Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Geometric Texturing Using Level Sets

We present techniques for warping and blending (or subtracting) geometric textures onto surfaces represented by high-resolution level sets. The geometric texture itself can be represented either explicitly as a polygonal mesh or implicitly as a level set. Unlike previous approaches, we can produce topologically connected surfaces with smooth blending and low distortion. Specifically, we offer two different solutions to the problem of adding fine-scale geometric detail to surfaces. Both solutions assume a level set representation of the base surface, which is easily achieved by means of a mesh-to-level-set scan conversion. To facilitate our mapping, we parameterize the embedding space of the base level set surface using fast particle advection. We can then warp explicit texture meshes onto this surface at nearly interactive speeds or blend level set representations of the texture to produce high-quality surfaces with smooth transitions.
by Integrins Metalloproteinase-9 Expression Is Mediated Microglial Activation and Matrix Fibronectin- and Vitronectin-Induced

Early in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis, the blood-brain barrier is compromised, which leads to deposition of the plasma proteins ﬁbronectin and vitronectin in cerebral parenchyma. In light of our previous ﬁnding that microglial activation in vitro is strongly promoted by ﬁbronectin and vitronectin, we set out to examine the possibility that modulation of microglial activation by ﬁbronectin or vitronectin is an important regulatory mechanism in vivo. In an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mouse model of demyelination, total brain levels of ﬁbronectin and vitronectin were strongly increased and there was a close relationship between ﬁbronectin and vitronectin deposition, microglial activation, and microglial expression of matrix metallo-proteinase-9. In murine cell culture, ﬂow cytometry for MHC class I and gelatin zymography revealed that microglial activation and expression of pro-matrix metalloproteinase-9 were signiﬁcantly increased by ﬁbronectin and vitronectin. Function-blocking studies showed that the inﬂuence of ﬁbronectin and vitronectin was mediated by the (cid:1) 5 (cid:2) 1 and (cid:1) v (cid:2) 5 integrins, respectively. Taken together, this work suggests that ﬁbronectin and vitronectin deposition during demyelinating disease is an important inﬂuence on microglial activation state. Furthermore, it provides the ﬁrst evidence that the (cid:1) 5 (cid:2) 1 and (cid:1) v (cid:2) 5 integrins are important mediators of microglial activation. The Journal of Immunology, 2007, 178: 8158–8167.
A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Individual Emotional Intelligence and Workplace Performance

Emotional intelligence has been identified by some researchers as a key factor in predicting performance. The debate over emotional intelligence’s influence to performance continues in spite of almost two decades of research on the construct. While there are numerous studies that provide empirical evidence that emotional intelligence has a positive effect on performance, there are studies that provide empirical evidence that emotional intelligence has no statistical significance on performance. A large number of empirical studies have been published in the field of emotional intelligence since Van Rooy and Viswesvaran’s (2004) meta-analysis examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and performance outcomes, which provide the conditions for further understanding the relationship between emotional intelligence and performance. This study focused on emotional intelligence issues in the workplace. The study purpose was to assess quantitatively the impact of individual emotional intelligence on workplace performance. Meta-analysis was used to aggregate results from studies examining the relationship between individual emotional intelligence and workplace performance. The studies evaluated were written in English and Chinese and were conducted from 1990 to 2009. Seventy-five studies, which included a total of 87 independent samples and 12882 participants, met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. This overall sample was also separated into subgroups for moderator analysis. Data was analyzed utilizing the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) Version 2 program. The results showed overall, the correlation between individual emotional intelligence and workplace performance was moderately strong (r=0.28). Additionally, results indicated that the emotional intelligence measure used, performance criteria, data features and cultural differences all moderated the positive relationship between emotional intelligence and workplace individual performance. The Chinese cultural context especially effected the correlation (r=0.37) between individual emotional intelligence and workplace performance. Results suggest that individual emotional intelligence, as a valuable construct, can effectively predict workplace performance. The relationship between individual emotional intelligence and workplace performance is affected by a number of different factors. The most obvious factor affecting the relationship between individual emotional intelligence and workplace performance is cultural differences. The findings provide an accurate estimate of the relationship between individual emotional intelligence and workplace performance, and can guide the future emotional intelligence research.
Nerve growth factor promoter activity revealed in mice expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein

Nerve growth factor (NGF) and its precursor proNGF are perhaps the best described growth factors of the mammalian nervous system. There remains, however, a paucity of information regarding the precise cellular sites of proNGF/NGF synthesis. Here we report the generation of transgenic mice in which the NGF promoter controls the ectopic synthesis of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). These transgenic mice provide an unprecedented resolution of both neural cells (e.g., neocortical and hippocampal neurons) and non‐neural cells (e.g., renal interstitial cells and thymic reticular cells) that display NGF promoter activity from postnatal development to adulthood. Moreover, the transgene is inducible by injury. At 2 days after sciatic nerve ligation, a robust population of EGFP‐positive cells is seen in the proximal nerve stump. These transgenic mice offer novel insights into the cellular sites of NGF promoter activity and can be used as models for investigating the regulation of proNGF/NGF expression after injury. J. Comp. Neurol. 519:2522–2545, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A semiblind discriminatory channel estimation training scheme in MIMO two-way full duplex relay networks

Discriminatory channel estimation (DCE) is a recently developed scheme to enlarge the performance difference between legitimate terminal and unauthorized terminal. Specifically, it makes use of properly designed training signals to maintain channel estimation performance at legitimate terminal while limiting the unlawful terminal's eavesdropping capability during data transmission. In this paper, we extend our previous work, namely, a semiblind whitening-rotation (WR) based two-way training scheme into a MIMO two-way duplex-relay networks. For this, an artificial noise strategy is employed to jam the eavesdropper which in return keep a minimal level of interference to the legitimate terminal in the systems. Furthermore, a power allocation solution between the training signal and artificial noise (AN) is offered to optimal DCE performance. Results demonstrate that the two-way DCE scheme can be successfully extended into the MIMO relay systems without any priori knowledge of system channel statement information.
Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of Polymer-Solvent Systems

We investigate a new method for simulating polymer-solvent systems which combines a lattice-Boltzmann approach for the fluid with a continuum molecular dynamics (MD) model for the polymer chain. The two parts are coupled by a friction force which is proportional to the difference of the monomer velocity and the fluid velocity at the monomer's position. The strength of the coupling can be tuned by a friction coefficient. Using this approach we examine the dynamics of one monomer immersed in the fluid, and by adding fluctuations to the fluid and the monomer, also the velocity autocorrelation function of one monomer. This results in the definition of an effective friction coefficient for the dynamics of the monomer. Furthermore we analyze the mapping of the model to an MD simulation, allowing us to compare results obtained using the new method with MD.
Metrics and embeddings of generalizations of Thompson’s group $F$

The distance from the origin in the word metric for generalizations F (p) of Thompson’s group F is quasi-isometric to the number of carets in the reduced rooted tree diagrams representing the elements of F (p). This interpretation of the metric is used to prove that every F (p) admits a quasiisometric embedding into every F (q), and also to study the behavior of the shift maps under these embeddings. The first example of a finitely presented, infinite, simple group was discovered by R.J. Thompson in 1965. This group G arose in the study of logic and it has many interesting descriptions. In 1974, Higman [10] used a description as the group of automorphisms of the Jonsson-Tarski algebra to generalize G to an infinite family of groups. G has another description as a group of homeomorphisms of the Cantor set. It has subgroups which may be described as homeomorphism groups of different objects, for instance, the circle and the unit interval. Among the people studying these generalizations are Brown [3] and Bieri and Strebel, in a set of unpublished notes [1]. In this paper we will concentrate on the groups F (p), which correspond to the groups Fp,∞ in [3]. These families of groups have also been extensively studied by Brin and Guzman [2]. The group F (2), commonly known as Thompson’s group F , can be regarded as the group of piecewise-linear, orientation-preserving homeomorphisms of the interval [0, 1] which have breakpoints only at dyadic points and whose slopes, where defined, are powers of two. In 1984 Brown and Geoghegan [4] found it to be the first example of a finitely presented, infinite-dimensional, torsion-free FP∞ group. This fact has been extended to all F (p) in [3], and studied by Stein [11], where generalizations to more general groups of homeomorphisms with general rational breakpoint sets are considered. Cleary [7] has studied these properties for groups of piecewise-linear homeomorphisms with irrational breakpoints and slopes. In [5] Burillo established the relationship between the word metric of Thompson’s group F and an estimate of the distance derived from the unique normal form of the elements. This algebraic estimate is quasi-isometric to the word metric and was used to prove that some subgroups are nondistorted in F . In this paper we find a geometric estimate of the word metric in terms of rooted tree diagrams (see [6]), show that this is quasi-isometric to the word metric, and use this interpretation to prove that some embeddings of F (p) into F (q), including some of those outlined in [2], are quasi-isometric. The interpretations of these embeddings in terms of Received by the editors September 25, 1998 and, in revised form, August 11, 1999. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 20F65; Secondary 20F05, 20F38, 20E99, 05C25. c ©2000 American Mathematical Society
Enforcing consistency during the adaptation of a parallel component

As grid architectures provide execution environments that are distributed, parallel and dynamic, applications require to be not only parallel and distributed, but also able to adapt themselves to their execution environment. This article presents a model for designing self-adaptable parallel components that can be assembled to build applications for grid. This model includes the definition of a consistency criterion for the dynamic adaptation of SPMD components. We propose a solution to implement this criterion. It has been evaluated on both synthetic and real codes to exhibit the behavior of the several proposed strategies
Relationship between injury types and prevalence with some anthropometric properties of male elite volleyball players of Iran.

3 Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine relationship between prevalence and types of injuries with anthropometric properties of male elite volleyball players of Iran. 91 male volleyball players in 1388 premier volleyball league of Iran (27.53±2.89 years old, 7.88±1.04 year's volleyball background) participated in this study. To collect data, Australian standard sport injury questionnaire was used and 42 anthropometric parameters were measured. To decrease parameters covered similar measurements, multiple correlations was used, parameters with coefficient more than 0.8 were extracted. Using statistical method of principle component analysis (PCA) on final 17 parameters, 5 main components covering 76% of data variance were extracted. Inside the main components, parameters with coefficients higher than 0.7 including weight, seated height, malleolus width, torso width at umbilicus, torso circumferences at hip, distance between two hands and foot length were used for further analysis. Subjects reported 0.68±0.58 injuries per year and 0.98±0.78 injuries per 1000 hours training. Fingers (22.61%) and chronic tendon injury (25.64%) were reported as the anatomical position with the most prevalence and the most common type of injuries. Multiple regression coefficients showed that weight, seated height, torso width at umbilicus, torso circumferences at hip are effective parameters in injuries prevalence, sprain, dislocation and tendon and muscle chronic injuries. Pearson coefficients showed that there is significant relationship between prevalence and types of injuries with games' position of male elite volleyball players. According to results, fingers, ankle, knee and shoulder injuries are the highest prevalent injuries among male elite volleyball players. Sprain, dislocation, tendon and muscle chronic injuries, as the highest prevalent types of injuries, have significant relationship with weight, width and circumference of trunk and ratio of seated height to height.
Political consumerism: Civic engagement and the social media connection

An ongoing debate concerns the extent to which political consumerism constitutes political behavior. To address this debate, researchers have examined several predictors of political consumerism, but have not focused on its communicative dimensions, especially with respect to digital media. In this study we conceptualize political consumerism as a form of civic engagement, and we theorize that people who use social media are more likely to engage in political consumerism than those who do not. Using original survey data collected in the US, we find that political consumerism is more closely related to civic engagement than it is to political participation, and that use of social media mediates the relationship between general Internet use and political consumerism.
Common-Centroid Capacitor Layout Generation Considering Device Matching and Parasitic Minimization

In analog layout design, the accuracy of capacitance ratios correlates closely with both the matching properties among the ratioed capacitors and the induced parasitics due to interconnecting wires. However, most of the previous works only emphasized the matching properties of a common-centroid placement, but ignored the induced parasitics after it is routed. This paper addresses the parasitic issue in addition to device matching during common-centroid capacitor layout generation. To effectively minimize the routing-induced parasitics, a novel common-centroid placement style, distributed connected unit capacitors, is presented. Based on the placement style, the ratioed capacitor layout generation flow and algorithms are proposed to simultaneously optimize the matching properties of a common-centroid placement and minimize the induced parasitics. Experimental results show that the proposed approach can greatly reduce area, wirelength, and routing-induced parasitics, and guarantee the best matching quality after routing.
The chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) as a key orchestrator of orderly mitotic exit and cytokinesis

Understanding the molecular network of orderly mitotic exit to re-establish a functional interphase nucleus is critical because disordered mitotic exit inevitably leads to genomic instability. In contrast to the mechanisms of the entrance to mitosis, however, little is known about what controls the orderly exit from mitosis, particularly in mammalian cells. The chromosomal passenger complex (CPC), which is composed of Aurora B, INCENP, Borealin and Survivin, is one of the most widely studied and highly conserved hetero-tetrameric complexes. The CPC orchestrates proper chromosome segregation with cytokinesis by targeting to specific locations at different stages of mitosis. Recent studies reveal that controlling CPC localization and Aurora B kinase activity also serves as a key surveillance mechanism for the orderly mitotic exit. This ensures the reformation of a functional interphase nucleus from condensed mitotic chromosomes by delaying mitotic exit and cytokinetic processes in response to defects in chromosome segregation. In this review, we will summarize the latest insight into the molecular mechanisms that regulate CPC localization during mitotic exit and discuss how targeting Aurora B activity to different locations at different times impacts executing multiple mitotic exit events in order and recently proposed surveillance mechanisms. Finally, we briefly discuss the potential implication of deregulated Aurora B in inducing genomic damage and tumorigenesis with current efforts in targeting Aurora B activity for anti-cancer therapy.
The End of Liberalism: The Second Republic of the United States, 2nd ed. By Lowi Theodore J.. (New York: W.W. Norton, 1979. Pp. xvii + 331. $ 15.00, cloth; $6.95, paper.)

one-party South in being electoral organizations performing the single function of conducting primary elections. Such a loose and highly permeable party structure does, of course, hold out dazzling possibilities to a wide variety of groups. Skillful mobilization of followers around what may be a pressing but transient concern may lead to the capture of a party nomination, but increasingly this victory is illusory when it is discovered that what has been captured is not power so much as merely a brand name. Jimmy Carter and his followers have had to learn this and efforts are now underway to relieve him of the right to use the brand name in 1980. In the book's final essay Lipset concludes that "the inherent logic of democratic politics" requires those coalitions which actually seek electoral success to moderate their stands and compromise their principles. This assessment means that some, at least, of the prescriptions laid down in the book's section on the prospects of various ideological strains in American life are doomed to failure. This results from the fact that the larger a coalition becomes, the more inharmonious become its component parts. These differences must then be muted by conciliation and compromise or else the coalition becomes unstuck. Emerging Coalitions in American Politics will be primarily useful for classroom instruction, perhaps as a supplement to a basic text in a political parties course. The book contains little that is new, but the breadth and comprehensiveness of its analysis of coalitions will make it useful for teaching undergraduates. Indeed, one of its principal merits is that many of the essays, those, for example, by Everett Ladd, Michael Novak, Andrew Greeley and William Rusher, are succinct summaries of views familiar to members of the profession because they have been presented elsewhere at much greater length.
The Nexus Between Health Literacy and Empowerment

The aim of this article was to explore what is known about the assumed connection between health literacy and empowerment and how this connection is portrayed in the scientific literature. If empowerment is an outcome of health literacy, what are the mechanisms behind this process? A literature search conducted in 2013 yielded 216 hits, of which five met the inclusion criteria, and thus were read in depth and analyzed through a narrative-review approach. The findings indicate that health literacy might be regarded as a tool for empowerment but does not automatically lead to empowerment. Health literacy might be increased by health education. Crucial for empowerment is to achieve the critical level of health literacy including an ability to question and reflect on the prevailing power relations and societal conditions; increased senses of power, self-esteem, and self-efficacy; and an ability to utilize these resources to engage in social and political action for change. This article suggests that for health literacy to be critical to empowerment, there must be a focus on social health determinants and individuals’ subjective perceptions of health and health needs. The article proposes functional and interactive health literacy as a form of capacity building for health and empowerment and critical health literacy as a way to describe empowerment. This scoping review indicates a research gap and a need for future research examining the relationship between health literacy and empowerment.
When More Seems Less - Non-Spatial Clustering in Numerosity Estimation

How is numerosity estimation affected by additional structural information in visual displays? Two experiments investigated if the linking of dots by line segments, thereby forming clusters of polygons, leads to an underestimation effect similar to that observed in classical experiments on clustering by spatial proximity. Our findings confirmed such an underestimation effect for non-spatial clustering. In addition, the relative magnitude of the underestimation increased along with the number of objects and with cluster size. Finally, we observed that the presence of an equivalent number of line segments as in the previous condition, however unaligned with the dots, reduced the underestimation effect to a constant relative magnitude
Mobile phone adoption: do existing models adequately capture the actual usage of older adults?

This paper investigates mobile phone adoption by older adults to better understand this user group's current level of adoption and to assess how well existing adoption models capture the acceptance levels of elderly users. The rationale is that mobile technology is continually improving and despite efforts to address their needs, this section of the population is known to be a largely untapped market. Data was captured on mobile phone usage of a sample of 46 users aged 60 to 87 through observation, a questionnaire and informal interviews. Using mostly qualitative and some quantitative data analysis techniques, the participants' levels of acceptance of the technology were determined and related to their age, how they acquired the phone, how long they have owned it, how often they use it and which functions they use. Our findings indicate that most participants in the sample have not reached full adoption but have not rejected the technology either. We found that a significant number of users stagnate in a phase of limited use with no inclination towards full adoption or complete rejection. This is contrary to the adoption presented by existing models that assume a user will reach a point of either rejection or acceptance of the technology. Therefore we conclude that existing technology and mobile phone adoption models do not adequately capture the mobile phone adoption patterns of the elderly. We have thus established the need to reconsider mobile phone adoption models. Furthermore, we have identified the specific age, the length of ownership, and the manner in which the phone was acquired as good predictors of where a user will end on the acceptance-rejection scale.