-scale component of the meridional momentum flux convergence must always vanish at the equator. Plausible Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) models are presented along with their planetary-scale meridional momentum fluxes. These models are driven by synoptic-scale heating fluctuations that have vertical and meridional tilts. Irrespective of the sign of the synoptic-scale meridional momentum flux (direction of the tilts) in each of the four MJO examples, the zonal and vertical mean meridional momentum flux convergence from the planetary scales always drives westerly winds near the equator: this is the superrotation characteristic of actual MJOs. The concluding discussion demonstrates.
Effects of Asymmetric Nuclear Introgression, Introgressive Mitochondrial Sweep, and Purifying Selection on Phylogenetic Reconstruction and Divergence Estimates in the Pacific Clade of Locustella Warblers

When isolated but reproductively compatible populations expand geographically and meet, simulations predict asymmetric introgression of neutral loci from a local to invading taxon. Genetic introgression may affect phylogenetic reconstruction by obscuring topology and divergence estimates. We combined phylogenetic analysis of sequences from one mtDNA and 12 nuDNA loci with analysis of gene flow among 5 species of Pacific Locustella warblers to test for presence of genetic introgression and its effects on tree topology and divergence estimates. Our data showed that nuDNA introgression was substantial and asymmetrical among all members of superspecies groups whereas mtDNA showed no introgression except a single species pair where the invader's mtDNA was swept by mtDNA of the local species. This introgressive sweep of mtDNA had the opposite direction of the nuDNA introgression and resulted in the paraphyly of the local species' mtDNA haplotypes with respect to those of the invader. Тhe multilocus nuDNA species tree resolved all inter- and intraspecific relationships despite substantial introgression. However, the node ages on the species tree may be underestimated as suggested by the differences in node age estimates based on non-introgressing mtDNA and introgressing nuDNA. In turn, the introgressive sweep and strong purifying selection appear to elongate internal branches in the mtDNA gene tree.
Controlling Information to Influence Consumer Beliefs

Access to product information changes a consumer’s initial belief about the product’s value in ways that are often unobservable to the firm. In such situations, how much information does the firm want the consumer to have access to? This paper expands on Lewis and Sappington’s (1994) model of information supply between a seller and a buyer using the information environment developed by Kamenica and Gentzkow (2011) to answer this question. Unlike the results in Lewis and Sappington (1994) and Johnson and Myatt (2006) which state that a monopolist prefers either full information or no information, partial information revelation is generally optimal for a monopolist facing a rational Bayesian consumer. The monopolist allows the consumer to learn whether or not her valuation is higher than the outside option but no more.
Exploring the effects of project-based learning in secondary mathematics education

ABSTRACT This mixed-method, longitudinal study investigated the benefits of project-based learning (PBL) on secondary-mathematics students' academic skill development and motivated strategies for learning (i.e., cognitive, social, and motivational). The focus of this study was academic skill development (algebra- and geometry-assessment scores) and other factors related to secondary mathematics learning, with comparable traditional high schoolers serving as the control group. In addition, the relationship between PBL and racially/ethnically and economically diverse secondary students was investigated. Results showed that at-risk and minority students benefited greatly from PBL in learning mathematics. The academic performance gap was present, but its width diminished significantly. Compared to their public school counterparts, PBL students were more intrinsically motivated, showed significantly higher critical thinking skills, and appreciated peer learning. Impact of socioeconomic status on the PBL approach needs further investigation.
RGS4 regulates partial agonism of the M2 muscarinic receptor-activated K+ currents

Partial agonists produce a smaller response than full agonists even at 100% receptor occupancy. In G‐protein‐coupled receptor signalling, the submaximal efficacy of partial agonists is determined by the conformational change of the agonist–receptor complex, which reduces effector activation. However, it remains unclear whether the regulator of G‐protein signalling (RGS) proteins contribute to the partial agonism. By analysing the M2 muscarinic receptor (M2R)‐activated G‐protein‐gated K+ inwardly rectifying (KG) currents in a Xenopus oocyte expression system, pilocarpine acted as a partial agonist in the presence of RGS4, as it did in rat atrial myocytes, while it acted like the full agonist ACh in the absence of RGS4. Functional couplings within the agonist–M2R complex/G‐protein/RGS4 system controlled the relative efficacy of the agonists. Our findings help us to understand the molecular components and mechanism underlying the partial agonism of M2R‐mediated physiological responses.
TaskMe: multi-task allocation in mobile crowd sensing

Task allocation or participant selection is a key issue in Mobile Crowd Sensing (MCS). While previous participant selection approaches mainly focus on selecting a proper subset of users for a single MCS task, multi-task-oriented participant selection is essential and useful for the efficiency of large-scale MCS platforms. This paper proposes TaskMe, a participant selection framework for multi-task MCS environments. In particular, two typical multi-task allocation situations with bi-objective optimization goals are studied: (1) For FPMT (few participants, more tasks), each participant is required to complete multiple tasks and the optimization goal is to maximize the total number of accomplished tasks while minimizing the total movement distance. (2) For MPFT (more participants, few tasks), each participant is selected to perform one task based on pre-registered working areas in view of privacy, and the optimization objective is to minimize total incentive payments while minimizing the total traveling distance. Two optimal algorithms based on the Minimum Cost Maximum Flow theory are proposed for FPMT, and two algorithms based on the multi-objective optimization theory are proposed for MPFT. Experiments verify that the proposed algorithms outperform baselines based on a large-scale real-word dataset under different experiment settings (the number of tasks, various task distributions, etc.).
Progressive Rise in Red Blood Cell Distribution Width Predicts Mortality and Cardiovascular Events in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a robust marker of adverse clinical outcomes in various populations. However, the clinical significance of a progressive rise in RDW is undetermined in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic importance of a change in RDW in ESRD patients. Three hundred twenty-six incident dialysis patients were retrospectively analyzed. Temporal changes in RDW during 12 months after dialysis initiation were assessed by calculating the coefficients by linear regression. Patients were divided into two groups: an RDW-decreased group who had negative coefficient values (n = 177) and an RDW-increased group who had positive values (n = 149). The associations between rising RDW and mortality and cardiovascular (CV) events were investigated. During a median follow-up of 2.7 years (range, 1.0–7.7 years), 75 deaths (24.0%) and 60 non-fatal CV events (18.4%) occurred. The event-free survival rate for the composite of end-points was lower in the RDW-increased group (P = 0.004). After categorizing patients according to baseline RDW, the event-free survival rate was lowest in patients with a baseline RDW >14.9% and increased RDW, and highest in patients with a baseline RDW ≤14.9% and decreased RDW (P = 0.02). In multivariate analysis, rising RDW was independently associated with the composite of end-points (hazard ratio = 1.75, P = 0.007), whereas the baseline RDW was not. This study shows that a progressive rise in RDW independently predicted mortality and CV events in ESRD patients. Rising RDW could be an additive predictor for adverse CV outcomes ESRD patients.
Chlamydia trachomatis IgG seropositivity is associated with lower natural conception rates in ovulatory subfertile women without visible tubal pathology.

BACKGROUND The relation between Chlamydia trachomatis infection and subsequent tubal damage is widely recognized. As such, C. trachomatis antibody (CAT) testing can be used to triage women for immediate tubal testing with hysterosalpingography (HSG) or laparoscopy. However, once invasive tubal testing has ruled out tubal pathology, CAT serology status is ignored, as its clinical significance is currently unknown. This study aimed to determine whether positive CAT serology is associated with lower spontaneous pregnancy rates in women in whom HSG and/or diagnostic laparoscopy showed no visible tubal pathology. METHODS We studied ovulatory women in whom HSG or laparoscopy showed patent tubes. Women were tested for C. trachomatis immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies with either micro-immunofluorescence (MIF) or an ELISA. CAT serology was positive if the MIF titre was ≥ 1:32 or if the ELISA index was >1.1. The proportion of couples pregnant without treatment was estimated at 12 months of follow-up. Time to pregnancy was considered censored at the date of the last contact when the woman was not pregnant or at the start of treatment. The association between CAT positivity and an ongoing pregnancy was evaluated with Cox regression analyses. RESULTS Of the 1882 included women without visible tubal pathology, 338 (18%) had a treatment-independent pregnancy within 1 year [estimated cumulative pregnancy rate 31%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 27-35%]. Because of differential censoring after 9 months of follow-up, regression analyses were limited to the first 9 months after tubal testing. Positive C. trachomatis IgG serology was associated with a statistically significant 33% lower probability of an ongoing pregnancy [adjusted fecundity rate ratio 0.66 (95% CI 0.49-0.89)]. CONCLUSIONS Even after HSG or laparoscopy has shown no visible tubal pathology, subfertile women with a positive CAT have lower pregnancy chances than CAT negative women. After external validation, this finding could be incorporated into existing prognostic models.
Running Head : Visual Arguments Visual Arguments

Two experiments investigated the use of verb argument structure knowledge by tracking participants eye movements across a set of related pictures as they listened to sentences. The assumption was that listeners would naturally look at relevant pictures as they were mentioned or implied. The primary hypothesis was that the use of a verb would implicitly introduce relevant entities (linguistic arguments) that had not yet been mentioned, and thus a picture corresponding to such an entity would draw anticipatory looks. For example, upon hearing mother suggested , participants would look at a potential recipient of the suggestion. There was no secondary task except to respond to comprehension questions. Experiment 1 manipulated both the argument structure of the verb and the typicality/co-occurrence frequency of the target argument/adjunct, in order to distinguish between anticipatory looks to arguments specifically and anticipatory looks to pictures that were strongly associated with the verb, but did not have the linguistic status of argument. In both experiments, there were more anticipatory looks to potential arguments than to potential adjuncts, beginning about 500 ms after the acoustic onset of the verb. In contrast to the strong evidence for argument structure effects, there was limited evidence for effects of typicality or co-occurrence frequency. These findings indicate that listeners rapidly accessed and used verb argument structure rather than world knowledge to focus their attention on relevant aspects of a visual scene.
US-Like Strain of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Outbreaks in Taiwan, 2013–2014

ABSTRACT Since late 2013, several outbreaks of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infection have emerged in Taiwan. Suckling piglets under 2 weeks of age showed severe vomiting and watery yellowish diarrhea with morbidity and mortality ranging from 80 to 100% and 90 to 100%, respectively. A total of 68 samples from 25 pig farms were confirmed as positive for PEDV and negative for rotavirus and transmissible gastroenteritis virus by reverse transcription PCR, and the partial S gene of PEDV was analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis places all 18 Taiwanese PEDV isolates collected during this outbreak in the same clade as the US strains of PEDV. This novel PEDV is prevailing and currently causing severe outbreaks in Taiwan.
Lung Cancer and Interstitial Lung Diseases: A Systematic Review

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) represent a heterogeneous group of more than two hundred diseases of either known or unknown etiology with different pathogenesis and prognosis. Lung cancer, which is the major cause of cancer death in the developed countries, is mainly attributed to cigarette smoking and exposure to inhaled carcinogens. Different studies suggest a link between ILDs and lung cancer, through different pathogenetic mechanisms, such as inflammation, coagulation, dysregulated apoptosis, focal hypoxia, activation, and accumulation of myofibroblasts as well as extracellular matrix accumulation. This paper reviews current evidence on the association between lung cancer and interstitial lung diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, systemic sclerosis, dermatomyositis/polymyositis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and pneumoconiosis.
Thyroid Hormone Activation in Human Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells: Expression of Type II Iodothyronine Deiodinase

Abstract— Thyroid hormone has been reported to have significant effects on the peripheral vascular system, including relaxation of vascular smooth muscle cells and antiatherosclerotic effects. To exert its biological activity, thyroxine, which is a major secretory product of thyroid gland, needs to be converted to 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (T3) by iodothyronine deiodinase. Type I iodothyronine deiodinase (DI) is widely distributed and maintains circulating T3 level, whereas type II iodothyronine deiodinase (DII) is present in a limited number of tissues to provide local intracellular T3. In the present study, we have identified iodothyronine deiodinase in cultured human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (hCASMCs) and human aortic smooth muscle cells (hASMCs). All of the characteristics of the deiodinating activity in hCASMCs and hASMCs were compatible with DII. Northern analysis demonstrated that DII mRNA was expressed in both hCASMCs and hASMCs, and DII mRNA levels as well as DII activities were rapidly increased by dibutyryl-cAMP or forskolin. These data demonstrate, for the first time, the expression of DII in human vascular smooth muscle cells, which is regulated by a cAMP-mediated mechanism. The present results suggest a previously unrecognized role of local T3 production by DII in the pathophysiology of human vascular smooth muscle cells.
Another Look at P/e Ratios

Whereas the relations derived for price-earnings (P/E) ratios predict a positive relation with future earnings growth and negative relations with interest rates and risk, prior empirical investigations of the determinants of P/E ratios find these links to be weak. One reason commonly offered for this apparent inconsistency is the presence of transitory earnings components in the denominator. We show how switching from trailing P/E ratios to forward P/E ratios, by substituting next year’s forecasted earnings for the prior year’s reported earnings, makes the predicted relationships more evident. We also find that forward P/E ratios are related to the volatility of reported earnings: both lower cash flow volatility and the reduction in volatility due to accruals that convert cash flows to reported earnings are associated with higher P/E ratios. Even though reported earnings volatility does not appear in the relation derived for forward P/E ratios, we find an indirect connection: firms with lower cash flow volatility and greater earnings smoothing due to accruals are strongly associated with higher growth forecasts (the links with lower risk are not as clear).
ModBoost for unbiased classification

Many real world data mining applications involve learning from large data sets. Boosting, an ensemble-based learning algorithm, has shown to improve the performance of classifiers in many situations. In this paper, we describe a new approach that is a modified version of boosting. In the ModBoost method, the sample training set is produced from the given dataset by sampling with replacement. The model is generated from the sample training set and is evaluated for error on the dataset instead of the training set. Misclassified tuples are given a higher weight and subsequently, in the next iterations the misclassified tuples are given first preferences and resampling is done for the rest of the training set. The total weights of the different classes in the new training set are rebalanced. The ModBoost method is evaluated, in terms of the F-measures, Precision, Recall and overall accuracy against large and moderately imbalanced bank marketing data set using Naïve Bayesian as a base classifier. The results are promising and show that the ModBoost method compares well in comparison with AdaBoost and bagging algorithm. Our results prove empirically that ModBoost is an attractive alternative for improving the classification performance. We also provide suggestions for future research.
Histone Modifications, Modifiers and Readers in Melanoma Resistance to Targeted and Immune Therapy

The treatment of melanoma has been revolutionized by new therapies targeting MAPK signaling or the immune system. Unfortunately these therapies are hindered by either primary resistance or the development of acquired resistance. Resistance mechanisms involving somatic mutations in genes associated with resistance have been identified in some cases of melanoma, however, the cause of resistance remains largely unexplained in other cases. The importance of epigenetic factors targeting histones and histone modifiers in driving the behavior of melanoma is only starting to be unraveled and provides significant opportunity to combat the problems of therapy resistance. There is also an increasing ability to target these epigenetic changes with new drugs that inhibit these modifications to either prevent or overcome resistance to both MAPK inhibitors and immunotherapy. This review focuses on changes in histones, histone reader proteins and histone positioning, which can mediate resistance to new therapeutics and that can be targeted for future therapies.