Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Context Matters: The Experience of Physical, Informational, and Cultural Distance in a Rural IT Firm

We synthesize social informatics and regional studies literature to frame an examination of the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) uptake and use in the social experience of distance in a rural technology firm. Though distance is much talked about and regarded as a critical dimension in distributed work, the distinct ways that distance is experienced within a rural firm influence collaboration between the rural firm and its more urban customers and are little explored. This case-study town sheds light on how ICT use influences the experience of distance and collaboration in a remote location. In the first part of our results, we provide a descriptive account of the unique geographical, technical, and collaboration practice characteristics of the rural technology firm. In the second part of our results, we identify three experiences of distance: physical, cultural, and informational. We then synthesize our findings to reconstruct the role of distance and our understanding of the social experience of ICT uptake and use, in how workers experience distance. These findings have implications for regional studies scholars, and suggest that understanding how specific firms succeed will increase the effectiveness of public policy directed at regional development. They also provide for the further development of the social informatics approach, and contribute to a new perspective on distance to the literature on collaboration.
The Chlamydomonas cell wall: characterization of the wall framework

The cell wall of the biflagellate alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a multilayered, extracellular matrix composed of carbohydrates and 20-25 polypeptides. To learn more about the forces responsible for the integrity of this cellulose-deficient cell wall, we have begun studies to identify and characterize the framework of the wall and to determine the effects of the cell wall-degrading enzyme, lysin, on framework structure and protein composition. In these studies we used walls released into the medium by mating gametes. When isolated shed walls are degraded by exogenously added lysin, no changes are detected in the charge or molecular weight of the 20-25 wall proteins and glycoproteins when analyzed on one- and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels, which suggests that degradation of these shed walls is due either to cleavage of peptide bonds very near the ends of polypeptides or that degradation occurs via a mechanism other than proteolysis. Incubation of walls with Sarkosyl-urea solutions removes most of the proteins and yields thin structures that appear to be the frameworks of the walls. Analysis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows that the frameworks are highly enriched in a polypeptide of Mr 100,000. Treatment of frameworks with lysin leads to their degradation, which indicates that this part of the wall is a substrate for the enzyme. Although lysin converts the Mr 100,000 polypeptide from an insoluble to a soluble form, there is no detectable change in Mr of the framework protein. Solubilization in the absence of lysin requires treatment with SDS and dithiothreitol at 100 degrees C. These results suggest that the Chlamydomonas cell wall is composed of two separate domains: one containing approximately 20 proteins held together by noncovalent interactions and a second domain, containing only a few proteins, which constitutes the framework of the wall. The result that shed walls can be solubilized by boiling in SDS- dithiothreitol indicates that disulfide linkages are critical for wall integrity. Using an alternative method for isolating walls from mechanically disrupted gametes, we have also shown that a wall-shaped portion of these unshed walls is insoluble under the same conditions in which shed walls are soluble. One interpretation of these results is that wall release during mating and the wall degradation that follows may involve distinct biochemical events.
Influence of the Coriolis force on the instability of slowly pulsating B stars

This paper explores the effect of rotation on the κ-mechanism instability of slowly pulsating B stars. A new non-adiabatic code, which adopts the so-called traditional approximation to treat the Coriolis force, is used to investigate the influence exerted by rotation over the stability of stellar models covering the mass range 2.5 M ○. ≤ M * ≤ 13.0 M ○. The principal finding is that, for all modes considered apart from the prograde sectoral (PS) class, rotation shifts the κ-mechanism instability toward higher luminosities and effective temperatures; these shifts are accompanied by broadenings in the extent of instability strips. Such behaviour is traced to the shortening of mode periods under the action of the Coriolis force. Instability strips associated with PS modes behave rather differently, being shifted to marginally lower luminosities and effective temperatures under the influence of rotation. The implications of these results are discussed in the context of the observational scarcity of pulsation in B-type stars having significant rotation; various scenarios are explored to explain the apparent dichotomy between theory and observations. Furthermore, the possible significance of the findings to Be stars is briefly examined.
Novel macrophage receptor for glucose-modified proteins is distinct from previously described scavenger receptors

A high-affinity macrophage receptor has been identified that recognizes proteins modified by a common in vivo process, long-term nonenzymatic reaction of glucose with proteins (AGE proteins). This receptor for glucose-modified proteins is now shown to be distinct from previously described scavenger receptors, using competition and crosscompetition experiments between AGE-modified protein and a variety of in vitro- modified scavenger receptor ligands, including unmodified BSA, unmodified low-density lipoproteins (LDL), acetyl-LDL, maleyl-BSA, and formaldehyde-treated BSA. Furthermore, the specific pattern of AGE- protein receptor inhibition by the polyanionic compounds polyinosinic acid, polyadenylic acid, polyglutamic acid, polycytidylic acid, fucoidin, and heparin was distinctly different from that of acetyl-LDL. By thus selectively recognizing a time-dependent in vivo protein modification, macrophages may preferentially degrade senescent macromolecules, thereby having an important role in the regulation of extracellular protein turnover.
A unifying framework for the analysis of quaternion valued adaptive filters

The recently proposed ℍℝ-calculus has enabled rigorous derivation of quaternion-valued adaptive filtering algorithms, and has also introduced several equivalent forms of the quaternion least mean square (QLMS). This work aims to address the uniqueness of the solutions to the stochastic gradient optimisation problems, and to provide a unified framework for the derivation and analysis of quaternion least mean square algorithms. In doing so, we assess and compare the properties of the adaptive algorithms in the context of their convergence and steady state performances. For generality, the convergence properties of both QLMS and its widely linear extension, the WL-QLMS are illuminated.
Working Memory Capacity and Fluid Intelligence

Working memory capacity and fluid intelligence have been demonstrated to be strongly correlated traits. Typically, high working memory capacity is believed to facilitate reasoning through accurate maintenance of relevant information. In this article, we present a proposal reframing this issue, such that tests of working memory capacity and fluid intelligence are seen as measuring complementary processes that facilitate complex cognition. Respectively, these are the ability to maintain access to critical information and the ability to disengage from or block outdated information. In the realm of problem solving, high working memory capacity allows a person to represent and maintain a problem accurately and stably, so that hypothesis testing can be conducted. However, as hypotheses are disproven or become untenable, disengaging from outdated problem solving attempts becomes important so that new hypotheses can be generated and tested. From this perspective, the strong correlation between working memory capacity and fluid intelligence is due not to one ability having a causal influence on the other but to separate attention-demanding mental functions that can be contrary to one another but are organized around top-down processing goals.
Reengineering analysis of object-oriented systems via duplication analysis

All software systems, no matter how they are designed, are subject to continuous evolution and maintenance activities to eliminate defects and extend their functionalities. This is particularly true for object-oriented systems, where we may develop different software systems using the same internal library or framework. These systems may evolve in quite different directions in order to cover different functionalities. Typically, there is the need to analyze their evolution in order to redefine the library or framework boundaries. This is a typical problem of software reengineering analysis. In this paper, we describe metrics, based on duplication analysis, that contribute to the process of reengineering analysis of object-oriented systems. These metrics are the basic elements of a reengineering analysis method and tool. Duplication analyses at the file, class and method levels have been performed. A structural analysis using metrics that capture similarities in class structure has been also exploited. In order to identify the best approach for the reengineering analysis of object-oriented systems, a comparison between the two approaches is described. In this paper, a case study based on real cases is presented, in which the results obtained by using a reengineering process with and without the analysis tool are described. The purpose of this study is to discover which method is the most powerful and how much time reduction can be obtained by its use.
The Impact of Interbank and Public Debt Markets on the Competition for Bank Deposits

The growth in the interest rates paid on Spanish public debt since 2008 and the impairment of the interbank market have generated concerns about their effects on competition for bank deposits in Spain. I combine a nested logit model of bank deposit supply with a structural model of competition to measure the impact of the reference interest rates on public debt and interbank markets on the returns on deposits and funding policy of Spanish banks in the period 2003-2010. The interbank rate is found to be more closely correlated with the return on deposits than the interest rate on public debt, but the connection between interbank rates and deposit returns is significantly weaker in the crisis period 2008-2010. Counterfactual analysis shows a significant effect of the interbank rate and investment opportunities in public debt on deposit rates and bank profits, and that observed deposit rates are on average 115bp above collusive levels
Inter-personal congruence: the social contracts of client-centered and person-centered therapies

ABSTRACT Persons are inter-personally congruent to the extent that their behavior is consistent with their social contracts with others. This view is contrary to Rogers’ intra-personal view of congruence, which holds that a person is congruent to the extent that there is no discrepancy between ‘the self as perceived and the actual experience of the organism’. The differences in the social contracts of these two perspectives are spelled out in considerable detail in the context of client-centered, person-centered and relational depth therapies. The paper also discusses the complexity in establishing mutually satisfying social contracts, and, in that light, presents a client-centered therapy transcript of a father and daughter who have very different notions of what constitutes a father/daughter social contract. The transcript and commentary show that the client-centered therapeutic relationship is no less deep than other therapeutic relationships that emphasize their depth, no less collaborative than other non-coercive therapies that emphasize the extent of their collaboration, and no less authentic than therapies that underline the alleged authenticity of the therapist.
The Association between Nonylphenols and Sexual Hormones Levels among Pregnant Women: A Cohort Study in Taiwan

Background Nonylphenol (NP) has been proven as an endocrine disrupter and had the ability to interfere with the endocrine system. Though the health effects of NP on pregnant women and their fetuses are sustained, these negative associations related to the mechanisms of regulation for estrogen during pregnancy need to be further clarified. The objective of this study is to explore the association between maternal NP and hormonal levels, such as estradiol, testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and progesterone. Methods A pregnant women cohort was established in North Taiwan between March and December 2010. Maternal urine and blood samples from the first, second, and third trimesters of gestation were collected. Urinary NP concentration was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescent detection. A mixed-effects model using a generalised estimating equation (GEE) was applied to assess the associations between maternal NP concentration and plasma hormones throughout the three trimesters. Results In total, 162 singleton pregnant women completed this study through delivery. The geometric mean of creatinine-adjusted urinary NP concentrations were 4.27, 4.21, and 4.10 µg/g cre. in the first, second, and third trimesters respectively. A natural log-transformation of urinary NP concentrations were significantly associated with LH in the GEE model (β = −0.23 mIU/ml, p<0.01). Conclusion This perspective cohort study demonstrates that negative association occurs between maternal NP exposure and plasma LH levels. The estrogen-mimic effect of NP might influence the negative feedback on LH during pregnancy.
Calculating Strength of Schedule, and Choosing Teams for March Madness

We propose a new way of quantifying a team’s strength of schedule for NCAA basketball. This strength of a schedule is defined as the number of games a team on the borderline of the annual national tournament would expect to win if they played that schedule. Our method gives a direct way of quantifying how well different teams have done relative to the schedules they have played. The motivation for constructing this strength of schedule is to help inform the choice of teams given bids to the national tournament: teams who have won more games than their strength of schedule have strongest evidence that they deserve such a bid. Estimating the strength of schedules is possible through fitting a simple statistical model to the results of all regular season matches. We are able to quantify the uncertainty in these estimates, which helps differentiate between teams with clear evidence for selection and those on the borderline. Our results suggest that St. Mary’s warranted a bid to the 2009 tournament, at the expense of Wisconsin; and that both Arizona State and Nebraska warranted bids to the 2008 tournament instead of South Alabama and St. Joseph’s. Supplementary material is available online.
Detection of Hepatitis A Virus RNA in Saliva

ABSTRACT Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is shed in feces but also in saliva. HAV RNA was detected in saliva in five out of six acutely infected patients with HAV viremia. Serum and saliva sequences were identical. The simplicity of obtaining material allows the recommendation of the use of saliva for investigation of outbreaks.
Linkages between plant functional composition, fine root processes and potential soil N mineralization rates

1 Plant functional composition may indirectly affect fine root processes both qualitatively (e.g. by influencing root chemistry) and quantitatively (e.g. by influencing root biomass and thus soil carbon (C) inputs and the soil environment). Despite the potential implications for ecosystem nitrogen (N) cycling, few studies have addressed the linkages between plant functional composition, root decay, root detritus N dynamics and soil N mineralization rates. 2 Here, using data from a large grassland biodiversity experiment, we first show that plant functional composition affected fine root mass loss, root detritus N dynamics and net soil N mineralization rates through its effects on root chemistry rather than on the environment of decomposition. In particular, the presence of legumes and non‐leguminous forbs contributed to greater fine root decomposition which in turn enhanced root N release and net soil N mineralization rates compared with C3 and C4 grasses. 3 Second, we show that all fine roots released N immediately during decomposition and showed very little N immobilization regardless of plant composition. As a consequence, there was no evidence of increased root or soil N immobilization rates with increased below‐ground plant biomass (i.e. increased soil C inputs) even though root biomass negatively affected root decay. 4 Our results suggest that fine roots represent an active soil N pool that may sustain plant uptake while other soil N forms are being immobilized in microbial biomass and/or sequestered into soil organic matter. However, fine roots may also represent a source of recalcitrant plant detritus that is returned to the soil (i.e. fine roots of C4 and C3 grasses) and that can contribute to an increase in the soil organic matter pool. 5 Synthesis. An important implication of our study is that the simultaneous presence of different plant functional groups (in plant mixtures) with opposite effects on root mass loss, root N release and soil N mineralization rates may be crucial for sustaining multiple ecosystem services such as productivity and soil C and N sequestration in many N‐limited grassland systems.
The Drosophila Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein DIAP2 Functions in Innate Immunity and Is Essential To Resist Gram-Negative Bacterial Infection

ABSTRACT The founding member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family was originally identified as a cell death inhibitor. However, recent evidence suggests that IAPs are multifunctional signaling devices that influence diverse biological processes. To investigate the in vivo function of Drosophila melanogaster IAP2, we have generated diap2 null alleles. diap2 mutant animals develop normally and are fully viable, suggesting that diap2 is dispensable for proper development. However, these animals were acutely sensitive to infection by gram-negative bacteria. In Drosophila, infection by gram-negative bacteria triggers the innate immune response by activating the immune deficiency (imd) signaling cascade, a NF-κB-dependent pathway that shares striking similarities with the pathway of mammalian tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1). diap2 mutant flies failed to activate NF-κB-mediated expression of antibacterial peptide genes and, consequently, rapidly succumbed to bacterial infection. Our genetic epistasis analysis places diap2 downstream of or in parallel to imd, Dredd, Tak1, and Relish. Therefore, DIAP2 functions in the host immune response to gram-negative bacteria. In contrast, we find that the Drosophila TNFR-associated factor (Traf) family member Traf2 is dispensable in resistance to gram-negative bacterial infection. Taken together, our genetic data identify DIAP2 as an essential component of the Imd signaling cascade, protecting the organism from infiltrating microbes.
Earthquake recurrence as a record breaking process

Extending the central concept of recurrence times for a point process to recurrent events in space‐time allows us to characterize seismicity as a record breaking process using only spatiotemporal relations among events. Linking record breaking events with edges between nodes in a graph generates a complex dynamical network isolated from any length, time or magnitude scales set by the observer. For Southern California, the network of recurrences reveals new statistical features of seismicity with robust scaling laws. The rupture length and its scaling with magnitude emerges as a generic measure for distance between recurrent events. Further, the relative separations for subsequent records in space (or time) form a hierarchy with unexpected scaling properties.
An e-mail honeypot addressing spammers' behavior in collecting and applying addresses

Spam has become one of the most annoying and costly phenomenon in the Internet. Valid e-mail addresses belong to the most valuable resources of spammers, but little is known about spammers' behavior when collecting and harvesting addresses and spammers' capabilities and interest in carefully directed, consumer-oriented marketing have not been explored yet. Gaining insight into spammers' ways to obtain and (mis)use e-mail addresses is useful in many ways, e.g. for the assessment of the effectiveness of address obscuring techniques and the usability and necessity of hiding e-mail addresses on the Internet. This paper presents a spam honeypot project in progress addressing these issues by systematically placing e-mail addresses in the Internet and analyzing received e-mails. The honeypot's conceptual framework, its implementation, and first empirical results are presented. Finally, an outlook on further work and activities is provided.
Mechanism Design for Optimal Distributed Consensus in Networks of Dynamic Agents

We consider stationary consensus protocols for networks of dynamic agents with fixed topologies. At each time instant, each agent knows only its and its neighbors’ state, but must reach consensus on a group decision value that is function of all the agents’ initial state. We show that the agents can reach consensus if the value of such a function is time-invariant when computed over the agents’ state trajectories. We use this basic result to introduce a non-linear protocol design rule allowing consensus on a quite general set of values. Such a set includes, e.g., any generalized mean of order p of the agents’ initial states. As a second contribution we show that our protocol design is the solution of individual optimizations performed by the agents. This notion suggests a game theoretic interpretation of consensus problems as mechanism design problems. Under this perspective a supervisor entails the agents to reach a consensus by imposing individual objectives. We prove that such objectives can be chosen so that rational agents have a unique optimal protocol, and asymptotically reach consensus on a desired group decision value. We use a Lyapunov approach to prove that the asymptotical consensus can be reached when the communication links between nearby agents define a time-invariant undirected network. Finally we perform a simulation study concerning the vertical alignment maneuver of a team of unmanned air vehicles.