Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Temporal coherency for video tone mapping

Tone Mapping Operators (TMOs) aim at converting real world high dynamic range (HDR) images captured with HDR cameras, into low dynamic range (LDR) images that can be displayed on LDR displays. Several TMOs have been proposed over the last decade, from the simple global mapping to the more complex one simulating the human vision system. While these solutions work generally well for still pictures, they are usually less e_cient for video sequences as they are source of visual artifacts. Only few of them can be adapted to cope with a sequence of images. In this paper we present a major problem that a static TMO usually encounters while dealing with video sequences, namely the temporal coherency. Indeed, as each tone mapper deals with each frame separately, no temporal coherency is taken into account and hence the results can be quite disturbing for high varying dynamics in a video. We propose a temporal coherency algorithm that is designed to analyze a video as a whole, and from its characteristics adapts each tone mapped frame of a sequence in order to preserve the temporal coherency. This temporal coherency algorithm has been tested on a set of real as well as Computer Graphics Image (CGI) content and put in competition with several algorithms that are designed to be time-dependent. Results show that temporal coherency preserves the overall contrast in a sequence of images. Furthermore, this technique is applicable to any TMO as it is a post-processing that only depends on the used TMO.
Higher education expansion and economic growth in Japan and south Korea

The concept of linking higher education and economic growth was diffused throughout the world in the 20th century. Responding to the needs of industries during that period, higher education expanded approximately 200 times beyond the enrollment level in 1900 (Schofer & Meyer, 2005). Empirical studies dealing with the individual benefit of higher education have flourished but little was known about the effect of higher education composition on economic growth. This research investigates contributions of higher education composition—institutional sector and major—to the growth of national wealth. This study chose Japan and South Korean cases that exemplify rapid growth in the economies through higher education development. The study collected the panel data about higher education and the economies from 1959 to 2009 for Japan and from 1965 to 2011 for South Korea and applied an ARIMA model regression for time series analysis. The effect of public and private sectors on overall economic growth and of four major groups on GDP per capita and GDP sectors—agriculture, industry, service et al.—were examined. In result, Japanese and South Korean higher education showed a positive effect on their economic growth, and a bidirectional relationship of higher education development and economic growth was examined in both countries’ industrialization periods. The public sector in Japanese higher education contributed to their economic growth. Among four major groups, the Japanese science major group had a positive effect on the increase of their GDP value added by industry and service et al., but the South Korean science major group showed the least effect on their economic growth among four major groups. In South Korea, the social science major group contributed to the economic growth through affecting on the increase of their industrial and service GDP. For deeper understanding about the relationship between higher education composition and economic growth, this study suggests an analysis on the effect of institutional levels as well as major composition in higher education on economic growth.
Unemployment and Product Market Competition in a Cournot Model with Efficiency Wages

This paper analyzes the impact of product market competition on unemployment, wage and welfare in a model where unemployment is caused by the efficiency wage consideration and oligopolistic firms compete in quantity. It is shown that while more intense competition in the product market increases output and reduces price, it does not necessarily lead to a lower unemployment rate or a higher wage for workers. Depending on the technologies, the relationship between the intensity of competition and the level of employment (respectively, wage, welfare) is not always monotonic, and, in some instances, has an inverted Ushape.
Development and Implementation of Novel Data Compression Technique for Accelerate DNA Sequence Alignment Based on Smith – Waterman Algorithm

Abstract— This paper presents the development and implementation of high performance accelerating and optimization technique for DNA sequences alignment algorithm. The scope of the paper focuses on speed optimization and memory reduction of the existing algorithm on initialization module. The novel development and implementation of the optimization using data compression technique for accelerates the Smith-Waterman (SW) algorithm has been discus through this paper. This technique has been implemented on hardware based acceleration device. The development is targeted to Altera Cyclone II 2C70 FPGA and using 50MHz oscillator. The code is written in verilog HDL syntax using Quartus 2 version 7.2 and the simulation is verified using Quartus 2 version 7.2 simulator tool. The theoretical analysis, simulation and implementation result based on development and implementation of the design using FPGA are presented and well organized in this paper. The comparative study based on theoretical, simulation and implementation results of this technique has been made to accomplish result of analysis. The compilation result for data compression technique development of SW algorithm consisting of 73 logic elements with 93.75% reduction in memory space requirement.
Inhibition of SIRT1 Catalytic Activity Increases p53 Acetylation but Does Not Alter Cell Survival following DNA Damage

ABSTRACT Human SIRT1 is an enzyme that deacetylates the p53 tumor suppressor protein and has been suggested to modulate p53-dependent functions including DNA damage-induced cell death. In this report, we used EX-527, a novel, potent, and specific small-molecule inhibitor of SIRT1 catalytic activity to examine the role of SIRT1 in p53 acetylation and cell survival after DNA damage. Treatment with EX-527 dramatically increased acetylation at lysine 382 of p53 after different types of DNA damage in primary human mammary epithelial cells and several cell lines. Significantly, inhibition of SIRT1 catalytic activity by EX-527 had no effect on cell growth, viability, or p53-controlled gene expression in cells treated with etoposide. Acetyl-p53 was also increased by the histone deacetylase (HDAC) class I/II inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA). EX-527 and TSA acted synergistically to increase acetyl-p53 levels, confirming that p53 acetylation is regulated by both SIRT1 and HDACs. While TSA alone reduced cell survival after DNA damage, the combination of EX-527 and TSA had no further effect on cell viability and growth. These results show that, although SIRT1 deacetylates p53, this does not play a role in cell survival following DNA damage in certain cell lines and primary human mammary epithelial cells.
An Improved Immunization Strategy: M-Absolute

The traditional duration model has limited power for protecting against interest rate risk. A new risk measure, entitled M-Absolute, is designed to provide powerful and practical single-risk-measure immunization in particular circumstances. M-Absolute is similar to M-Square but is derived as a first-order interest-rate-risk hedging model. M-Absolute of a bond is defined as the weighted average of the absolute distances of the bond's cash flows from a horizon point. Even though it is a single-risk measure, M-Absolute can act effectively to reduce the impacts of several types of interest rate risks rather than hedge against only a single type of term structure shift. Empirical tests show that M-Absolute reduces the interest rate risk inherent in the traditional duration model by more than half. These results are independent of the particular time period chosen.
Buyer‐supplier relationships in a servitized environment: An examination with Cannon and Perreault's framework

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine a buyer's adoption of servitization and the associated implications for the relationships with its suppliers.Design/methodology/approach – The authors use the case study approach to examine the tripartite relationship between a manufacturing company and two of its two suppliers. The paper explores the perspectives of employees on multiple organisational levels, and collects evidence on both sides of a relationship. The authors use template analysis utilising Cannon and Perreault's relationship connectors framework to analyse the data.Findings – There are overarching implications of servitization adoption for buyer‐supplier relationships. The implications are notable in all five relationship connectors. Parties expected more open exchange of information, operational linkages were strengthened and changes in the structural arrangements of relationships were witnessed. Legal contracts are complemented by relational norms. The authors also observed a departure.
Lower Bounds for Pairs of Recursively Enumerable Degrees

The degrees of unsolvability have been extensively studied by Sacks in (4). This paper studies problems concerned with lower bounds of pairs of recursively enumerable (r.e.) degrees. It grew out of an unpublished paper written in June 1964 which presented a proof of the following conjecture of Sacks ((4) 170): there exist two r.e. degrees a, b whose greatest lower bound is 0. This result was first announced by Yates (6); the present author's proof is superficially at least quite different from that of Yates. The author is grateful to Yates for pointing out two errors in the original proof of Lemma 3, and for his careful reading of the whole of the earlier paper. The result already mentioned is Theorem 1 of this paper. As a by-product of the construction we can obtain a' = b' = 0'; Yates has made a similar observation regarding his construction. In Theorem 2 it is proved that there are r.e. degrees a, b whose greatest lower bound is 0 such that a, b are the degrees of maximal r.e. sets. Next, we show that only for some r.e. degrees c in 0 < c < 0' do there exist r.e. degrees a, b such that c is the greatest lower bound of a and b. Finally, we show that if a and b are non-recursive r.e. degrees such that a u b = 0' then there exists a non-recursive r.e. degree c such that c < a and c < b. As a corollary it is shown that the upper semi-lattice of the r.e. degrees is not a lattice, thus verifying another conjecture of Sacks ((4) 170). Before this proof was discovered Sacks himself was developing a proof of the same conjecture. I should like to thank the referee for helpful comments.
Markov Switching SV Processes in Modelling Volatility of Financial Time Series

This paper presents a Markov Switching Stochastic Volatility model (MSSV) as a specification of potential use in financial econometrics. The model may be viewed as a specific generalization of a wellknown SV construction, that allows the parameters of the conditional volatility equation to switch between a predetermined number of states (regimes). The switching mechanism is driven by a homogenous discrete Markov chain. Without significant loss of generality we restrict our analysis to two regimes only. Then we concentrate on the estimation procedure of a MSSV model, based on the Quasi-Maximum Likelihood approach presented by Smith in [18]. In order to calculate the quasi-log-likelihood function we consider a linear state-space representation of the MSSV model and employ a combination of the Kalman filter and Hamilton’s filter procedures. Finally, four MSSV models and a standard SV model are estimated and compared in terms of goodness of fit to the 1-month WIBOR interest rates.
On Quantile Regression in Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces with the Data Sparsity Constraint

For spline regressions, it is well known that the choice of knots is crucial for the performance of the estimator. As a general learning framework covering the smoothing splines, learning in a Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space (RKHS) has a similar issue. However, the selection of training data points for kernel functions in the RKHS representation has not been carefully studied in the literature. In this paper we study quantile regression as an example of learning in a RKHS. In this case, the regular squared norm penalty does not perform training data selection. We propose a data sparsity constraint that imposes thresholding on the kernel function coefficients to achieve a sparse kernel function representation. We demonstrate that the proposed data sparsity method can have competitive prediction performance for certain situations, and have comparable performance in other cases compared to that of the traditional squared norm penalty. Therefore, the data sparsity method can serve as a competitive alternative to the squared norm penalty method. Some theoretical properties of our proposed method using the data sparsity constraint are obtained. Both simulated and real data sets are used to demonstrate the usefulness of our data sparsity constraint.
Distribution of GABAergic Interneurons and Dopaminergic Cells in the Functional Territories of the Human Striatum

Background The afferent projections of the striatum (caudate nucleus and putamen) are segregated in three territories: associative, sensorimotor and limbic. Striatal interneurons are in part responsible for the integration of these different types of information. Among them, GABAergic interneurons are the most abundant, and can be sorted in three populations according to their content in the calcium binding proteins calretinin (CR), parvalbumin (PV) and calbindin (CB). Conversely, striatal dopaminergic cells (whose role as interneurons is still unclear) are scarce. This study aims to analyze the interneuron distribution in the striatal functional territories, as well as their organization regarding to the striosomal compartment. Methodology/Principal Findings We used immunohistochemical methods to visualize CR, PV, CB and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive striatal neurons. The interneuronal distribution was assessed by stereological methods applied to every striatal functional territory. Considering the four cell groups altogether, their density was higher in the associative (2120±91 cells/mm3) than in the sensorimotor (959±47 cells/mm3) or limbic (633±119 cells/mm3) territories. CB- and TH-immunoreactive(-ir) cells were distributed rather homogeneously in the three striatal territories. However, the density of CR and PV interneurons were more abundant in the associative and sensorimotor striatum, respectively. Regarding to their compartmental organization, CR-ir interneurons were frequently found in the border between compartments in the associative and sensorimotor territories, and CB-ir interneurons abounded at the striosome/matrix border in the sensorimotor domain. Conclusions/Significance The present study demonstrates that the architecture of the human striatum in terms of its interneuron composition varies in its three functional territories. Furthermore, our data highlight the importance of CR-ir striatal interneurons in the integration of associative information, and the selective role of PV-ir interneurons in the motor territory. On the other hand, the low density of dopaminergic cells casts doubts about their role in the normal human striatum.
Fabrication, Characterization and Numerical Simulation of High Breakdown Voltage pHEMTs

High breakdown voltage pHEMTs have been successfully developed by implementing a field-plate (FP) structure. Devices with and without FP have been fabricated on the same wafer in order to compare the improvements induced by adopting the FP. Both kinds of devices showed little or no current dispersion under pulse measurement conditions. Moreover the off-state breakdown voltage improved from 23V, for the devices without FP, to 38V for the field-plated devices. At 4GHz an output power as high as 1.6W/mm was measured for a FP device, resulting in a 60% improvement with respect to the device without FP. The fabricated structures were also evaluated by carrying out 2D numerical simulations. Experimental results on MIS pHEMTs have been explained by means of a donor trap at the SiN/GaAs interface located at 0.18eV from the GaAs conduction band. Finally, a good agreement between experimental and simulated device characteristics was obtained
Human DNA extraction from whole saliva that was fresh or stored for 3, 6 or 12 months using five different protocols

Abstract Saliva when compared to blood collection has the following advantages: it requires no specialized personnel for collection, allows for remote collection by the patient, is painless, well accepted by participants, has decreased risks of disease transmission, does not clot, can be frozen before DNA extraction and possibly has a longer storage time. Objective and Material and Methods This study aimed to compare the quantity and quality of human DNA extracted from saliva that was fresh or frozen for three, six and twelve months using five different DNA extraction protocols: protocol 1 – Oragene™ commercial kit, protocol 2 – QIAamp DNA mini kit, protocol 3 – DNA extraction using ammonium acetate, protocol 4 – Instagene™ Matrix and protocol 5 – Instagene™ Matrix diluted 1:1 using proteinase K and 1% SDS. Briefly, DNA was analyzed using spectrophotometry, electrophoresis and PCR. Results Results indicated that time spent in storage typically decreased the DNA quantity with the exception of protocol 1. The purity of DNA was generally not affected by storage times for the commercial based protocols, while the purity of the DNA samples extracted by the noncommercial protocols typically decreased when the saliva was stored longer. Only protocol 1 consistently extracted unfragmented DNA samples. In general, DNA samples extracted through protocols 1, 2, 3 and 4, regardless of storage time, were amplified by human specific primers whereas protocol 5 produced almost no samples that were able to be amplified by human specific primers. Depending on the protocol used, it was possible to extract DNA in high quantities and of good quality using whole saliva, and furthermore, for the purposes of DNA extraction, saliva can be reliably stored for relatively long time periods. Conclusions In summary, a complicated picture emerges when taking into account the extracted DNA’s quantity, purity and quality; depending on a given researchers needs, one protocol’s particular strengths and costs might be the deciding factor for its employment.
The impact of Europeanisation on policy-making inTurkey: controversies, uncertainties and misfits inbroadcasting policy, 1999-2005

The recognition of Turkey’s candidacy for European Union (EU) membership at Helsinki European Council Summit in December 1999 marked a profound shift in EU-Turkey relations, which has been difficult and turbulent for decades. Turkey started undergoing a drastic transformation after the Helsinki Summit and was successful in clinching a date from the EU in October 2004 to launch accession talks. In between these two dates the two consecutive governments issued a series of new legislations in order to comply with EU conditionality, particularly with political criteria also known as the ‘Copenhagen criteria’ and finally started membership negotiations in October 2005. This study aims to investigate and analyse the impact of the EU on policy-making processes in Turkey between 1999 and 2005 by focusing on a specific policy area: broadcasting. At the simplest level, it is motivated by an academic interest in the complexity of Turkey’s everlasting association with Europe and seeks to explore the dynamics of the post-Helsinki candidacy process by employing various theoretical tools offered by research on Europeanisation. Thus, although it questions the whole rationale of the pre-accession process in Turkey, it looks into the domestic arena of broadcasting policy-making to explore how ‘EU accession conditionality’ is translated into domestic policy responses. It concludes that Turkey’s response to EU conditionality was not unified across different issues of broadcasting policy. Its response to ‘democratic conditionality’ was directly influenced by prevailing ideas about ‘the credibility of the EU’ as well as calculations of the ‘costs of compliance’, and its response to ‘acquis conditionality’ resulted in a regulatory chaos. Overall, this research reveals that where broadcasting policy-making is concerned, changes as a result of the EU’s impact on Turkey were limited. Rather than transformation, the outcome of this process was a minimal degree of adaptation.
SYSTEMATICS OF ISOLATED POPULATIONS OF SHORT-TAILED SHREWS (SORICIDAE: BLARINA) IN TEXAS

Abstract Two isolated and taxonomically unassigned populations of short-tailed shrews (Blarina) exist in Texas, 1 in the Lost Pines region including Bastrop County and 1 at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf Coast. Molecular and morphological methods were used to determine the systematic status of the 2 disjunct Texas populations. Multivariate analyses of size-influenced cranial measurements were unsuccessful in identifying specimens from these populations at the species level. Phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene revealed that the samples from disjunct Texas populations form a monophyletic sister clade to B. hylophaga from Kansas and Nebraska; there is little divergence between the 2 Texas populations. Genetic divergence between Texas and Kansas–Nebraska B. hylophaga is comparable to taxonomically recognized east–west divisions within B. brevicauda and B. carolinensis. Therefore, the name Blarina hylophaga plumbea, which originally was applied to the Aransas County population, also should include the Bastrop County population.
Concurrent infection of the central nervous system by Borrelia burgdorferi and Bartonella henselae: evidence for a novel tick-borne disease complex.

OBJECTIVES To investigate Bartonella henselae as a potential human tick-borne pathogen and to evaluate its role as a coinfecting agent of the central nervous system in the presence of neuroborreliosis. DESIGN Case report study. SETTING A primary health care center in Flemington, NJ, and the Department of Research and Development at Medical Diagnostic Laboratories LLC in Mt Laurel, NJ. SUBJECTS Two male patients (aged 14 and 36 years) and 2 female patients (aged 15 and 30 years, respectively) with a history of tick bites and Lyme disease. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Laboratory and diagnostic findings before and after antimicrobial therapy. RESULTS Patients residing in a Lyme-endemic area of New Jersey with ongoing symptoms attributed to chronic Lyme disease were evaluated for possible coinfection with Bartonella species. Elevated levels of B henselae-specific antibodies were found in these patients using the immunofluorescent assay. Bartonella henselae-specific DNA was detected in their blood. None of these patients exhibited the clinical characteristics of cat-scratch disease. Findings of cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed the presence of both B henselae- and Borrelia burgdorferi-specific DNA. Bartonella henselae-specific DNA was also detected in live deer ticks obtained from the households of 2 of these patients. CONCLUSIONS Our data implicate B henselae as a potential human tick-borne pathogen. Patients with a history of neuroborreliosis who have incomplete resolution of symptoms should be evaluated for B henselae infection.