Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical Presentation and Pathogenesis of Cold-Induced Autoinflammatory Disease in a Family With Recurrence of an NLRP 12 Mutation

Objective. NLRP12 mutations have been described in patients affected with peculiar autoinflammatory symptoms. This study was undertaken to characterize NLRP12 mutations in patients with autoinflammatory syndromes, particularly a novel missense mutation, p.D294E, affecting a protein sequence crucial for ATP binding, which was identified in a Caucasian family with familial cold-induced autoinflammatory syndrome in some family members. Methods. Fifty patients were tested for NLRP12 mutations. A Caucasian family with the p.D294E missense mutation of NLRP12 in some family members was clinically characterized. In vitro analysis of the effects of the mutation on NFB activity was performed in HEK 293 cells after cotransfection of the cells with a luciferase NFB–responsive element and mutant or wildtype (WT) NLRP12 expression plasmids. NFB activity was also evaluated 24 hours after stimulation with tumor necrosis factor in monocytes from individual family members carrying the mutation. Furthermore, secretion of interleukin-1 (IL-1 ), production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and activation of antioxidant systems in patient and healthy donor monocytes, under resting conditions and after stimulation with pathogenassociated molecular patterns (PAMPs), were also assessed. Results. In the family assessed, the p.D294E mutation segregated in association with a particular sensitivity to cold exposure (especially arthralgias and myalgia), but not always with an inflammatory phenotype (e.g., urticarial rash or fever). In vitro, the mutant protein maintained the same inhibitory activity as that shown by WT NLRP12. Consistently, NLRP12-mutated monocytes showed neither increased levels of p65induced NFB activity nor higher secretion of IL-1 . However, the kinetics of PAMP-induced IL-1 secretion were significantly accelerated, and high production of ROS and up-regulation of antioxidant systems were demonstrated. Conclusion. Even with a variable range of associated manifestations, the extreme sensitivity to cold represents the main clinical hallmark in an individual carrying the p.D294E mutation of the NLRP12 gene. Although regulation of NFB activity is not affected in patients, redox alterations and accelerated secretion of IL-1 are associated with this mild autoinflammatory phenotype.
Performance Comparison of Product Codes and Cubic Product Codes using FRBS for Robust Watermarking

In this paper, a novel technique for robust digital image watermarking is proposed using simple product codes (PC) and cubic product codes (CPC) respectively. Product codes are two dimentional matrix codes while CPC are three dimensional product codes where the constituent codes in each dimension are linear block codes. The structure of PC and CPC makes them suitable for the proposed scheme. The embedded watermark is vulnerable to various attacks on the image like compression, noise and geometric attacks namely translation rotation and scaling (TRS) etc. This could limit the performance of digital watermarking schemes. Our proposal is to encode the watermark with PC/CPC prior to embedding it into the image. This could easily be done because our watermark is also a three dimensional data (image/logo etc), so each dimension can easily be encoded with corresponding codes in PC/CPC. The modified iterative decoding algorithm (MIDA) is employed to decode the PC/CPC. Moreover, a Fuzzy Rule Based System (FRBS) is used to find the suitable regions in the host image where watermark can be embedded such that the imperceptibilityof the host image should not be affected. The FRBS makes used of Human Visual System (HVS) parameters to obtain those regions. The scheme is tested against various attacks and compared with the well-known schemes in the literature. Moreover, role of PC is also compared with CPCs and results are demonstrated.
Expectancy-Value , Gender and Socioeconomic Background as Predictors of Achievement and Aspirations : A Multi-cohort Study

This study examined the relationship between mathematics expectancy (self-concept), value and student background variables in predicting educational outcomes. In particular, we investigated the effects of the interaction between expectancy and value on outcome variables and the mediating roles of expectancy and value. The research used data from the TIMSS database across three cohorts (1999, 2003, and 2007) to test an hypothesized model in Hong Kong, where the education system has experienced considerable changes over the period of these studies, and thus to provide a strong test of the generalizability of the findings. The results suggested that (a) gender difference in educational outcomes was partially explained by self-concept and utility value; (b) family socioeconomic status had a positive effect on educational outcomes, and some of this effect was mediated by expectancy and value; (c) higher self-concept, higher utility value, and their interaction, all contributed to higher educational outcomes.
A Young Stellar Population Around the Intermediate Mass Black Hole ESO 243-49 HLX-1

Sean A. Farrell1, 2, Mathieu Servillat3, Janine Pforr4, Thomas J. Maccarone5, Christian Knigge5, Olivier Godet6,7, Claudia Maraston4, Natalie A. Webb6,7, Didier Barret6,7, Andrew Gosling8, Renaud Belmont6,7, Klaas Wiersema2 1Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics A29, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia 2Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, LE1 7RH, Leicester, UK 3Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, MS-67, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA 4Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, Dennis Sciama Building, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth PO1 3FX, UK 5School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Hampshire, SO17 1BJ, UK 6Université de Toulouse; UPS-OMP; Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP), Toulouse, France 7CNRS; IRAP; 9 Avenue du Colonel Roche, BP 44346, F-31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, France 8University of Oxford, Department of Physics, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK
Cross-Modal Assessment of Perceptual Strength of Communication Signals Presented in Auditory and Tactile Modalities

In our previous work we have compared the use of stylus movements augmented with directionalpredictive signals (DPS) such as sounds, vibrations and electro-tactile signals which were used as the candidates to guide the user exploration behavior during blind inspection of the graphical data. The electro-tactile DPS were the most beneficial for this purpose and required less cognitive efforts to interpret their encoded meaning. In this paper we present the technique for assessing and aligning the perceptual strength of the communication signals of different modalities as the candidates to encode the different kinds of graphical information. In particular, three types of DPS were assessed in terms of the variation in visual-motor reaction times which were elicited by the subjects when the test signals were exposed in combination with referent visual stimuli. The experimental findings confirmed that the electro-tactile patterns possess the stronger perceptual attributes in comparison with auditory and vibration signals.
MeCP 2 binds to nucleosome free ( linker DNA ) regions and to H 3 K 9 / H 3 K 27 methylated nucleosomes in the brain

Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is a chromatin-binding protein that mediates transcriptional regulation, and is highly abundant in brain. The nature of its binding to reconstituted templates has been well characterized in vitro. However, its interactions with native chromatin are less understood. Here we show that MeCP2 displays a distinct distribution within fractionated chromatin from various tissues and cell types. Artificially induced global changes in DNA methylation by 3-aminobenzamide or 5-aza-20-deoxycytidine, do not significantly affect the distribution or amount of MeCP2 in HeLa S3 or 3T3 cells. Most MeCP2 in brain is chromatin-bound and localized within highly nuclease-accessible regions. We also show that, while in most tissues and cell lines, MeCP2 forms stable complexes with nucleosome, in brain, a fraction of it is loosely bound to chromatin, likely to nucleosome-depleted regions. Finally, we provide evidence for novel associations of MeCP2 with mononucleosomes containing histone H2A.X, H3K9me2 and H3K27me3 in different chromatin fractions from brain cortex and in vitro. We postulate that the functional compartmentalization and tissue-specific distribution of MeCP2 within different chromatin types may be directed by its association with nucleosomes containing specific histone variants, and post-translational modifications.
Spatial Variability of Selected Soil Properties in an Olive Orchard in Tarom Region , Zanjan Province , Iran Omid

An experiment was carried out in order to study the spatial variability of soil fertility variables in an irrigated mature olive tree (Olea europea cv. `Zard’) orchard. The orchard is located in the Tarom area of Zanjan Province (48° 56′ to 50° 5′ E and 36° 47′ to 37° 36′ N) a n d i s under olive with trees planted 7×7 m. Soil parameters including K, P, Na, Cl, EC and OM were determined in soil samples from 0-60 cm depth in late February 2011. A regular 98×98 m sampling grid was established and the intersection points were georeferenced. The data were analyzed using both classical statistics and geostatistical methods. Maps were created as a basis for orchard soil sitespecific management. Interpolations were realized according to thresholds and standard deviation of every parameter. Estimates were used to draw variation maps of each soil fertility component based on Kriging method. High geo-distribution variation was detected. The results showed that an important area is menaced by K deficiency. Indeed, in this area soil K was revealed to be under the 70 ppm threshold level. The geostatistical analysis indicated different spatial distribution models and spatial dependence levels for the soil properties. Sodium and OM were strongly distributed in patches. Phosphorous was moderately spatial dependent, and K did not follow a spatial correlated distribution.
A Complementary Approach to Improve Wild Fire Prediction Systems

The physics based simulators used as the current state of the art in predicting wild fires have been found to be difficult to set up and operate, very slow, requiring large amounts of computational resources and high quality data sets, having an inherent bias that does not generalize and rendering low accuracies. In this regard there is a critical need for alternate tools that can augment or replace these physics based simulators. We demonstrate an approach that uses Reinforcement Learning for predicting the spread of wild fires over the next few days and/or months based on the the physical conditions of the landscape, the intensity and the location of the wild fire at present. The fire is modelled as the agent in this Markov Decision Process setting where it is designed to make a spread choice based on the physical conditions surrounding it. The agent learns to weight the relative importance of different environmental variables as it trains using copious amounts of data. This is a direct contrast to the physics based simulators where a large amount of expert rules are used to model the physical laws. We have run our suggested setting on real and synthetic fires and noted its specific advantages. We have also studied a particular fire simulation system and recognized its advantages and deficiencies. We propose that the approaches using recent advances in Artificial Intelligence techniques should be used in combination with the existing physics based simulators to entail more accurate and easy to use fire prediction models.
Transboundary Pollution and Market Size ∗

This paper uses a monopolistic competitive framework with many sectors to study the impact of trade liberalization on local and global emissions. We focus on the interplay of the pollution haven effect and the home market effect and show how a large-market advantage can counterbalance a high emission tax, implying that trade liberalization leads to lower global emissions. Generally, our results suggest that relative market size, the level of trade costs, the ease of abatement, and the degree of product differentiation at the sector level are relevant variables for empirical studies on trade and pollution. JEL Classification: D21, F12, F15
Who Loves to Gamble? Socio-Economic Factors Determining Gambling Behaviour in Germany

The interest among academics and policy makers in the economics of Gambling has risen substantially. Changes in gambling regulation, the relevance of gambling generated (tax) revenues and the usefulness to other fields of economics, increased the interest in understanding gambling demand. The focus of this paper is to provide one of the first comprehensive analyses of gambling demand in Germany, by studying the socio-demographic and socio-economic factors which influence gambling expenditures using one of the largest data sets available, the official income and consumption survey (Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichprobe). Applying models suitable for censored data, we identify the factors influencing gambling demand. Some findings are in line with the previous literature on gambling demand, others are quite surprising. They show that female household heads spend less on gambling than their male counterparts. The number of dependants in the household influences gambling behaviour negatively, while married couples have higher expenditures than single person households. We find that while gambling expenditures increase with the age of the household head, they do so at a diminishing rate. Income is also a strong determinant of gambling expenditure. Gambling expenditures rise with the household's income. We find no evidence that expenditures increase regressively. Furthermore, the education and occupation of the Household head influences gambling behaviour. A higher education has a negative effect on the propensity to gamble. We also find that households with privately employed household heads tend to spend more on gambling than those with unemployed or self-employed household heads. On the other hand, a household head who is a civil servant or retired has a positive effect. In contrast to previous literature, we find a negative effect of urbanity on household gambling expenditure. We discuss these and other results in the context of the theory of risk taking preferences and also with a focus on gambling regulation and taxation.
Triangulating Think-alouds and Questionnaires in Reading Strategy Assessment : An Exploratory Study

This study was designed to investigate reading strategies of L2 learners, using a combination of a questionnaire and think-aloud protocols. The participants’ reading strategies were compared to find whether the results of the questionnaire and think-aloud protocols compensate or contradict each other. In addition, it was examined whether the ordering of the two instruments would influence strategy awareness and use and reading comprehension scores. Only the task-specific reading strategies from the questionnaire were employed to read a text, and items such as “skipping” and “adding information” were newly found by think-aloud protocols. Also, the participants were observed to do ineffective behaviors such as “being inflexible” and “mistranslating,” which might not have been discovered when using the questionnaire only. Overall, the questionnaire and think-aloud protocols turned out to be complementary to each other rather than conflicting. The participants’ reading comprehension scores were not influenced by the ordering, however, after a certain task, they were able to reflect on their strategy use more accurately than without or before a task. Thus, if used properly for their own purposes, both instruments are effective to measure students’ reading strategies complementarily.
IN THE CONTEXT OF NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT – PARADIGMS , APPROACHES AND TYPOLOGIES

ISBN 0 85003 677 1 The Agricultural Research and Extension Network is sponsored by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) The opinions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect those of DFID. We are happy for this material to be reproduced on a not-for-profit basis. The Network Coordinator would appreciate receiving details of any use of this material in training, research or programme design, implementation or evaluation.
Invasion Biology, Ecology, and Management of Western Flower Thrips.

Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, first arose as an important invasive pest of many crops during the 1970s-1980s. The tremendous growth in international agricultural trade that developed then fostered the invasiveness of western flower thrips. We examine current knowledge regarding the biology of western flower thrips, with an emphasis on characteristics that contribute to its invasiveness and pest status. Efforts to control this pest and the tospoviruses that it vectors with intensive insecticide applications have been unsuccessful and have created significant problems because of the development of resistance to numerous insecticides and associated outbreaks of secondary pests. We synthesize information on effective integrated management approaches for western flower thrips that have developed through research on its biology, behavior, and ecology. We further highlight emerging topics regarding the species status of western flower thrips, as well as its genetics, biology, and ecology that facilitate its use as a model study organism and will guide development of appropriate management practices. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Entomology, Volume 65 is January 7, 2020. Please see http://www.annualreviews. org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Use of Finite Element Software to Compute Ultrasound Velocity in Carbon/epoxy Composites using Simplified Models

The measurement of ultrasonic wave velocities in structural materials has many implications in Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE). In this paper is shown that is possible to obtain reliable data of propagation velocity of longitudinal bulk ultrasonic waves in unidirectional composites (HexTow AS4/Hexply 8552) using a Finite Element Method (FEM) software. The comparison with the literature shows that the simulation results differ about 5% of the measured ones, validating the models. It is demonstrated that a simplified homogenized model could replace efficiently the laminated model in order to use it as a way of assessing ultrasonic velocity in the material. The relevance of this study is emphasized as being a basis to the development of more complex models, including the investigation of multidirectional laminates, defects in the material, and the generation of ultrasonic waves to inspect and characterize composites.
Multi-task Offloading and Resource Allocation for Energy-Efficiency in Mobile Edge Computing

On edge computing, mobile devices can offload some computing intensive tasks to the cloud so that the time delay and battery losses can be reduced. Different from cloud computing, an edge computing model is under the constraint of radio transmitting bandwidth, power and etc. With regard to most models in presence, each user is assigned to a single mission, transmitting power or local CPU frequency on mobile terminals is deemed to be a constant. Furthermore, energy consumption has a positive correlation with the above two parameters. In a context of multitask, such values could be increased or reduced according to workload to save energy. Additionally, the existing offloading methods are inappropriate if all the compute densities of multiple tasks are high. In this paper, a single-user multi-task with high computing density model is proposed and partial task is offloaded when use the different offload algorithm. Simulated annealing algorithm is the best method to select offloading tasks, which can enhance the offloading ratio and save energy consumption.
STABILITY ANALYSIS OF PARAMETRIC TIME-DELAY SYSTEMS BASED ON PARAMETER PLANE METHOD

The main purpose of this paper is to consider the robust stability analysis of time-delay systems based on the parameter plane method. The simple and systematic procedure proposed for solving this problem easily obtains the exact stability boundaries of time-delay systems. First, the relation between state-space representation and s-domain characteristic equations is analyzed. The effects of both the state matrix and time-delay on stability are addressed by this approach. System stabilization by state feedback gain is also derived. Performance tests of the proposed procedure confirm that it obtains more information compared with procedures reported in the literature.
CONFESSIONS IN CAPITAL CASES

With multiple Supreme Court rulings in 2002 and Illinois Governor George Ryan’s pardons and commutations in 2003, capital punishment in America is receiving a new wave of increased scrutiny. One aspect of this scrutiny deals with wrongfully convicted death row inmates such as Rolando Cruz and Earl Washington. In many of these cases, part of the evidence upon which the defendants were convicted was a police-induced confession. In this article, Professor White proposes safeguards to ensure the reliability of confessions introduced in capital cases. Part II relates to mentally handicapped suspects. White illustrates the need for change in this area by discussing two “DNA-cleared” cases in which mentally handicapped defendants gave false confessions, and then proposes specific recommendations. In part III, White identifies three problematic interrogation practices and proposes safeguards designed to restrict interrogation practices. Part IV argues for steps to improve methods of fact-finding in cases where the reliability of a capital defendant’s police-induced confession is an issue. Finally, part V makes six specific recommendations to legislatures or state courts for safeguards relating to policeinduced confessions in capital cases.
Interactions between Employment and Training Policies 5 December 2007

This paper examines the interactions between employment and training policies. Their e¤ectiveness in stimulating income may be interdependent for various important reasons. For example, the more employment policies stimulate the employment rate, the greater the length of time over which workers use the human capital generated by training policies. Moreover, the greater the government expenditures on employment and training subsidies, the higher the taxes required to nance these expenditures and these higher taxes reduce aggregate income. On account of such e¤ects, employment and training policies may be complementary or substitutable with respect to aggregate income. To analyze these interactions, we construct a simple, dynamic model of hiring decisions, derived from microfoundations. The model is calibrated with German data. Surprisingly, the simulation shows that, for reasonable parameter values, the complementarities are weak or absent. The analysis provides a methodology for examining policy interactions which may be useful well beyond the bounds of employment and training policies. Keywords: complementarities; hiring subsidies; training subsidies; vocational training; employment; unemployment; JEL classi cation: J21, J23, J24, J64, J68 Address: Kiel Institute for the World Economy Telephone: +49 431 8814272 Duesternbrooker Weg 120 Fax: +49 431 8814525 24105 Kiel E-Mail: frank.oskamp@ifw-kiel.de Germany dennis.snower@ifw-kiel.de