Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Example-Based Super-Resolution using Locally Linear Embedding

Example-Based Super-Resolution is a learning-based technique that attempts to recover high-resolution (HR) image according to the corresponding relation in a set of training low-resolution (LR) and high-resolution image pairs prepared in advance. The conventional learning-based method for image super-resolution usually cannot achieve the high-frequency components accurately, which are lost in the input LR image, for recovering the HR image, since it only estimates the lost information using one most similar training LR patch to the input patch, and its corresponding HR pair. Therefore, we propose to use a manifold learning method- Locally Linear Embedding (LLE) for reconstructing the input LR patch with a linear weight summation of its several most similar training LR patches, and then can recover HR patch using the same linear summation of the corresponding training HR patches. Furthermore, in order to solve the expensive computational problem in the conventional exampled-based learning method, only the patches with larger variance, which means with high-frequency components, are selected for super-resolution procedures. Finally, Experimental results show that the recovered high-resolution images by our proposed approach are much better than those by conventional method and interpolation techniques.
Relative Roles of Direct Regeneration Versus Paracrine Effects of Human Cardiosphere-Derived Cells Transplanted Into Infarcted Mice

Rationale: Multiple biological mechanisms contribute to the efficacy of cardiac cell therapy. Most prominent among these are direct heart muscle and blood vessel regeneration from transplanted cells, as opposed to paracrine enhancement of tissue preservation and/or recruitment of endogenous repair. Objective: Human cardiac progenitor cells, cultured as cardiospheres (CSps) or as CSp-derived cells (CDCs), have been shown to be capable of direct cardiac regeneration in vivo. Here we characterized paracrine effects in CDC transplantation and investigated their relative importance versus direct differentiation of surviving transplanted cells. Methods and Results: In vitro, many growth factors were found in media conditioned by human adult CSps and CDCs; CDC-conditioned media exerted antiapoptotic effects on neonatal rat ventricular myocytes, and proangiogenic effects on human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In vivo, human CDCs secreted vascular endothelial growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, and insulin-like growth factor 1 when transplanted into the same SCID mouse model of acute myocardial infarction where they were previously shown to improve function and to produce tissue regeneration. Injection of CDCs in the peri-infarct zone increased the expression of Akt, decreased apoptotic rate and caspase 3 level, and increased capillary density, indicating overall higher tissue resilience. Based on the number of human-specific cells relative to overall increases in capillary density and myocardial viability, direct differentiation quantitatively accounted for 20% to 50% of the observed effects. Conclusions: Together with their spontaneous commitment to cardiac and angiogenic differentiation, transplanted CDCs serve as “role models,” recruiting endogenous regeneration and improving tissue resistance to ischemic stress. The contribution of the role model effect rivals or exceeds that of direct regeneration.
Spatial and Temporal Variability of Rainfall in the Gandaki River Basin of Nepal Himalaya

Landslides, floods, and droughts are recurring natural disasters in Nepal related to too much or too little water. The summer monsoon contributes more than 80% of annual rainfall, and rainfall spatial and inter-annual variation is very high. The Gandaki River, one of the three major rivers of Nepal and one of the major tributaries of the Ganges River, covers all agro-ecological zones in the central part of Nepal. Time series tests were applied for different agro-ecological zones of the Gandaki River Basin (GRB) for rainfall trends of four seasons (pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon and winter) from 1981 to 2012. The non-parametric Mann-Kendall and Sen’s methods were used to determine the trends. Decadal anomalies relative to the long-term average were analyzed using the APHRODITE precipitation product. Trends in number of rainy days and timing of the monsoon were also analyzed. We found that the post-monsoon, pre-monsoon and winter rainfalls are decreasing significantly in most of the zones but monsoon rainfall is increasing throughout the basin. In the hill region, the annual rainfall is increasing but the rainy days do not show any trend. There is a tendency toward later departure of monsoon from Nepal, indicating an increase in its duration. These seasonally and topographically variable trends may have significant impacts for the agriculture and livestock smallholders that form the majority of the population in the GRB.
Mechanisms of arterial remodeling: lessons from genetic diseases

Vascular disease is still the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world, and the primary cause of myocardial infarction, stroke, and ischemia. The biology of vascular disease is complex and still poorly understood in terms of causes and consequences. Vascular function is determined by structural and functional properties of the arterial vascular wall. Arterial stiffness, that is a pathological alteration of the vascular wall, ultimately results in target-organ damage and increased mortality. Arterial remodeling is accelerated under conditions that adversely affect the balance between arterial function and structure such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, inflammatory disease, lifestyle aspects (smoking), drugs (vitamin K antagonists), and genetic abnormalities [e.g., pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), Marfan's disease]. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the complex mechanisms and different factors that underlie arterial remodeling, learning from single gene defect diseases like PXE, and PXE-like, Marfan's disease and Keutel syndrome in vascular remodeling.
The Impact of Alcohol Use in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of alcohol in community-dwelling older adults and to consider differences in physical and mental health, function, cognitive status, and social supports between those who drink minimal (1 to 3 glasses weekly), moderate (4 to 7 glasses weekly), or no alcohol. A total of 3,305 older adults with a mean age of 81.6 ∓ 6.0 participated in the study. Twenty-two percent (n = 709) of the participants had 1 to 3 drinks weekly, only 1% (n = 18) reported 4 to 7 drinks weekly, and none of the participants admitted to 8 or more drinks. There was no difference in drinking behavior with regard to age (F = 1.1, p > .05) or social supports (F = .39, p > .05). There was a difference in drinking behavior with regard to physical health (F = 4.9, p < .05), functional status (F = 7.7, p < .05), cognitive status (F = 11.8, p < .05), and mental health (F = 6.9, p < .05). Health care providers should use an individualized approach to alcohol use in older adults and help these individuals establish, as appropriate, safe drinking habits that will augment health and quality of life.
Computing Science INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION USING OBFUSCATION

In this technical report, we discuss the use of code obfuscation as means of protecting the intellectual property of software. An obfuscation is a behaviour preserving program transformation which aims to make a program harder to understand (which can mean it becomes unintelligible to automated program comprehension tools or that the result of program analyses become less useful to a human adversary). This report consists of three main parts. The first part of the report discusses some of the possible definitions of obfuscation and gives an extensive survey of some of the current obfuscation techniques. The second part considers a report written by University of Applied Sciences of Upper Austria, Hagenberg which discuss a variety of different protection techniques (including obfuscation). The last part reviews the techniques that we have seen so far. We provide an analysis of some of the reasons why current obfuscators are generally weak and why some of the better obfuscation techniques have not been implemented. Finally, we give recommendations for how better obfuscators can be created using obfuscation techniques which have not yet been implemented. Acknowledgements I would like to thank to Siemens AG, Munich for sponsoring the work and, in particular, Barbara Fichtinger, my contact in Siemens, who gave constructive comments during the writing of this report.
ZmPIN 1-Mediated Auxin Transport Is Related to Cellular Differentiation during Maize Embryogenesis and Endosperm Development 1 [ W ]

To study the influence of PINFORMED1 (PIN1)-mediated auxin transport during embryogenesis and endosperm development in monocots, the expression pattern of the three identified ZmPIN1 genes was determined at the transcript level. Localization of the corresponding proteins was also analyzed during maize (Zea mays) kernel development. An anti-indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) monoclonal antibody was used to visualize IAA distribution and correlate the direction of auxin active transport, mediated by ZmPIN1 proteins, with the actual amount of auxin present in maize kernels at different developmental stages. ZmPIN1 genes are expressed in the endosperm soon after double fertilization occurs; however, unlike other tissues, the ZmPIN1 proteins were never polarly localized in the plasma membrane of endosperm cells. ZmPIN1 transcripts and proteins also colocalize in developing embryos, and the ZmPIN1 proteins are polarly localized in the embryo cell plasma membrane from the first developmental stages, indicating the existence of ZmPIN1-mediated auxin fluxes. Auxin distribution visualization indicates that the aleurone, the basal endosperm transfer layer, and the embryo-surrounding region accumulate free auxin, which also has a maximum in the kernel maternal chalaza. During embryogenesis, polar auxin transport always correlates with the differentiation of embryo tissues and the definition of the embryo organs. On the basis of these reports and of the observations on tissue differentiation and IAA distribution in defective endosperm-B18 mutant and in N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid-treated kernels, a model for ZmPIN1-mediated transport of auxin and the related auxin fluxes during maize kernel development is proposed. Common features between this model and the model previously proposed for Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) are discussed.
Viability of the inner retina in a novel mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa

Retinal prostheses aim to restore vision to patients who are blind from photoreceptor diseases such as Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). All implants target the neural cells in the inner retina, the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Our research focuses on further understanding the disease process of RP during mid to late stages when total loss of photoreceptors has occurred and significant remodeling of inner retinal neurons has taken place. We have used a novel transgenic mouse, Rd1-FTL, to observe different degenerative stages of RP. Notably, in the aged retina we have evidence that there was gross inner retinal remodeling as well as glial dysfunction that occurred in confined regions in the central retina that worsened overtime. Consequently, the timing of implantation and location of the prosthesis both need to account for the state of the retina at different stages in the disease process.
A Comparative Study of Involvement and Motivation among Casino Gamblers

Objective The purpose of this paper is to investigate three different types of gamblers (which we label "non-problem", "some problem", and "probable pathological gamblers") to determine differences in involvement and motivation, as well as differences in demographic and behavioral variables. Methods The analysis takes advantage of a unique opportunity to sample on-site at a major casino in South Korea, and the resulting purposive sample yielded 180 completed questionnaires in each of the three groups, for a total number of 540. Factor analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan tests, and Chi-square tests are employed to analyze the data collected from the survey. Results Findings from ANOVA tests indicate that involvement factors of importance/self-expression, pleasure/interest, and centrality derived from the factor analysis were significantly different among these three types of gamblers. The "probable pathological" and "some problem" gamblers were found to have similar degrees of involvement, and higher degrees of involvement than the non-problem gamblers. The tests also reveal that motivational factors of escape, socialization, winning, and exploring scenery were significantly different among these three types of gamblers. When looking at motivations to visit the casino, "probable pathological" gamblers were more likely to seek winning, the "some problem" group appeared to be more likely to seek escape, and the "non-problem" gamblers indicate that their motivations to visit centered around explorations of scenery and culture in the surrounding casino area. Conclusion The tools for exploring motivations and involvements of gambling provide valuable and discerning information about the entire spectrum of gamblers.
The Paradoxical Effect of Praise and Blame: Age-Related Differences

Blame and praise sometimes have a seemingly paradoxical effect: blame after failure sometimes leads to the impression that the recipient has a high ability. In contrast, praise after success can lead to an inference of low ability. Several studies showed this effect and its relation to concurrent sympathy ratings as well as to cognitive schemas underlying these estimations. The present study is the first to focus on differences across the adult lifespan regarding peoples’ ability and sympathy estimations of praised or blamed individuals. In this context, the causal schemas underlying peoples’ judgments were also investigated. The results show that seemingly paradoxical ability estimations were independent of age in contrast to reversed ability estimations (i.e., a praised individual is perceived as more capable than a blamed individual) decreasing with age. Moreover, age affected the estimation of a teacher’s sympathy for blamed and praised students in terms of a universal decrease with age. Finally, exclusive ability-related causal schemas were primarily used by older people and facilitated the occurrence of seemingly paradoxical ability estimations. The results provide a first base for future research on this largely neglected topic.
Cloning, Functional Expression, and Chromosomal Localization of the Human Pancreatic Islet Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide Receptor

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is a hormone secreted by the endocrine K-cells from the duodenum that stimulates glucose-induced insulin secretion. Here, we present the molecular characterization of the human pancreatic islet GIP receptor. cDNA clones for the GIP receptor were isolated from a human pancreatic islet cDNA library. They encoded two different forms of the receptor, which differed by a 27–amino acid insertion in the COOH-terminal cytoplasmic tail. The receptor protein sequence was 81% identical to that of the rat GIP receptor. When expressed in Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts, both forms of the receptor displayed high-affinity binding for GIP (180 and 600 µmol/l). GIP binding was displaced by <20% by 1 µmol/l glucagon, glucagon-like peptide (GLP-I)(7–36) amide, vasoactive intestinal peptide, and secretin. However exendin-4 and exendin-(9–39) at 1 μumol/l displaced binding by ∼70 and ∼100% at 10 µmol/l. GIP binding to both forms of the receptor induced a dose-dependent increase in intracellular cAMP levels (EC50 values of 0.6–0.8 µmol/l) but no elevation of cytoplasmic calcium concentrations. Interestingly, both exendin-4 and exendin-(9–39) were antagonists of the receptor, inhibiting GIP-induced cAMP formation by up to 60% when present at a concentration of 10 μmol/l. Finally, the physical and genetic chromosomal localization of the receptor gene was determined to be on 19q13.3, close to the ApoC2 gene. These data will help study the physiology and pathophysiology of the human GIP receptor.
Tax Evasion Across Industries: Soft Credit Evidence from Greece

We begin with the new observation that banks lend to tax-evading individuals based on the bank's perception of true income. This insight leads to a novel approach to estimate tax evasion from privatesector adaptation to semiformality. We use household microdata from a large bank in Greece and replicate bank models of credit capacity, credit card limits, and mortgage payments to infer the bank’s estimate of individuals’ true income. We estimate a lower bound of 28 billion euros of unreported income for Greece. The foregone government revenues amount to 31 percent of the deficit for 2009. Primary taxevading occupations are doctors, engineers, private tutors, accountants, financial service agents, and lawyers. Testing the industry distribution against a number of redistribution and incentive theories, our evidence suggests that industries with low paper trail and industries supported by parliamentarians have more tax evasion. We conclude by commenting on the property right of informal income.
International transmission of stock market movements: a wavelet analysis

This study investigates the international transmission mechanism of stock market movements via wavelet analysis. While GARCH-type models have mainly been used in most recent research in this area, the discrete wavelet decomposition is used in this study to propose a new methodology for investigating the dynamics and the potential interaction in international stock markets. Using the data on daily stock indices from the USA and Korea, strong evidence is found for price as well as volatility spillover effects from the developed stock market to the emerging market, but not vice versa.
Increased serum NKG2D-ligands and downregulation of NKG2D in peripheral blood NK cells of patients with major burns

Immune suppression following major thermal injury directly impacts the recovery potential. Limited data from past reports indicate that natural killer cells might be suppressed due to a putative soluble factor that has remained elusive up to date. Here we comparatively study cohorts of patients with Major and Non-Major Burns as well as healthy donors. MICB and ULBP1 are stress ligands of NKG2D that can be induced by heat stress. Remarkably, serum concentration levels of MICB and ULBP1 are increased by 3-fold and 20-fold, respectively, already within 24h post major thermal injury, and are maintained high for 28 days. In contrast, milder thermal injuries do not similarly enhance the serum levels of MICB and ULBP1. This kinetics coincides with a significant downregulation of NKG2D expression among peripheral blood NK cells. Downregulation of NKG2D by high concentration of soluble MICB occurs in cancer patients and during normal pregnancy due to over production by cancer cells or extravillous trophoblasts, respectively, as an active immune-evasion mechanism. In burn patients this seems an incidental outcome of extensive thermal injury, leading to reduced NKG2D expression. Enhanced susceptibility of these patients to opportunistic viral infections, particularly herpes viruses, could be explained by the reduced NKG2D expression. Further studies are warranted for translation into innovative diagnostic or therapeutic technologies.
Increased isolevuglandin-modified proteins in glaucomatous astrocytes

Purpose Lipid oxidation has been proposed to be a factor in the pathophysiology of glaucoma. We investigated whether elevated levels of isolevuglandin (iso[4]LGE2) protein adducts are associated with astrocytes derived from the glaucomatous optic nerve head. In addition, we examined whether the iso[4]LGE2 protein adducts are altered following exposure of astrocytes to elevated pressure. Methods Astrocytes were isolated from rat brain cortex and human optic nerve and were subjected to pressure treatments, western blot analyses, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, and immunocytochemistry. Results Elevated levels of isolevuglandin (iso[4]LGE2) protein adducts were associated with astrocytes derived from the glaucomatous (n=10) optic nerve head when compared to those from controls (n=6). Astrocytes subjected to in vitro pressure treatment resulted in increased levels of iso[4]LGE2 protein adducts. Pressure exposure and the recovery period affect iso[4]LGE2 protein modification, and pyridoxamine was effective in decreasing the appearance of iso[4]LGE2 protein adduct immunoreactivity when applied immediately after pressure treatment. Conclusions These results suggest that the elevated iso[4]LGE2 protein adduct immunoreactivity observed in glaucomatous astrocytes may be due to chronic and/or prolonged exposure to pressure, and pyridoxamine may have prophylactic utility against such oxidative protein modification.
Developments in Teacher Induction in Scotland and Implications for the Role of Higher Education

The agreement on a 1-year 'training post' in Scotland may well put an end to the 'scandal' of teacher induction through short-term supply. Although higher education has played a part in bringing about this stability, there is no clear vision by policy makers of what its ongoing role might be. Squeezed between a major role in initial teacher education and a significant if not comprehensive role in continuing development, there is a serious question of relevance facing the teacher education 'institution' in the induction period. This paper draws on both interviews with 'stakeholders' and existing literature. It provides a background to developments in teacher induction in Scotland and an outline of a proposed framework. While a coherent, multiple role for higher education in induction is also constructed, the principles and tensions which determine the possibility of such an involvement are considered in conclusion.
Optimal Joint Source and Relay Beamforming for Parallel MIMO Relay Networks

In this paper, we study the optimal structure of the source precoding matrix and the relay amplifying matrices for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) relay communication systems with parallel relay nodes. We show that both the optimal source precoding matrix and the optimal relay amplifying matrices have a beamforming structure. Using the optimal structure, a joint source and relay power loading algorithm is developed to minimize the mean-squared error (MSE) of the signal waveform estimation. Compared with existing algorithms for parallel MIMO relay networks, the proposed joint source and relay beamforming algorithm has a significant improvement in the system bit-error-rate performance.