Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatio-temporal Analysis of Dynamic Origin-Destination Data Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation: Application to Vélib' Bike Sharing System of Paris

This paper deals with a data mining approach applied on Bike Sharing System Origin-Destination data, but part of the proposed methodology can be used to analyze other modes of transport that similarly generate Dynamic Origin-Destination (OD) matrices. The transportation network investigated in this paper is the Velib’ Bike Sharing System (BSS) system deployed in Paris since 2007. An approach based on Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), that extracts the main features of the spatio-temporal behavior of the BSS is introduced in this paper. Such approach aims to summarize the behavior of the system by extracting few OD-templates, interpreted as typical and temporally localized demand profiles. The spatial analysis of the obtained templates can be used to give insights into the system behavior and the underlying urban phenomena linked to city dynamics.
Paradox of celestial jukebox: Resurgence of market control

Abstract The rise of P2P technology produced a prediction that ubiquitous access to an unlimited choice of music, known as the Celestial Jukebox, would loosen the market control and hence bring about cultural diversity in the market. As the streaming music business grows, however, this celebrated musical experience is giving rise to a resurgence of market control. Underlying the difference between the prediction and the reality is the unexpected problem that has arisen in the process of technological development. This article unravels this missing link by demonstrating the underlying dynamics involved in the innovation process through which digital technologies are applied, consumed, and used in the music business.
Development of an optical motion-capture system for 3D gait analysis

This work presents the development of an optical motion-capture system for 3D gait analysis. The system consists of two video cameras with speed of 25 fps, flash lighter, LED markers, and two PCs and technical computing software, which are used to acquire marker motion attached to human body during walking. The developed system has five module to obtain real coordinate of markers, i.e. pre-processing, camera calibration, marker detection and tracking, 3D reconstruction, and post-processing module. In the experiment, two camcorders are synchronized using flashlight. The recorded videos from experiment are extracted into frames. The synchronized framesare converted into binary images and marker position can be detected and tracked using least distance method. 3D Direct Linear Transformation method has been used to reconstruct 3D marker position in real coordinate. The marker positions data obtained from experiment could then be used for further kinematics and kinetics analysis of human gait.
Reading Comprehension in a Large Cohort of French First Graders from Low Socio-Economic Status Families: A 7-Month Longitudinal Study

Background The literature suggests that a complex relationship exists between the three main skills involved in reading comprehension (decoding, listening comprehension and vocabulary) and that this relationship depends on at least three other factors orthographic transparency, children’s grade level and socioeconomic status (SES). This study investigated the relative contribution of the predictors of reading comprehension in a longitudinal design (from beginning to end of the first grade) in 394 French children from low SES families. Methodology/Principal findings Reading comprehension was measured at the end of the first grade using two tasks one with short utterances and one with a medium length narrative text. Accuracy in listening comprehension and vocabulary, and fluency of decoding skills, were measured at the beginning and end of the first grade. Accuracy in decoding skills was measured only at the beginning. Regression analyses showed that listening comprehension and decoding skills (accuracy and fluency) always significantly predicted reading comprehension. The contribution of decoding was greater when reading comprehension was assessed via the task using short utterances. Between the two assessments, the contribution of vocabulary, and of decoding skills especially, increased, while that of listening comprehension remained unchanged. Conclusion/Significance These results challenge the ‘simple view of reading’. They also have educational implications, since they show that it is possible to assess decoding and reading comprehension very early on in an orthography (i.e., French), which is less deep than the English one even in low SES children. These assessments, associated with those of listening comprehension and vocabulary, may allow early identification of children at risk for reading difficulty, and to set up early remedial training, which is the most effective, for them.
Deep Structured Output Learning for Unconstrained Text Recognition

We develop a representation suitable for the unconstrained recognition of words in natural images: the general case of no fixed lexicon and unknown length. To this end we propose a convolutional neural network (CNN) based architecture which incorporates a Conditional Random Field (CRF) graphical model, taking the whole word image as a single input. The unaries of the CRF are provided by a CNN that predicts characters at each position of the output, while higher order terms are provided by another CNN that detects the presence of N-grams. We show that this entire model (CRF, character predictor, N-gram predictor) can be jointly optimised by back-propagating the structured output loss, essentially requiring the system to perform multi-task learning, and training uses purely synthetically generated data. The resulting model is a more accurate system on standard real-world text recognition benchmarks than character prediction alone, setting a benchmark for systems that have not been trained on a particular lexicon. In addition, our model achieves state-of-the-art accuracy in lexicon-constrained scenarios, without being specifically modelled for constrained recognition. To test the generalisation of our model, we also perform experiments with random alpha-numeric strings to evaluate the method when no visual language model is applicable.
Functional domains of the human orphan receptor ARP-1/COUP-TFII involved in active repression and transrepression

The orphan receptor ARP-1/COUP-TFII, a member of the chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor (COUP-TF) subfamily of nuclear receptors, strongly represses transcriptional activity of numerous genes, including several apolipoprotein-encoding genes. Recently it has been demonstrated that the mechanism by which COUP-TFs reduce transcriptional activity involves active repression and transrepression. To map the domains of ARP-1/COUP-TFII required for repressor activity, a detailed deletion analysis of the protein was performed. Chimeric proteins in which various segments of the ARP-1/COUP-TFII carboxy terminus were fused to the GAL4 DNA binding domain were used to characterize its active repression domain. The smallest segment confering active repressor activity to a heterologous DNA binding domain was found to comprise residues 210 to 414. This domain encompasses the region of ARP-1/COUP-TFII corresponding to helices 3 to 12 in the recently published crystal structure of other members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. It includes the AF-2 AD core domain formed by helix 12 but not the hinge region, which is essential for interaction with a corepressor in the case of the thyroid hormone and retinoic acid receptor. Attachment of the nuclear localization signal from the simian virus 40 large T antigen (Flu tag) to the amino terminus of ARP-1/COUP-TFII abolished its ability to bind to DNA without affecting its repressor activity. By using a series of Flu-tagged mutants, the domains required for transrepressor activity of the protein were mapped. They include the DNA binding domain and the segment spanning residues 193 to 399. Transcriptional activity induced by liver-enriched transactivators such as hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 (HNF-3), C/EBP, or HNF-4 was repressed by ARP-1/COUP-TFII independent of the presence of its cognate binding site, while basal transcription or transcriptional activity induced by ATF or Sp1 was not perturbed by the protein. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the domains of ARP-1/COUP-TFII required for active repression and transrepression do not coincide. Moreover, they strongly suggest that transrepression is the predominant mechanism underlying repressor activity of ARP-1/COUP-TFII. This mechanism most likely involves interaction of the protein with one or several transcriptional coactivator proteins which are employed by various liver-enriched transactivators but not by ubiquitous factors such as Sp1 or ATF.
Diaphragm Postural Function Analysis Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging

We present a postural analysis of diaphragm function using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The main aim of the study was to identify changes in diaphragm motion and shape when postural demands on the body were increased (loading applied to a distal part of the extended lower extremities against the flexion of the hips was used). Sixteen healthy subjects were compared with 17 subjects suffering from chronic low back pain and in whom structural spine disorders had been identified. Two sets of features were calculated from MRI recordings: dynamic parameters reflecting diaphragm action, and static parameters reflecting diaphragm anatomic characteristics. A statistical analysis showed that the diaphragm respiratory and postural changes were significantly slower, bigger in size and better balanced in the control group. When a load was applied to the lower limbs, the pathological subjects were mostly not able to maintain the respiratory diaphragm function, which was lowered significantly. Subjects from the control group showed more stable parameters of both respiratory and postural function. Our findings consistently affirmed worse muscle cooperation in the low back pain population subgroup. A clear relation with spinal findings and with low back pain remains undecided, but various findings in the literature were confirmed. The most important finding is the need to further address various mechanisms used by patients to compensate deep muscle insufficiency.
Germ cells transplantation in fish: the Nile-tilapia model

Spermatogonial transplantation, developed in the past decade by Brinster and colleagues, is a fascinating and powerful technique utilized to investigate male reproductive biology, mainly the aspects related to spermatogenesis and the stem cell biology. This technique also offers tremendous potential for studies involving biotechnology, transgenic animals, and the preservation of the genetic stock of valuable animals or endangered species. Although germ cell transplantation is well characterized for mammals, there is no study utilizing this approach for fish. Due to its fast growth, relative small size when it reaches sexual maturity, good adaptability to different environmental conditions and economical importance, the tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is an excellent experimental model. In the present study, we investigated the viability of adult tilapias as a recipient model for germ cells transplantation in fish. For this purpose, all approaches utilized in the present study for spermatogonial transplantation, such as endogenous spermatogenesis depletion, obtention, selection and spermatonia labeling, and the transplantation through the common urogenital papilla, were standardized in our laboratory. The preliminary results found for the recipient tilapia testes, evaluated by light and fluorescence microscopy, showed the presence of PKH26 labeled germ cells cysts in the seminiferous tubules. These findings obtained, for the first time in fish, suggest that spermatogonial germ cells can be successfully transplanted directly into the testis of this teleost. Therefore, tilapias might be utilized as an experimental model to investigate the germ cell biology and the testis function in teleosts. Moreover, this technique could be also utilized as a potential approach for fish bioengineering, preservation of genetic stock of endangered fish species or fish strains carrying commercially valuable traits.
Toxic effects of chlorinated and brominated alkanoic acids on Pseudomonas putida PP3: selection at high frequencies of mutations in genes encoding dehalogenases

Mutant strains of Pseudomonas putida PP3 capable of utilizing monochloroacetate (MCA) and dichloroacetate (DCA) as the sole sources of carbon and energy were isolated from chemostat cultures. The mutants differed from the parent strain in that they could grow on products of MCA and DCA dehalogenation (catalyzed by inducible dehalogenases I and II) and were resistant to growth inhibition by the two substrates. The growth inhibition of strain PP3 by MCA, DCA, and other halogenated alkanoic acids was studied. Sensitivity to dehalogenase substrates was related to the expression of the dehalogenase genes. For example, mutants producing elevated levels of one or both of the dehalogenases were sensitive to 2-monochloropropionate and 2-monochlorobutanoate at concentrations which did not affect the growth of strain PP3. P. putida PP1, the parent of strain PP3, was resistant to the inhibitory effects of MCA and DCA. Spontaneous mutants of strain PP3, also resistant to MCA and DCA, were selected at high frequency, and four different classes of these strains were distinguished on the basis of dehalogenase phenotype. All dehalogenase-producing mutants were inducible; no constitutive mutant has yet been isolated. Most of the resistant mutants examined did not produce one or both of the dehalogenase, and over half of those tested failed to revert back to the parental (strain PP3) phenotype, indicating that the observed mutations involved high-frequency deletion of DNA base sequences affecting expression of genes encoding dehalogenases and associated permease(s).
Detection of Pneumonia Associated Pathogens Using a Prototype Multiplexed Pneumonia Test in Hospitalized Patients with Severe Pneumonia

Severe pneumonia remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been shown to be more sensitive than current standard microbiological methods – particularly in patients with prior antibiotic treatment – and therefore, may improve the accuracy of microbiological diagnosis for hospitalized patients with pneumonia. Conventional detection techniques and multiplex PCR for 14 typical bacterial pneumonia-associated pathogens were performed on respiratory samples collected from adult hospitalized patients enrolled in a prospective multi-center study. Patients were enrolled from March until September 2012. A total of 739 fresh, native samples were eligible for analysis, of which 75 were sputa, 421 aspirates, and 234 bronchial lavages. 276 pathogens were detected by microbiology for which a valid PCR result was generated (positive or negative detection result by Curetis prototype system). Among these, 120 were identified by the prototype assay, 50 pathogens were not detected. Overall performance of the prototype for pathogen identification was 70.6% sensitivity (95% confidence interval (CI) lower bound: 63.3%, upper bound: 76.9%) and 95.2% specificity (95% CI lower bound: 94.6%, upper bound: 95.7%). Based on the study results, device cut-off settings were adjusted for future series production. The overall performance with the settings of the CE series production devices was 78.7% sensitivity (95% CI lower bound: 72.1%) and 96.6% specificity (95% CI lower bound: 96.1%). Time to result was 5.2 hours (median) for the prototype test and 43.5 h for standard-of-care. The Pneumonia Application provides a rapid and moderately sensitive assay for the detection of pneumonia-causing pathogens with minimal hands-on time. Trial Registration Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien (DRKS) DRKS00005684
Clima motivacional en deportistas en función de la modalidad deportiva

La presente investigación tiene como objetivo analizar el clima motivacional de deportistas de diferentes modalidades deportivas en función del sexo, en una muestra compuesta por un total de 372 sujetos de edades comprendidas entre los 18 y 50 años, evaluados mediante el cuestionario de Clima Motivacional (PMCQS-2) y una hoja de auto registro que midió las variables sexo y modalidad deportiva practicada. Los resultados indican que los individuos analizados se orientan en su mayoría hacia a la tarea, encontrando una mayor orientación al ego en hombres que en mujeres. Los sujetos analizados que practican la modalidad de deporte individual con contacto son los que obtienen puntuaciones más elevadas en clima ego. El estudio revela la importancia de trabajar la motivación autodeterminada en los deportistas, como un medio para centrarse en el esfuerzo y la superación personal. The objective of this research is to analyze the motivational climate of athletes of different sports according to gender, in a sample composed of a total of 372 subjects between the ages of 18 and 50, evaluated through the Motivational Climate Questionnaire (PMCQS - 2) and a self-registration sheet that measured the variables sex and practical sports modality. The results indicate that the individuals analyzed are mostly oriented towards the task, finding a greater orientation to the ego in men than in women. The analyzed subjects who practice the modality of individual sports with contact are the ones that obtain the highest results in the ego climate. The study reveals the importance of working self-determined motivation in athletes, as a means to focus on effort and personal improvement.
Cost of Capital , Strategic Disclosures and Accounting Choice

Research by Botosan and Plumlee (2002) finds that firms’ cost of capital increases the more timely are disclosures. B&P propose this can occur because more frequent disclosure can lead to increased volatility, which in turn increases cost of capital. While not disputing that increased frequency can lead to increased volatility we consider an alternative explanation for the B&P results. We suggest that the results may be driven by too restrictive a view having been taken concerning what constitutes corporate communication. In particular, implicit in the B&P analysis is an assumption that the whole communication strategy space is identified when testing the linkage between voluntary disclosures and the cost of capital. We suggest that such an assumption may be highly unrealistic in practice. Firms use a mix of message spaces to communicate with capital markets. In this research we consider empirically how to reinterpret and test B&P like hypotheses when firms are assumed to communicate along two strategic dimensions: via disclosures concerning strategic ventures, and in addition via choice of accounting policy. Contrary to B&P, we find a negative relationship between our measure of timely disclosure and cost of equity capital. Second, we find that firms making aggressive accounting choices have higher costs of capital than firms making conservative accounting choices. Finally, we find that firms that choose aggressive accounting policies can lower their cost of capital via increased disclosure whereas no such relationship is observed for ‘conservative’ firms. This is consistent with theory, that conservative firms benefit from lower cost of capital regardless of disclosure policy, therefore their disclosure policy may be driven by the fact that they perceive that benefits from increased disclosure are dominated by the costs. ∗ We gratefully acknowledge the comments of Marco Trombetta.
ผลของการสอนกลวิธีการฟังที่มีต่อความสามารถในการฟังของผู้เรียนคนไทยผู้ใหญ่ที่เรียนภาษาอังกฤษเป็นภาษาต่างประเทศ (EFFECTS OF LISTENING STRATEGY TRAINING ON THE LISTENING PERFORMANCE OF THAI EFL ADULT LEARNERS)

วตถประสงคของงานวจยน คอ เพอศกษาวาผเรยนไทยในระดบมหาบณฑตใชกลวธการฟงทไดรบการสอนมากนอยเพยงไร การสอนกลวธการฟงมผลตอความสามารถในการฟงอยางไรและผเรยนมความคดเหนอยางไรเกยวกบบทเรยนทใชสอนกลวธการฟง ผเขารวมการวจยเปนนสตระดบมหาบณฑตทจำเปนตองปรบปรงความสามารถทางภาษาองกฤษใหถงระดบทมหาวทยาลยกำหนดเพอจบการศกษา จำนวน 24 คน ซงเขารบการฝกฝนการใชกลวธการฟงเปนเวลา 15 ชวโมง ในชวงระยะเวลา 10 สปดาห โดยสมครใจ นสตเหลานไดรบการฝกใหใช Cognitive และ Metacognitive Strategies ในการฟง หลงจากการฝกหนงสปดาหนสตเขาสอบ Chulalongkorn University Test of English Proficiency (CU-TEP) ซงเปนขอสอบภาษาองกฤษทไดมาตรฐานทพฒนาและจดสอบโดยจฬาลงกรณมหาวทยาลย แมวาผลการวเคราะหคาเฉลยของคะแนนสอบของผเขารวมการวจยในครงนเมอนำมาเปรยบเทยบกบคาเฉลยของคะแนนสอบ CU-TEP กอนเขารบการฝกกลวธในการฟงโดยใช Dependent Samples t-test จะมไดบงชความแตกตางอยางมนยสำคญทางสถตของคะแนนสอบกอนและหลงการรบการฝก แตแบบสอบถามทผเขารวมการวจยทำหลงการสอบบงชวาผเขารวมการวจยใชกลวธการฟงทไดรบการสอนในระดบสง และเหนวาการฝกฝนการใชกลวธการฟงครงนมประโยชนตอการพฒนาทกษะการฟงภาษาองกฤษอยางมาก ในสวนสดทายของบทความผวจยไดนำเสนอขอจำกดของการวจยเพอการวจยในอนาคตตอไป คำสำคญ: การฝกกลวธในการฟง ความสามารถในการฟง ผเรยนผใหญคนไทยทเรยนภาษาองกฤษเปนภาษาตางประเทศ The objectives of this study were to investigate the extent to which Thai graduate students used the listening strategies they had been trained to, the effect of the training on their listening performance, and their opinions regarding the listening strategy training materials. Twenty-four Master’s Degree students who needed to attain the English proficiency level required for graduation voluntarily participated in the 15-hour listening strategy training over a period of 10 weeks. The participants were trained to use certain cognitive and metacognitive strategies. One week after the training, they took a Chulalongkorn University Test of English Proficiency (CU-TEP), a standardized English test developed and administered by Chulalongkorn University. Their scores were compared to those of the latest CU-TEP they had taken before joining the study. The analysis of the means of the two test scores using a dependent samples t-test revealed no significant difference. However, the questionnaire the participants completed after taking the post-training CU-TEP revealed that they had employed the listening strategies which they had learned at a high level and they expressed favorable opinions of the listening strategy training materials. They considered the strategy instruction highly beneficial to the improvement of their English listening skills. Finally, limitations of the study are discussed for further studies. Keywords : Listening Strategy Training, Listening Performance, Thai EFL Adult Learners
Structure of technology evolution: The way on which ICT industry emerged in Korea

The role of ICT in the economic growth in Korea is a great attraction to the telecommunication society interested in the relationship among ICT, innovation policy and economic growth. However, prior research concentrates on investigating the effect of policy on innovation and economic growth, but misses the mechanism how a policy affects the technological system which interacts with public institutes, universities and private firms. In this paper, we analyze the structure of technology evolution in Korea with empirical data of patents to understand the prosperity of ICT sector in Korea. To do so, we define a technology network, or a set of nodes and links, representing technology fields and the relations between the fields, respectively, and measure the network topology and position per year between 1970 and 2010. Our results propose that the technology network maintains the scalefree topology, but the entities of the hub positions are gradually replaced emerging entities on the invariant network topology. Our findings are expected to motivate ICT innovation studies to understand the evolutionary mechanism of ICT industry in the systematic perspective of technology, and improve the policy of ICT innovation.