Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular Epidemiology and Phylogenetic Analyses of Influenza B Virus in Thailand during 2010 to 2014

Influenza B virus remains a major contributor to the seasonal influenza outbreak and its prevalence has increased worldwide. We investigated the epidemiology and analyzed the full genome sequences of influenza B virus strains in Thailand between 2010 and 2014. Samples from the upper respiratory tract were collected from patients diagnosed with influenza like-illness. All samples were screened for influenza A/B viruses by one-step multiplex real-time RT-PCR. The whole genome of 53 influenza B isolates were amplified, sequenced, and analyzed. From 14,418 respiratory samples collected during 2010 to 2014, a total of 3,050 tested positive for influenza virus. Approximately 3.27% (471/14,418) were influenza B virus samples. Fifty three isolates of influenza B virus were randomly chosen for detailed whole genome analysis. Phylogenetic analysis of the HA gene showed clusters in Victoria clades 1A, 1B, 3, 5 and Yamagata clades 2 and 3. Both B/Victoria and B/Yamagata lineages were found to co-circulate during this time. The NA sequences of all isolates belonged to lineage II and consisted of viruses from both HA Victoria and Yamagata lineages, reflecting possible reassortment of the HA and NA genes. No significant changes were seen in the NA protein. The phylogenetic trees generated through the analysis of the PB1 and PB2 genes closely resembled that of the HA gene, while trees generated from the analysis of the PA, NP, and M genes showed similar topology. The NS gene exhibited the pattern of genetic reassortment distinct from those of the PA, NP or M genes. Thus, antigenic drift and genetic reassortment among the influenza B virus strains were observed in the isolates examined. Our findings indicate that the co-circulation of two distinct lineages of influenza B viruses and the limitation of cross-protection of the current vaccine formulation provide support for quadrivalent influenza vaccine in this region.
Risk, capital and ﬁnancial crisis: Evidence for GCC banks *

Employing data on over 100 GCC banks for 1996 e 2011, we test the relation between risk and capital. Given the interlinkage between these two variables, the model employs a 3SLS estimation that takes on board this simultaneity. Consistent with the literature, risk is measured by the Z -score, while capital is computed as the ratio of equity to asset. The ﬁndings indicate that banks generally increase capital in response to an increase in risk, and not vice versa . Second, there is an uneven impact of regulatory pressure and market discipline on banks attitude toward risk and capital. Additionally, Islamic banks increased their capital as compared to conventional banks. Besides, the evidence testiﬁes to the fact that banks with higher dependence on wholesale funds and less diversiﬁed income proﬁle have higher risk.
Direct Self-Identification of Inverse Jacobians for Dexterous Manipulation Through Particle Filtering

—The ability to plan and control robotic in-hand manipulation is challenged by several issues, including the required amount of prior knowledge of the system and the sophisticated physics that varies across different robot hands or even grasp instances. One of the most direct models of in-hand manipulation is the inverse Jacobian, which can directly map from the desired in-hand object motions to the required hand actuator controls. However, acquiring such inverse Jacobians without complex hand-object system models is typically infeasible. We present a method for controlling in-hand manipulation using inverse Jacobians that are self-identified by a particle filter-based estimation scheme that leverages the ability of un-deractuated hands to maintain a passively stable grasp during self-identification movements. This method requires no a priori knowledge of the specific hand-object system and learns the system’s inverse Jacobian through small exploratory motions. Our system approximates the underlying inverse Jacobian closely, which can be used to perform manipulation tasks across a range of objects successfully. With extensive experiments on a Yale Model O hand, we show that the proposed system can provide accurate in-hand manipulation of sub-millimeter precision and that the inverse Jacobian-based controller can support real-time manipulation control of up to 900Hz.
Object Spreadsheets : an end-user development tool for web applications backed by entity-relationship data

There is a growing demand for data-driven web applications that help automate organizational and business processes of low to medium complexity by letting users view and update structured data in controlled ways. We present Object Spreadsheets, an end-user development tool that combines a spreadsheet interface with a rich data model to help the process administrators build the logic for such applications themselves. Its all-in-one interface with immediate feedback has the potential to bring more complex tasks within reach of end-user developers, compared to existing approaches. Our data model is based on the structure of entity-relationship models and directly supports nested variable-size collections and object references, which are common in web applications but poorly accommodated by traditional spreadsheets. Object Spreadsheets has a formula language suited to the data model and supports stored procedures to specify the forms of updates that application users may make. Formulas can be used to assemble data in the exact structure in which it is to be shown in the application UI, simplifying the task of UI building; we intend for Object Spreadsheets to be integrated with a UI builder to provide a complete solution for application development. We describe our prototype implementation and several example applications we built to demonstrate the applicability of the tool. 1998 ACM Subject Classification D.1. 6 Logic Programming; D.1. 7 Visual Programming; H.2. 1 Logical Design: Data models; H.2. 3 Languages: Database (persistent) programming languages; H.2. 3 Languages: Query languages; H.4. 1 Office Automation: Spreadsheets
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

The paper deals with the problem of model uncertainty in forecasting volatility using forecast combinations and a flexible family of asymmetric loss functions that allow for the possibility that an investor would attach different preferences to high vis-à-vis low volatility periods. Using daily as well as 5 minute data for US and major international stock market indices we provide volatility forecasts by minimizing the Homogeneous Robust Loss function of the Realized Volatility and the combined forecast. Our findings show that forecast combinations based on the homogeneous robust loss function significantly outperform simple forecast combination methods, especially during the period of the recent financial crisis.
Avaliação da integridade de córregos a partir das características da paisagem: teste do protocolo WHEBIP para uma região tropical

Lotic systems are highly influenced by the landscape through which they flow, and changes in the landscape are the main threat to their ecological integrity. Evaluating the ecological "health" of lotic systems is essential and of great importance to the management of water resources worldwide. In this study, we evaluated the integrity of streams in southeastern Brazil using the protocol WHEBIP (Watershed Habitat Evaluation and Biotic Integrity Protocol), which combines information about the coverage of riparian vegetation, geomorphology, land cover and human activities to assess the physical characteristics of the sub-basin and to evaluate the integrity of streams. We compared this protocol with the protocol RCE (Riparian, Channel and Environmental), already widely used in tropical regions, to directly assess stream physical condition. As a measure of the functional integrity of streams, we estimated leaf breakdown rates, an important process in lotic systems. Furthermore, we sorted and identified the macroinvertebrates that colonized leaves in the 2nd and 28th days of the decomposition experiment and calculated environmental quality metrics related to these communities to test their relationship with WHEBIP. The protocols WHEBIP and RCE were significantly correlated to each other, with greater differentiation among streams especially when RCE was high. Possibly, the WHEBIP, by incorporating spatial variables on a large scale in the landscape, best differentiates these streams. None of the protocols tested were correlated with leaf breakdown rates. However, when calculating variation of decay rates (standard error), we observed a positive relationship with the protocol WHEBIP. Thus, we grouped the metrics of the protocol WHEBIP in a Principal Component Analysis (PCA), noting the trend to a significant correlation between changes in leaf breakdown rates and the first axis of the PCA, which indicates that the increase of forest cover in the microbasin could reduce variation in leaf breakdown rates in streams. The WHEBIP and RCE showed no correlation with the environmental quality metrics related to macroinvertebrate communities. But we tested the hypothesis that higher values of WHEBIP decreases the variation in leaf breakdown rates due to higher stability of macoinvertebrate communities, we found a significant correlation to withdraw one of the streams of the analysis. This stream differed greatly from the rest, because even getting down in value in WHEBIP, showed a differentiation between communities, due to the dominance of certain taxa in the days analyzed. This is
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Mutations to Bid Cleavage Sites Protect Hepatocytes From Apoptosis After Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Background. Apoptosis of hepatocytes contributes to many forms of liver pathology and can compromise liver function. Hepatocytes have been shown to require mitochondrial disruption to execute apoptosis, a process that is controlled by members of the Bcl-2 family. Bid is a proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member that is cleaved to its active form, tBid, by caspase 8 and granzyme B. Studies in the Bid-deficient mouse have established that hepatocytes require Bid to undergo apoptosis. Methods. We generated aspartic acid to glutamic acid mutations in the rat Bid protein, at the caspase 8 and granzyme B cleavage sites, and utilized recombinant adenoviruses to express this protein in hepatoma cells and in the livers of rats. Results. Cells transduced with recombinant adenoviruses encoding Bid containing mutations to the caspase 8 and granzyme B cleavage sites are significantly protected from both tumor necrosis factor-α–induced and cell-mediated apoptosis. Protection occurs through a mechanism that includes decreased Bid cleavage, caspase activation, and mitochondrial membrane damage. Further, after warm ischemia/reperfusion injury, we show that rats expressing cleavage-resistant Bid in the liver display significantly less hepatocyte apoptosis as compared to control rat livers and this results in improved liver function and survival. Conclusion. Our results suggest that reagents that prevent the cleavage of Bid would be an effective strategy to inhibit hepatocyte apoptosis and decrease liver injury.
Targeted Deletion of Kv4.2 Eliminates Ito,f and Results in Electrical and Molecular Remodeling, With No Evidence of Ventricular Hypertrophy or Myocardial Dysfunction

Previous studies have demonstrated a role for voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channel &agr; subunits of the Kv4 subfamily in the generation of rapidly inactivating/recovering cardiac transient outward K+ current, Ito,f, channels. Biochemical studies suggest that mouse ventricular Ito,f channels reflect the heteromeric assembly of Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 with the accessory subunits, KChIP2 and Kv&bgr;1, and that Kv4.2 is the primary determinant of regional differences in (mouse ventricular) Ito,f densities. Interestingly, the phenotypic consequences of manipulating Ito,f expression in different mouse models are distinct. In the experiments here, the effects of the targeted deletion of Kv4.2 (Kv4.2−/−) were examined. Unexpectedly, voltage-clamp recordings from Kv4.2−/− ventricular myocytes revealed that Ito,f is eliminated. In addition, the slow transient outward K+ current, Ito,s, and the Kv1.4 protein (which encodes Ito,s) are upregulated in Kv4.2−/− ventricles. Although Kv4.3 mRNA/protein expression is not measurably affected, KChIP2 expression is markedly reduced in Kv4.2−/− ventricles. Similar to Kv4.3, expression of Kv&bgr;1, as well as Kv1.5 and Kv2.1, is similar in wild-type and Kv4.2−/− ventricles. In addition, and in marked contrast to previous findings in mice expressing a truncated Kv4.2 transgene, the elimination Ito,f in Kv4.2−/− mice does not result in ventricular hypertrophy. Taken together, these findings demonstrate not only an essential role for Kv4.2 in the generation of mouse ventricular Ito,f channels but also that the loss of Ito,f per se does not have overt pathophysiological consequences.
Investigation of the hydro‐mechanical properties of silty sand material from Topolnica tailings dam

This paper describes the investigation process of the hydro‐mechanical properties of a material used in 134.0 m high tailings dam construction. The grain size analysis classifies the soil as silty sand – by product from the mining process. The soil water retention curve was determined for wetting cycle using direct measurements of suction and volumetric water content. To describe the relationship between these two variables, the Van Genuchten hydraulic model was used. The unsaturated hydraulic conductivity was obtained with Mini Disk Infiltrometer. These results will be used for physical and numerical modelling of the tailings dam Topolnica. The study analyzes the slope stability of unsaturated soil triggered by high intensity rainfalls.
Exclusive and dissociative J/ photoproduction, and exclusive dimuon production, in p-Pb collisions at sNN=8.16 TeV

The ALICE Collaboration reports three measurements in ultraperipheral proton-lead collisions at forward rapidity. The exclusive two-photon process γγ → μ þ μ − and the exclusive photoproduction of J= ψ are studied. J= ψ photoproduction with proton dissociation is measured for the first time at a hadron collider. The cross section for the two-photon process of dimuons in the invariant mass range from 1 to 2 . 5 GeV =c 2 agrees with leading-order quantum electrodynamics calculations. The exclusive and dissociative cross sections for J= ψ photoproductions are measured for photon-proton center-of-mass energies from 27 to 57 GeV. They are in good agreement with HERA results.
Isolation, Identification and Optimization Conditions of Antagonistic Strain Bacillus subtilis LZ2-70 Against Verticillium dahliae

The strains having antagonistic activity against Verticillium dahliae Kleb were isolated and screened from the soil of cotton fields from different regions. A strain named LZ2-70 with a rather higher antagonistic activity was obtained. The morphology characteristics, physiological and biochemical properties and 16S rRNA gene sequence of this strain were further studied. The strain LZ2-70 was finally identified as a type of Bacillus subtilis . The antagonistic substance was antifungal protein. Through single factor experiment and orthogonal experiment, the optimal shaking flask fermentation condition of strain LZ2-70 was determined as follows: medium composed of 5% amidulin, 1% peptone, 0.03% MnCl 2 , 0.01% KCl, initial pH 8.0 and 10% inoculation volume, media volume 30/250 (mL/mL), fermentation temperature 37°C, rotating speed 200 r/min, fermentation time 96 h. A distinguished elevation of the antagonistic activity was observed at about 41.1%.
Thyroid disease

This chapter addresses six topics in thyroid disease: hypothyroidism; thyrotoxicosis/hyperthyroidism; thyroiditis; amiodarone-induced thyroid disease; thyroid storm; and multinodular goitre and solitary adenomas. Hypothyroidism occurs when there is insufficient secretion of thyroid hormones, commonly caused by autoimmune disease. Subclinical hypothyroidism is when the plasma level of thyroid-stimulating hormone is elevated, but free thyroxine is in the normal range. Myxoedema is severe hypothyroidism with accumulation of mucopolysaccharides in the dermis and other tissues. Thyrotoxicosis results from exposure to excessive thyroid hormone. The term ‘hyperthyroidism’ denotes those conditions in which thyroid hyperfunction results in thyrotoxicosis. Thyroiditis is inflammation of the thyroid gland, and often leads to transient thyrotoxicosis followed by hypothyroidism. Abnormalities of the thyroid occur in up to half of those on amiodarone therapy, with both thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism. Thyroid storm occurs as a result of exacerbation of thyrotoxicosis, and is a rare but life-threatening condition. Thyroid nodules are common, and may be multiple or single, functioning or non-functioning, and benign or malignant.
Accurate Predictive Interconnect Modeling for System-Level Design

We propose new accurate predictive models for the delay, power, and area of buffered interconnects to enable a more effective system-level design exploration with existing and future nanometer technology processes. We show that our models are significantly more accurate than previous models - essentially matching sign-off analyses. We integrate our models in the COSI-OCC communication synthesis infrastructure and show how they impact the feasibility and optimality of the network-on-chip architectures that are synthesized by this tool.
What Generative Algorithms Tell Us about Our Collective Memory Schema

The last decade has witnessed a turn in AI technologies working with differentiable neural network architectures learning the embedded functions between data points and performing generative operations synthesising unseen data. The move to a continuous and generative AI paradigm aligns with ideas in the field of cognition and psychology, where a growing body of authors are beginning to conceptualise memory and our representation of the past as a dynamic, malleable and ultimately generative field. So, how effective are generative algorithms in supporting and enabling this creative process of remembrance? To answer this research question, we propose an experiment on how the spatial movement and exploration of maps of real and imagined images can help our brain reconstruct its memories in a dynamic yet accurate manner. We develop an application allowing visitors to dynamically explore real and AI-generated images of a given site clustered by similarity in a virtual 3D space. Analysing visitor paths and observed images helps us understand visitors’ perspectives on real and AI-generated data such as an increased preference for synthetic images by visitors familiarised with the site. We conclude with recommendations on how to approach visitor experience in generative AI-powered applications for engagement with historical and archival data.
From Coarse to Fine? Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Cortical Face Processing

Primary vision segregates information along 2 main dimensions: orientation and spatial frequency (SF). An important question is how this primary visual information is integrated to support high-level representations. It is generally assumed that the information carried by different SF is combined following a coarse-to-fine sequence. We directly addressed this assumption by investigating how the network of face-preferring cortical regions processes distinct SF over time. Face stimuli were flashed during 75, 150, or 300 ms and masked. They were filtered to preserve low SF (LSF), middle SF (MSF), or high SF (HSF). Most face-preferring regions robustly responded to coarse LSF, face information in early stages of visual processing (i.e., until 75 ms of exposure duration). LSF processing decayed as a function of exposure duration (mostly until 150 ms). In contrast, the processing of fine HSF, face information became more robust over time in the bilateral fusiform face regions and in the right occipital face area. The present evidence suggests the coarse-to-fine strategy as a plausible modus operandi in high-level visual cortex.
Neurobehavioural problems following low-level exposure to organophosphates: Methodological considerations for future research.

Organophosphate pesticides (OPs) are increasingly used around the world, and concerns have been expressed about their effects on human health. The neurotoxic effects of high-level acute poisoning are well established, but the possibility that long-term low-level exposure to OPs in doses below that causing acute toxicity causes ill health is controversial. In this chapter we review the available evidence concerning the neurotoxicity of long-term, low-level exposure to OPs in adult populations and highlight unanswered questions and methodological considerations which future researchers will need to address before firm conclusions can be drawn.
Melodie: A Design Inquiry into Accessible Crafing through Audio-enhanced Weaving

Despite the promise of the maker movement as empowering individuals and democratizing design, people with disabilities still face many barriers to participation. Recent work has highlighted the inaccessible nature of making and introduced more accessible maker technologies, practices, and workspaces. One less explored area of accessible making involves supporting more traditional forms of craftwork, such as weaving and fber arts. The present study reports an analysis of existing practices at a weaving studio within a residential community for people with vision impairments and explores the creation of an audio-enhanced loom to support this practice. Our iterative design process began with 60 hours of feld observations at the weaving studio, complemented by 15 interviews with residents and instructors at the community. These insights informed the design of Melodie, an interactive foor loom that senses and provides audio feedback during weaving. Our design exploration of Melodie revealed four scenarios of use among this community: promoting learning among novice weavers, raising awareness of system state, enhancing the aesthetics of weaving, and supporting artistic performance. We identify recommendations for designing audio-enhanced technologies that promote accessible crafting and refect on the role of technology in predominantly manual craftwork.
Advanced technologies for brain-inspired computing

This paper aims at presenting how new technologies can overcome classical implementation issues of Neural Networks. Resistive memories such as Phase Change Memories and Conductive-Bridge RAM can be used for obtaining low-area synapses thanks to programmable resistance also called Memristors. Similarly, the high capacitance of Through Silicon Vias can be used to greatly improve analog neurons and reduce their area. The very same devices can also be used for improving connectivity of Neural Networks as demonstrated by an application. Finally, some perspectives are given on the usage of 3D monolithic integration for better exploiting the third dimension and thus obtaining systems closer to the brain.