Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Positive Semi-Definite Matrix Multiplicative Error Models

Positive semi-definite matrices arise in a number of interesting contexts, most notably in covariance modeling and forecasting but also in conditional duration and hazard models. Most existing covariance models are constructed as Multivariate GARCH models which use the distribution of returns to estimate any unknown parameters in the conditional covariance. This paper introduced the positive semi-definite matrix multiplicative error model as a generalization of MV-GARCH models to allow the modeling of positive semi-definite matrices which do not have a representation using returns. The paper defines the models and examines some choices for likelihood-based estimation. The paper concludes with an application to modeling the conditional covariance of ETFs spanning the Dow Jones 30, the NASDAQ 100 and mid-cap Spiders. The application is extended to show how novel models can be produced in the PSD-MEM framework by decomposing the covariance into an over-night component, which is only measured from the close to the following open and an intra-day covariance which is measured using realized covariance.
Generalized averaging method for power conversion circuits

The method of state-space averaging has been successfully applied to pulse-width modulated power converters, but has its limitations with switched circuits that do not satisfy a small-ripple condition. A more general averaging procedure that encompasses state-space averaging and is potentially applicable to a much broader class of circuits and systems is considered. In particular, the technique is shown to be effective on a number of examples, including resonant-type converters. The method may find applications in simulation as well as design, since it is considerably easier to simulate an averaged model than a switched model. <<ETX>>
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Robust location estimators for the X-bar control chart

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IGF-binding protein 1 and abdominal obesity in the development of type 2 diabetes in women

OBJECTIVE Low levels of IGF-binding protein 1 (IGFBP1) are associated with metabolic syndrome and predict diabetes development in men. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of IGFBP1 in women who later develop diabetes, in relation to abdominal obesity, and to compare these levels with those of men. METHODS IGFBP1 levels were determined at baseline and after 8 years in a case-control, prospective study of Swedish women aged 35-56 years. Individuals with normal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) who developed abnormal glucose regulation (n=240) were pair matched to controls for age and family history of diabetes and also compared to men of the same age (n=355). RESULTS Low fasting IGFBP1 and increased waist measurement predicted development of diabetes in women (n=60; odds ratio (OR) 70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 8-661, lowest tertile and OR 27, 95% CI 5-141, highest tertile). In women developing diabetes, baseline IGFBP1 levels were lower than expected for fasting insulin values, were associated with impaired suppression after OGTT and increased during 8 years despite an increase in fasting insulin. All individuals in the highest tertile for waist and with <or=40% suppression of IGFBP1 developed diabetes within 8 years. Circulating IGFBP1 concentrations were higher in women compared to men. Women and men who developed diabetes had a similar degree of abdominal obesity, corrected for height. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that low IGFBP1 and elevated waist measurement predict diabetes development and that IGFBP1 production is suppressed by a novel factor(s) in women developing diabetes. Increasing levels of IGFBP1 during the emergence of diabetes in men and women suggest the emergence of hepatic insulin resistance.
Comparison of Geometric and Probabilistic Shaping with Application to ATSC 3.0

In this work, geometric shaping (GS) and probabilistic shaping (PS) for the AWGN channel is reviewed. Both approaches are investigated in terms of symbol-metric decoding (SMD) and bit-metric decoding (BMD). For GS, an optimization algorithm based on differential evolution is formulated. Achievable rate analysis reveals that GS suffers from a 0.4 dB performance degradation compared to PS when BMD is used. Forward-error correction simulations of the ATSC 3.0 modulation and coding formats (modcods) confirm the theoretical findings. In particular, PS enables seamless rate adaptation with one single modcod and it outperforms ATSC 3.0 GS modcods by more than 0.5 dB for spectral efficiencies larger than 3.2 bits per channel use.
Differential roles for the adapters Gads and LAT in platelet activation by GPVI and CLEC-2

Summary. Background: The adapter proteins SLP‐76 and LAT have been shown to play critical roles in the activation of PLCγ2 in platelets downstream of GPVI/FcRγ and the C‐type lectin receptor CLEC‐2. SLP‐76 is constitutively associated with the adapter Gads in platelets, which also binds to tyrosine phosphorylated LAT, thereby providing a potential pathway of regulation of SLP‐76. Objective: In the present study, we have compared the role of Gads alongside that of LAT following activation of the major platelet glycoprotein receptors using mice deficient in the two adapter proteins. Results: Gads was found to be required for the efficient onset of aggregation and secretion in response to submaximal stimulation of GPVI and CLEC‐2, but to be dispensable for activation following stronger stimulation of the two receptors. Gads was also dispensable for spreading induced through integrin αIIbβ3 or the GPIb–IX–V complex. Further, Gads plays a negligible role in aggregate formation on collagen at an arteriolar rate of shear. In stark contrast, platelets deficient in the adapter LAT exhibit a marked decrease in aggregation and secretion following activation of GPVI and CLEC‐2, and are unable to form stable aggregates on collagen at arteriolar shear. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that Gads plays a key role in linking the adapter LAT to SLP‐76 in response to weak activation of GPVI and CLEC‐2 whereas LAT is required for full activation over a wider range of agonist concentrations. These results reveal the presence of a Gads‐independent pathway of platelet activation downstream of LAT.
Oxytocin and Human Social Behavior

Oxytocin is often called the "love hormone" or "cuddle hormone". Recently,interest in human oxytocin has been shifted from studying its role in parturition and lactation to understanding its impact on human social behavior.Research methods include urine,blood and cerebrospinal measurement,nasal spray through nostrils and genotyping.Studies have focused on the impacts of oxytocin on human social behavior,including social relationship,social decision-making,social information processing,social memory and anxiety.Recently,researchers have examined the therapeutic potential of oxytocin in the treatment of psychopathological diseases,including autism spectrum disorder,social anxiety disorder,depression,obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia.Further studies should focus on its clinical application,side effect and neural mechanisms.
Ataxin-3 Represses Transcription via Chromatin Binding, Interaction with Histone Deacetylase 3, and Histone Deacetylation

Ataxin-3 (AT3), the disease protein in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), has been associated with the ubiquitin–proteasome system and transcriptional regulation. Here we report that normal AT3 binds to target DNA sequences in specific chromatin regions of the matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) gene promoter and represses transcription by recruitment of the histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3), the nuclear receptor corepressor (NCoR), and deacetylation of histones bound to the promoter. Both normal and expanded AT3 physiologically interacted with HDAC3 and NCoR in a SCA3 cell model and human pons tissue; however, normal AT3-containing protein complexes showed increased histone deacetylase activity, whereas expanded AT3-containing complexes had reduced deacetylase activity. Consistently, histone analyses revealed an increased acetylation of total histone H3 in expanded AT3-expressing cells and human SCA3 pons. Expanded AT3 lost the repressor function and displayed altered DNA/chromatin binding that was not associated with recruitment of HDAC3, NCoR, and deacetylation of the promoter, allowing aberrant MMP-2 transcription via the transcription factor GATA-2. For transcriptional repression normal AT3 cooperates with HDAC3 and requires its intact ubiquitin-interacting motifs (UIMs), whereas aberrant transcriptional activation by expanded AT3 is independent of the UIMs but requires the catalytic cysteine of the ubiquitin protease domain. These findings demonstrate that normal AT3 binds target promoter regions and represses transcription of a GATA-2-dependent target gene via formation of histone-deacetylating repressor complexes requiring its UIM-associated function. Expanded AT3 aberrantly activates transcription via its catalytic site and loses the ability to form deacetylating repressor complexes on target chromatin regions.
An Exploration of China's Mortality Decline under Mao: a Provincial Analysis, 1950-80 Rationing, Spillover, and Interlinking in Credit Markets: the Case of Rural Punjab

A parallel market structure may exhibit extensive rationing in the regulated segment, and hence spillover of unsatisfied demand into the unregulated segment of the market In the latter segment, the borrower can choose to bundle loan contracts with output marketing through the lender. Using data on Punjabi cultivators, econometric estimation of such a structure yields three principal findings: (i) most borrowers and non-borrowers were rationed in the regulated market; (ii) demand for credit was fairly inelastic with respect to the interest rate; (iii) a contractual provision tying credit to output marketing made informal lenders willing to advance much bigger loans. Onepanaanda quarter is the lawful rate of interest per month on one hundred panas, five panas for purposes of trade, ten panas for those going through forests, twenty panas for those going by sea. For one charging or making another charge a rate beyond that, the punishment shall be the lowest fine for violence, for witnesses, each one of them, half the fine. If, however, the King is unable to ensure protection, the Qndge) should take into consideration the usual practice among creditors and debtors. The Kauliliya Arthasastra (a fourth century BC work on kingship and statecraft).
Maternal nutrition modifies trophoblast giant cell phenotype and fetal growth in mice

Mammalian placentation is dependent upon the action of trophoblast cells at the time of implantation. Appropriate fetal growth, regulated by maternal nutrition and nutrient transport across the placenta, is a critical factor for adult offspring long-term health. We have demonstrated that a mouse maternal low-protein diet (LPD) fed exclusively during preimplantation development (Emb-LPD) increases offspring growth but programmes adult cardiovascular and metabolic disease. In this study, we investigate the impact of maternal nutrition on post-implantation trophoblast phenotype and fetal growth. Ectoplacental cone explants were isolated at day 8 of gestation from female mice fed either normal protein diet (NPD: 18% casein), LPD (9% casein) or Emb-LPD and cultured in vitro. We observed enhanced spreading and cell division within proliferative and secondary trophoblast giant cells (TGCs) emerging from explants isolated from LPD-fed females when compared with NPD and Emb-LPD explants after 24 and 48 h. Moreover, both LPD and Emb-LPD explants showed substantial expansion of TGC area during 24–48 h, not observed in NPD. No difference in invasive capacity was observed between treatments using Matrigel transwell migration assays. At day 17 of gestation, LPD- and Emb-LPD-fed conceptuses displayed smaller placentas and larger fetuses respectively, resulting in increased fetal:placental ratios in both groups compared with NPD conceptuses. Analysis of placental and yolk sac nutrient signalling within the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 pathway revealed similar levels of total and phosphorylated downstream targets across groups. These data demonstrate that early post-implantation embryos modify trophoblast phenotype to regulate fetal growth under conditions of poor maternal nutrition.
SkePU: a multi-backend skeleton programming library for multi-GPU systems

We present SkePU, a C++ template library which provides a simple and unified interface for specifying data-parallel computations with the help of skeletons on GPUs using CUDA and OpenCL. The interface is also general enough to support other architectures, and SkePU implements both a sequential CPU and a parallel OpenMP backend. It also supports multi-GPU systems. Copying data between the host and the GPU device memory can be a performance bottleneck. A key technique in SkePU is the implementation of lazy memory copying in the container type used to represent skeleton operands, which allows to avoid unnecessary memory transfers. We evaluate SkePU with small benchmarks and a larger application, a Runge-Kutta ODE solver. The results show that a skeleton approach to GPU programming is viable, especially when the computation burden is large compared to memory I/O (the lazy memory copying can help to achieve this). It also shows that utilizing several GPUs have a potential for performance gains. We see that SkePU offers good performance with a more complex and realistic task such as ODE solving, with up to 10 times faster run times when using SkePU with a GPU backend compared to a sequential solver running on a fast CPU.
Learner attention to form in ACCESS task-based interaction

This study explored the potential effects of communicative tasks developed using a reformulation of a task-based language teaching called Automatization in Communicative Contexts of Essential Speech Sequences (ACCESS) that includes automatization of language elements as one of its goals on learner attention to form in task-based interaction. The interaction data collected from a class for English as a second language (ESL) over a four-week period was analysed for incidence, outcome and characteristics (i.e. focus, initiation, response, and turn length) of language-related episodes (LREs) operationalized as evidence of learner attention to form. The results showed that during ACCESS task-based interactions, learners attended to form as reflected in a large number of LREs. Despite being brief, a majority of these LREs were correctly resolved, self-initiated, self- and other-responded, and focused on the target linguistic item: past-tense verbs. These results are discussed in terms of the potential effects of ACCESS task principles, different task features (i.e. task complexity, pre-task modeling, speaker role and group size), and learners’ approach to tasks on the incidence and characteristics of LREs.
Impact of Service Quality on Customers' Satisfaction: A Study from Service Sector especially Private Colleges of Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan

This paper is concentrated on quality of services offered by colleges so that those colleges can compete their rivals and seek satisfaction from students. In whole of the world especially Pakistan's focus is concentrated on spreading education. For education enhancement, role of Private Colleges is extremely admitable. Competition of Colleges is also crucial point for each of college in term of number of students. It is accepted that colleges who are providing quality of services, their students are satisfied and in this way commitment with colleges is increased which results in reputation of college. Dimensions of quality of service include tangible, empathy, reliability, responsiveness and assurance. Youngsters were randomly selected for the purpose of studies that are from Inter level to Master level of education. Results of study show that service quality is found to be very important factor for satisfaction of customers. All of perspectives of service quality are found to be positively correlated while one of those factors that are empathy shows negative relationship with service quality and with satisfaction of customers and it is advice for future researcher not to research on this variable. Main participation of this research in whole of the world is that it identifies the main factors of service quality which ultimately affect the satisfaction of customers. This paper will help top management of organizations and institutes to make strategies better for enhancing quality of service rendered to customers so that satisfaction customers' level can be increased. It is also observed if management of organization is conscious about quality of service then the customers' satisfaction can be increased which leads to customers' loyalty and at the end customers will be committed with those organizations.
Microspectrophotometry of rhodopsin and metarhodopsin in the moth Galleria

Fresh, frozen sections of the photoreceptor layer of the compound eye of the moth Galleria have been examined by microspectrophotometry, using 4 X 8 mum measuring beams that sampled from approximately two to four rhabdoms. The principal visual pigmen: absorbs maximally at 510 nm (P510), and on irradiation is converted to a thermally stable, pH- insensitive metarhodopsin with lambdamax at 484 nm (M484) and a 43% increase in molar extinction coefficient. Subsequently, short wavelength irradiation of the metarhodopsin photoregenerates some P510; but the absence of an isosbestic point in the cycle of spectral changes is consistent with the presence of smaller amounts of violet- or ultraviolet-sensitive visual pigment(s) that also are converted to a blue-absorb g metarhodopsin. Difference spectra for both P510 and M484 were measured, using hydroxylamine. The 484-nm metarhodopsin is reversibly converted to a form with lambdamax at 363 nm by high concentrations of glycerol. Dark regeneration of rhodopsin in vivo after several minutes exposure of thoroughly dark-adapted animals to full sunlight requires several days.
Prediction of distant residue contacts with the use of evolutionary information

In this work we present a novel correlated mutations analysis (CMA) method that is significantly more accurate than previously reported CMA methods. Calculation of correlation coefficients is based on physicochemical properties of residues (predictors) and not on substitution matrices. This results in reliable prediction of pairs of residues that are distant in protein sequence but proximal in its three dimensional tertiary structure. Multiple sequence alignments (MSA) containing a sequence of known structure for 127 families from PFAM database have been selected so that all major protein architectures described in CATH classification database are represented. Protein sequences in the selected families were filtered so that only those evolutionarily close to the target protein remain in the MSA. The average accuracy obtained for the alpha beta class of proteins was 26.8% of predicted proximal pairs with average improvement over random accuracy (IOR) of 6.41. Average accuracy is 20.6% for the mainly beta class and 14.4% for the mainly alpha class. The optimum correlation coefficient cutoff (cc cutoff) was found to be around 0.65. The first predictor, which correlates to hydrophobicity, provides the most reliable results. The other two predictors give good predictions which can be used in conjunction to those of the first one. When stricter cc cutoff is chosen, the average accuracy increases significantly (38.76% for alpha beta class), but the trade off is a smaller number of predictions. The use of solvent accessible area estimations for filtering false positives out of the predictions is promising. Proteins 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Large-Scale Phenotype-Based Antiepileptic Drug Screening in a Zebrafish Model of Dravet Syndrome,,

Abstract Mutations in a voltage-gated sodium channel (SCN1A) result in Dravet Syndrome (DS), a catastrophic childhood epilepsy. Zebrafish with a mutation in scn1Lab recapitulate salient phenotypes associated with DS, including seizures, early fatality, and resistance to antiepileptic drugs. To discover new drug candidates for the treatment of DS, we screened a chemical library of ∼1000 compounds and identified 4 compounds that rescued the behavioral seizure component, including 1 compound (dimethadione) that suppressed associated electrographic seizure activity. Fenfluramine, but not huperzine A, also showed antiepileptic activity in our zebrafish assays. The effectiveness of compounds that block neuronal calcium current (dimethadione) or enhance serotonin signaling (fenfluramine) in our zebrafish model suggests that these may be important therapeutic targets in patients with DS. Over 150 compounds resulting in fatality were also identified. We conclude that the combination of behavioral and electrophysiological assays provide a convenient, sensitive, and rapid basis for phenotype-based drug screening in zebrafish mimicking a genetic form of epilepsy.
Constraints on primordial non-Gaussianity from a needlet analysis of the WMAP-5 data

We look for a non-Gaussian signal in the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) 5-year temperature anisotropy maps by performing a needlet-based data analysis. We use the foreground-reduced maps obtained by the WMAP team through the optimal combination of the W, V and Q channels, and perform realistic non-Gaussian simulations in order to constrain the non-linear coupling parameter f NL. We apply a third-order estimator of the needlet coefficients skewness and compute the χ 2 statistics of its distribution. We obtain −80 <f NL < 120 at 95 per cent confidence level, which is consistent with a Gaussian distribution and comparable to previous constraints on the non-linear coupling. We then develop an estimator of f NL based on the same simulations and we find consistent constraints on primordial non-Gaussianity. We finally compute the three-point correlation function in needlet space: the constraints on f NL improve to −50 <f NL < 110 at 95 per cent confidence level.