Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neuroligins Mediate Excitatory and Inhibitory Synapse Formation

The balance between excitatory and inhibitory synapses is a tightly regulated process that requires differential recruitment of proteins that dictate the specificity of newly formed contacts. However, factors that control this process remain unidentified. Here we show that members of the neuroligin (NLG) family, including NLG1, NLG2, and NLG3, drive the formation of both excitatory and inhibitory presynaptic contacts. The enrichment of endogenous NLG1 at excitatory contacts and NLG2 at inhibitory synapses supports an important in vivo role for these proteins in the development of both types of contacts. Immunocytochemical and electrophysiological analysis showed that the effects on excitatory and inhibitory synapses can be blocked by treatment with a fusion protein containing the extracellular domain of neurexin-1β. We also found that overexpression of PSD-95, a postsynaptic binding partner of NLGs, resulted in a shift in the distribution of NLG2 from inhibitory to excitatory synapses. These findings reveal a critical role for NLGs and their synaptic partners in controlling the number of inhibitory and excitatory synapses. Furthermore, relative levels of PSD-95 alter the ratio of excitatory to inhibitory synaptic contacts by sequestering members of the NLG family to excitatory synapses.
Number estimation of controllers for pinning a complex dynamical network

Number estimation of controllers is a fundamental question in pinning synchronization of complex networks. This paper studies the problem of controller number in synchronizing a complex network of coupled dynamical systems by means of pinning. For a complex network with a symmetric coupling matrix and full coupling between the nodes, we formulate network synchronization via pinning as a linear matrix inequality criterion, and provide a lower bound and an upper bound of the controller number for a given complex network with fixed architecture. Several numerical examples with Barabási-Albert network topologies are provided to verify our theoretical results.
Stakeholder expectations : conceptual foundations and empirical analysis

Olkkonen, Laura Stakeholder expectations. Conceptual foundations and empirical analysis. Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2015, 9 p. (Jyväskylä Studies in Humanities ISSN 1459-4323; 270 (nid.), ISSN 1459-4323; 270 (PDF)) ISBN 978-951-39-6385-9 (nid.) ISBN 978-951-39-6386-6 (PDF) Finnish summary Diss. Expectations are an inseparable part of interaction, whether in interpersonal, intragroup, or organization–stakeholder relations. As a concept, expectations appear frequently in the public relations literature, yet definitions are scarce or narrow. This thesis contributes to the conceptual and empirical understanding of expectations in the context of organization–stakeholder relations and, more specifically, studies how organizations translate their societal roles and how stakeholders form expectations of these roles. The theoretical framework is drawn from Scandinavian institutionalism and corporate responsibility as social connectedness that, first, places organization–stakeholder relations in an institutional context in which meanings are translated by both organizations and stakeholders and, second, recognizes that when the responsibilities of business organizations are assessed as both liabilities and structural embeddedness, expectations can touch upon complex issues with shared responsibilities. This thesis shell synthesizes findings from five original articles by posing two overarching research questions: (RQ1) What characterizes expectations in the context of organization–stakeholder relations? and (RQ2) How can stakeholder expectations be approached analytically? The thesis comprises four substudies that include a narrative analysis of corporate reports from three companies, a concept analysis of academic articles, and two thematic analyses of (multi-stakeholder and single-stakeholder) interview data from stakeholders of the media sector, in which corporate responsibility is starting to become established. As its central results, this thesis presents a model and definition for stakeholder expectations in organization–stakeholder relations that introduce the baseline of the expectations, the organization-specific assessment, and the tone of the outcome. These results strengthen the conceptual foundation of expectations in public relations research and recognizes expectations as both positive and negative constructions. As a practical input, expectation management—systematic mapping and analysis of stakeholder expectations— is suggested as a new, intersecting function for public relations.
Culture of HepG2 liver cells on three dimensional polystyrene scaffolds enhances cell structure and function during toxicological challenge

Cultured cells are dramatically affected by the micro‐environment in which they are grown. In this study, we have investigated whether HepG2 liver cells grown in three dimensional (3‐D) cultures cope more effectively with the known cytotoxic agent, methotrexate, than their counterparts grown on traditional two dimensional (2‐D) flat plastic surfaces. To enable 3‐D growth of HepG2 cells in vitro, we cultured cells on 3‐D porous polystyrene scaffolds previously developed in our laboratories. HepG2 cells grown in 3‐D displayed excellent morphological characteristics and formed numerous bile canaliculi that were seldom seen in cultures grown on 2‐D surfaces. The function of liver cells grown on 3‐D supports was significantly enhanced compared to activity of cells grown on 2‐D standard plasticware. Unlike their 2‐D counterparts, 3‐D cultures were less susceptible to lower concentrations of methotrexate. Cells grown in 3‐D maintained their structural integrity, possessed greater viability, were less susceptible to cell death at higher levels of the cytotoxin compared to 2‐D cultures, and appeared to respond to the drug in a manner more comparable to its known activity in vivo. Our results suggest that hepatotoxicity testing using 3‐D cultures might be more likely to reflect true physiological responses to cytotoxic compounds than existing models that rely on 2‐D culture systems. This technology has potential applications for toxicity testing and drug screening.
Gastrin-stimulated Gα13 Activation of Rgnef Protein (ArhGEF28) in DLD-1 Colon Carcinoma Cells*

Background: Rgnef (ArhGEF28) is activated downstream of gastrin and the cholecystokinin receptor to promote colon carcinoma tumor progression. Results: Rgnef activation by Gα13 triggers FAK and paxillin tyrosine phosphorylation in response to gastrin. A C-terminal Rgnef region is necessary for linkage to Gα13. Conclusion: Rgnef is an effector of Gα13 signaling. Significance: Gα13 and Rgnef are implicated in colon carcinoma. The guanine nucleotide exchange factor Rgnef (also known as ArhGEF28 or p190RhoGEF) promotes colon carcinoma cell motility and tumor progression via interaction with focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Mechanisms of Rgnef activation downstream of integrin or G protein-coupled receptors remain undefined. In the absence of a recognized G protein signaling homology domain in Rgnef, no proximal linkage to G proteins was known. Utilizing multiple methods, we have identified Rgnef as a new effector for Gα13 downstream of gastrin and the type 2 cholecystokinin receptor. In DLD-1 colon carcinoma cells depleted of Gα13, gastrin-induced FAK Tyr(P)-397 and paxillin Tyr(P)-31 phosphorylation were reduced. RhoA GTP binding and promoter activity were increased by Rgnef in combination with active Gα13. Rgnef co-immunoprecipitated with activated Gα13Q226L but not Gα12Q229L. The Rgnef C-terminal (CT, 1279–1582) region was sufficient for co-immunoprecipitation, and Rgnef-CT exogenous expression prevented Gα13-stimulated SRE activity. A domain at the C terminus of the protein close to the FAK binding domain is necessary to bind to Gα13. Point mutations of Rgnef-CT residues disrupt association with active Gα13 but not Gαq. These results show that Rgnef functions as an effector of Gα13 signaling and that this linkage may mediate FAK activation in DLD-1 colon carcinoma cells.
Understanding the domestic VFR drive market in Florida

The visiting friends and relatives (VFR) market in Florida is a substantial portion of the tourism market. Research suggests that much of the VFR market travels by automobile. In the events following 11th September, 2001, Visit Florida identified drive tourism as the primary segment to invest in. This paper uses Moscardo et al.’s1 VFR model to understand better the short-haul domestic VFR drive market. Three segments were identified: travellers whose main purpose was to visit and stay with friends and relatives (AFR), travellers whose main purpose was to visit friends and relatives and stay in commercial accommodation (NAFR) and travellers whose main purpose was not visiting friends and relatives but who stayed with friends and relatives (OAFR). Results suggested that AFRs were the youngest segment and stayed the longest time. NAFRs were the oldest group of the three segments and participated in the smallest number of activities. OAFRs had varying levels of income, stayed almost one week on average, had slightly larger travel party sizes and participated in the greatest number of activities while in the area. Recommendations for marketing to the different VFR segments were suggested and limitations were addressed.
A Hierarchical Linear Modeling Assessment of Dual-Addiction Status and Change in Sexual Compulsivity over Time

This study examined the association between dual-addiction status and sexual compulsivity over time in a sample of self-identified sexually compulsive males. Hierarchical linear modeling was utilized to address the study's research questions. Dually addicted sexually compulsive males exhibited lower rates of sexual compulsivity than their singularly addicted counterparts initially but displayed less precipitous declines in sexual compulsiveness over time. Implications for treatment providers are discussed.
Theory Building for ICT4D: Systemizing Case Study Research Using Theory Triangulation

The popularity of case study methods in information and communications technology for development research presents challenges in comparing findings across studies for the purpose of theory building. The object of this paper is to describe a qualitative study in which theory triangulation was used to systematically compare multiple cases to develop theory. The concept of development provided the theoretical context for the study. The work of Hall and Midgley was used to provide three rival philosophical positions that give rise to differing approaches to social development. These are: populist, enterprise and statist. The application of these three contrasting perspectives using theory triangulation is demonstrated in the analysis of multiple case studies taken from a community technology center program in Australia. The relative strengths and weaknesses of each approach are identified and used as the rationale for theory development.
Dynamic Support of the Human Longitudinal Arch: A Biomechanical Evaluation

This study was designed to evaluate the dynamic support provided to the human longitudinal arch by the leg muscles active in the stance phase of gait and by the plantar aponeurosis. Ten fresh adult cadaveric specimens were mounted in a materials testing machine. The tendons of the posterior tibialis, flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallucis longus, peroneus longus, peroneus brevis, and Achilles tendon were attached to force transducers. Plantar loads of 0, 350 and 700 N were applied, and the tendons were tensioned individually. The Achilles tendon was tensioned an amount equal to the plantar load; the posterior tibialis, flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallucis longus, peroneus longus, and peroneus brevis were tensioned a fractional amount (depending on the proportion of the cross-sectional area to the gastrocsoleus complex). The angular relationships between the first metatarsal, navicular, and talus were recorded using a 3-dimensional movement analysis system. An additional series of measurements was obtained by positioning the ankle plantarflexed 10° under a plantar load of 350 N. Dorsiflexing the toes with the ankle in a neutral position and loading the foot to 350 N and 700 N permitted an evaluation of the effect of the plantar aponeurosis. The plantar aponeurosis, via dorsiflexion of the toes, contributed the most significant arch support in the sagittal plane with a 3.6° increase between the first metatarsal and talus at 350 N and a 2.3° increase at 700 N. The posterior tibialis tendon consistently provided arch support at plantar loads of 350 N and 700 N. The peroneus longus consistently abducted the forefoot in the transverse plane at 350-N and 700-N load levels. The study provides further insight into the dynamic supporting and deforming forces of the longitudinal arch.
Understanding Financial Literacy with Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Of the many forms of abuse experienced by survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV), physical, sexual, and psychological abuse are the most commonly identified and understood by advocates, researchers, and policy makers. Yet an abuser may also use economic abuse to control his1 partner by denying or hampering her ability to become economically self-sufficient (Adams, Sullivan, Bybee, & Greeson, 2008; Fawole, 2008; Postmus, Plummer, McMahon, Murshid, & Kim, in press). Because IPV survivors list economic concerns as the top barrier to leaving their abusers (Sanders & Schnabel, 2006; Turner & Shapiro, 1986; Zorza, 1991), they are one of the many groups that could benefit substantially from financial education programs, especially those that meet their unique needs by providing content on economic abuse and economic safety plans.
Complete SOC Transceiver in 0.18  $\mu$m CMOS Using Q-Enhanced Filtering, Sub-Sampling and Injection Locking

Portable audio products have not yet seen a wireless headphone solution that has been widely accepted. The main reason for this is that power consumption for current solutions is too high. We present a solution the uses a sub-sampling receiver combined with Q-enhanced RF filtering and injection-locked LO generation to provide high performance with low power consumption. This paper describes in detail the transceiver architecture, frequency plan, tuning algorithms and obtained performance. The transceiver is fabricated in TSMC 0.18 μm CMOS. The analog and RF sections of the transceiver consume peak currents of 5.2 mA in RX mode and 20.3 mA in TX mode.
Pedestrian detection by using subdivision label

We propose a new pretreatment for pedestrian detection with convolutional networks. It is widely known that the phenomenon of overlapping feature distribution is common, which leads to overfitting problem. We present a method that divide one category that have overlapping distributed features into multi-subcategories. By this means smooth boundaries can be easily found to separate different subcategories, and overfitting can be avoid as well. And during the detection process, we added a fusion layer before the classifier, in the fusion stage we convert the multi-subcategories classification back to the original classification problem. The method we proposed here has been thoroughly tested with over 2,000 pedestrian images in ImageNet, and we have achieved a high accuracy at 68.1%.
Synthesis of Graphical Choreographies

Graphical choreographies, or global graphs, are general multiparty session specifications featuring expressive constructs such as forking, merging, and joining for representing application-level protocols. Global graphs can be directly translated into modelling notations such as BPMN and UML. This paper presents an algorithm whereby a global graph can be synthesised from asynchronous buffered behaviours represented by communicating finite state machines (CFSMs). Our results include: a sound and complete characterisation of a subset of safe CFSMs from which global graphs can be synthesised; a synthesis algorithm to translate CFSMs to global graphs; a time complexity analysis; and an implementation of our theory, as well as an experimental evaluation.
Practice-oriented optimization of distribution network planning using metaheuristic algorithms

Distribution network operators require more advanced planning tools to deal with the challenges of future network planning. An appropriate planning and optimization tool can identify which option for network extension should be selected from available alternatives. However, many optimization approaches described in the literature are quite theoretical and do not yield results that are practically relevant and feasible. In this paper, a distribution network planning approach is proposed which meets requirements originating from network planning practice to guarantee realistic outcomes. This approach uses a state-of-the-art evolutionary algorithm: Gene-pool Optimal Mixing Evolutionary Algorithm. The performance of this algorithm, as well as the proposed model, is demonstrated using a real-world case study.
Environmental Cleanup and Health Gains from Beijing's Green Olympics

Abstract In announcing its bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing chose a “Green Olympics” theme to indicate that hosting the Olympic Games would serve as a catalyst for environmental improvements and sustainable development. With the Olympics now just a short time away, it is appropriate to examine the city's cleanup progress to date. This article does so, and also quantifies some of the health benefits of these cleanup activities, placing an economic value on the gains. Results for air pollution cleanup indicate an economic gain of nearly 50 billion yuan over a ten-year period, with a potential annual gain of 3.5 billion yuan for reaching air quality standards. Water pollution results suggest a potential annual gain of another 2.6 billion yuan.
Energy-Efficient Network Protocol for Precision Agriculture: Using threshold sensitive sensors for optimal performance.

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have become an emerging technology for precision agriculture. This article details a periodic threshold sensitive hybrid routing protocol for precision agriculture. The proposed protocol uses region-based static clustering approaches for deploying sensor nodes, which provide efficient coverage to the entire agricultural area. Deploying heterogeneous types of nodes in different regions as per their performing task and energy level provides a better solution for the coverage-hole problem. The sensor nodes deployed in the network sense the environment parameter continuously, but the sensed data acquired about the environmental factor of the agricultural area is transmitted to the base station (BS) only when the user-defined periodic timer (PT) or sensed attributes value exceeds the desired threshold.
Factors influencing choice of a university by students in Zimbabwe

This paper discussed factors that influence choice of a university by students in Zimbabwe. A cross-sectional qualitative design involving the use of focus groups is used. The research revealed that choice of a university brand is influenced by a number of internal factors such as the quality of programmes offered by the institution, the brand name of institution, state of facilities, location of university, level of tuition fees, relationships and networks with stakeholders, and university visibility through communications. The implications are that universities should be treated as brands. The management focus should be on those attributes that form the core, tangible, augmented and potential components of the university brand. Key words: Brand, corporate brand management, university brand, brand attributes.
The Changing Boundary between Home and Market: Australian Trends in Outsourcing Domestic Labour

It is widely believed that domestic outsourcing is booming. Many believe the growth of market services is a response to increasing time pressures arising from new responsibilities in the paid workforce, and to an inflexible sexual division of labour at home. The interpretation of the consequences of the purported growth of domestic outsourcing has been both divided and extreme. Paid domestic services have been declared: (1) a thing of the pre-industrial past (Coser 1973); (2) a victim of self-servicing (Gershuny 1983); and (3) the last frontier in the continuing advance of the market in post-industrial society (Ruthven 1994). Consequently, the alleged boom in outsourcing has been viewed either as the resurgence of a pre-modern form of the exploitation of labour (possibly based on race or ethnicity), heralding a deeper and more intractable form of social stratification (Arat-Koç 1989; Glenn 1992; Gorz 1994; Gregson and Lowe 1994; Probert 1997; Romero 1992), or as the future engine of opportunity (Ruthven 1997). Unfortunately all this discussion has run ahead of the facts. Two areas of research are vital - one is a study of the demand for outsourced domestic goods and services, and the other is wide-ranging comparative study of the labour relations in the domestic outsourcing industry. This paper addresses the first of these areas. It describes a study of trends in expenditure on domestic outsourcing drawing on an analysis of Australian Household Expenditure Surveys 1984-1993/4. This information is then interpreted in the light of our knowledge of trends in time use over the same period.
An Introduction to the Wage Curve

This paper documents a statistical regulatity or law. It shows that there exists a downward-sloping curve linking the level of a worker's pay to the unemployment rate in the worker's region. The same curve can be found in microeconomic data sets from sixteen countries. The existence of this curve raises doubts about conventional wisdom in labor economics, regional economics, and macroeconomics.
TCR Revision Generates Functional CD4+ T Cells

CD4+Vβ5+ peripheral T cells in C57BL/6 mice respond to encounter with a peripherally expressed endogenous superantigen by undergoing either deletion or TCR revision. In this latter process, cells lose surface Vβ5 expression and undergo RAG-dependent rearrangement of endogenous TCRβ genes, driving surface expression of novel TCRs. Although postrevision CD4+Vβ5−TCRβ+ T cells accumulate with age in Vβ5 transgenic mice and bear a diverse TCR Vβ repertoire, it is unknown whether they respond to homeostatic and antigenic stimuli and thus may benefit the host. We demonstrate in this study that postrevision cells are functional. These cells have a high rate of steady-state homeostatic proliferation in situ, and they undergo extensive MHC class II-dependent lymphopenia-induced proliferation. Importantly, postrevision cells do not proliferate in response to the tolerizing superantigen, implicating TCR revision as a mechanism of tolerance induction and demonstrating that TCR-dependent activation of postrevision cells is not driven by the transgene-encoded receptor. Postrevision cells proliferate extensively to commensal bacterial Ags and can generate I-Ab–restricted responses to Ag by producing IFN-γ following Listeria monocytogenes challenge. These data show that rescued postrevision T cells are responsive to homeostatic signals and recognize self- and foreign peptides in the context of self-MHC and are thus useful to the host.
Short Selling: The Impact of Sec Rule 201 of 2010

Despite its sizeable compliance costs, we are unable to document any clear benefits of SEC Rule 201 in ensuring fair valuations and price stability, promoting higher liquidity and execution quality, or preventing a sudden flash crash or prolonged market crises. Our daily and intraday analysis of data both before and after Rule 201 finds that short sellers are naturally more active before the occurrence of negative returns, not after significant price declines. Our simulation results show that Rule 201 further curtails short selling during normal periods, but is not binding on short sellers during the volatile period of the 2008 financial crisis.