Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coarse-grained reconfigurable image stream processor architecture for high-definition cameras and camcorders

The coarse-grained reconfigurable image stream processor (CRISP) architecture is introduced for the image processing demands of high-definition (HD) cameras and camcorders. With several architectural concepts of the reconfigurable architecture, the CRISP architecture is proposed to meet the performance and flexibility requirements of the HD cameras. A multi-frame processing system with CRISP is implemented to achieve the real-time HD video recording and 11M-pixel image processing capability. Compared with the performance of the high-dynamic-range image fusion algorithm implemented with a general-purpose processor, 106 times speed-up is achieved by the proposed processor with high image quality of 42.5dB in PSNR.
Metabolic characterization of the major human small intestinal cytochrome p450s.

Human small intestine epithelial cells (enterocytes) provide the first site for cytochrome P450 (CYP)-catalyzed metabolism of orally ingested xenobiotics. CYP3A4 is the major form of CYP expressed in enterocytes and CYP2C is also expressed at a significant level. In this study, we further characterized the expression of CYP3A4 and CYP2C in human enterocytes and their interindividual variations by examining the metabolic activities from 10 individuals. CYP3A4 in human jejunum microsomes, as determined by 6beta-testosterone hydroxylase activity, varied from 0.36 to 2.46 nmol/min/mg. The apparent average K(m) and V(max) values from two representative individuals were 54 microM and 3.2 nmol/min/mg, respectively. CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 in human jejunum microsomes, as determined by diclofenac 4'-hydroxylase and mephenytoin 4'-hydroxylase activities, varied over an 18-fold range (7.3-129 pmol/min/mg) and 17-fold range (0.8-13.1 pmol/min/mg), respectively. The mean apparent K(m) for diclofenac 4'-hydroxylase was 9.9 microM , whereas the apparent mean K(m) for S-mephenytoin 4'-hydroxylase was 79.3 microM . The mean intrinsic clearance (V(max)/K(m)) was approximately 130-fold greater for diclofenac 4'-hydroxylase than for mephenytoin 4'-hydroxylase. The metabolic activities of CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 were confirmed by inhibition by sulfaphenazole for CYP2C9 and ticlopidine for CYP2C19. In addition, CYP2C9 activities did not correlate with CYP3A4 activities, while CYP2C19 activities had a significant but poor correlation with those of CYP3A4. Thus the major CYP activities in human enterocytes have large interindividual variabilities that are not strongly related.
Italian Stock Market Reaction to Announcements of Private Equity Investments

This article aims to test whether an announcement regarding a possible intervention and/or investment of a Private Equity (PE) in a company already listed has a signalling effect that can influence the behavior of investors and whether this potential difference is affected by the characteristics of the financial system of the country where companies are listed. To treat our research question and to test the hypotheses developed, we carried out an Event Study collecting data on news regarding the interest of PEs for firms listed in the Italian stock exchange and observing their impact on stock returns. In order to understand also the influence of the Italian context, which is a Bank-Oriented financial system, we observed also the effect on stock returns of news related to the interest of PEs for companies listed in countries with a Marked-Oriented financial system. The analysis leads to the conclusion that the certification role recognized to Private Equity during the listing process persist also for companies already listed in the financial markets, but mainly in Market-Oriented financial systems.
HyperPass : Hypervisor Based Password Security

Passwords are the linchpin in the security of an increasing number of online services – services that range from social networking to business communication to banking. Given their importance, it is unfortunate that passwords are relatively easily stolen using a number of different types of attack. We introduce HyperPass: an approach and proof-of-concept system that aims to prevent some of these attacks by moving passwords from a user’s normal operating environment into a secure hypervisor. Notably, this is done while maintaining compatibility with existing online services, applications, and operating systems.
Saving, Investment, and Gold: A Reassessment of Historical Current Account Data

This paper revises pre-World War II current account data for thirteen countries by treating gold flows on a consistent basis. The standard historical data sources often fail to distinguish between monetary gold exports, which are capital-account credits, and nonmonetary gold exports, which are current-account credits. The paper also adjusts historical investment data to account for changes in inventories. The revised data are used to construct estimates of saving and investment over the period from 1850 to 1945. Our methodology for removing monetary gold flows from the current account leads naturally to a gold-standard version of the Feldstein-Horioka hypothesis on capital mobility. The regression results are in broad agreement with those of Eichengreen, who found a significantly positive cross-sectional correlation between saving and investment even during some periods when the gold standard prevailed. Despite reaching broadly similar conclusions, we estimate correlations between saving and investment that are somewhat lower and less significant than those Eichengreen found. In particular, we find that in comparison to other interwar subsamples, the saving-investment correlation is markedly low during the fleeting years of a revived world gold standard, 1925-1930.
Insulin-like growth factor II blocks apoptosis of N-myc2-expressing woodchuck liver epithelial cells

N-myc2 and insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) are coordinately overexpressed in the great majority of altered hepatic foci, which are the earliest precancerous lesions observed in the liver of woodchuck hepatitis virus carrier woodchucks, and these genes continue to be overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). We have investigated the function of these genes in woodchuck hepatocarcinogenesis by using a woodchuck liver epithelial cell line (WC-3). WC-3 cells react positively with a monoclonal antibody (12.8.5) against woodchuck oval cells, suggesting a lineage relationship with oval cells. Overexpression of N-myc2 in three WC-3 cell lines caused their morphological transformation and increased their growth rate and saturation density in medium containing 10% serum. Removal of serum from the medium increased cell death of the N-myc2-expressing lines, whereas cell death in control lines was minimal. The death of N-myc2-expressing WC-3 cells was accompanied by nucleosomal fragmentation of cellular DNA, and DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining revealed condensation and fragmentation of the nuclei, suggesting that N-myc2-expressing WC-3 cells undergo apoptosis in the absence of serum. In colony regression assays, conducted in the absence of serum, control colonies were stable, while N-myc2-expressing colonies regressed to various degrees. Addition of recombinant human IGF-II to the serum-free medium blocked both cell death and colony regression in all the N-myc2-expressing lines. Therefore, coordinate overexpression of N-myc2 and IGF-II in woodchuck altered hepatic foci may allow cells which otherwise might die to survive and progress to hepatocellular carcinoma.
“Insider accounts”: a qualitative research method for small firms

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to present a detailed description of the qualitative research method adopted by the author in his doctoral research into the investment decision‐making process in small manufacturing enterprises; and to inform small firm researchers generally, particularly those who may be considering the use of a qualitative research methodology for the first time in the study of processes of decision‐making.Design/methodology/approach – “Insider accounts” is an innovative qualitative methodology, which involves in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews and direct observation, conducted longitudinally in a case study approach. It is a research method, which includes detailed accounts from the actors themselves, incorporating the actual motives and behaviour of owner‐managers. It is based on a philosophy that the “objects” studied are in fact “subjects”, producing accounts of their world.Findings – The finding in the study for which this methodology was used is that owner‐managers pred.
Application-Specific RISC Architecture for ITU-T G.729 Decoding Processing

In this paper, we propose a new application-specific RISC processor architecture to overcome the performance bottleneck of traditional RISC processor executing complex speech decoding application such as, what we mostly concern about, ITU-T G.729 decoder. By introducing the enhanced hardware components into ARM v4 processor architecture, the new application-specific instructions are accomplished and the performance of this new architecture is about 52% improvement than original ARM v4 processor architecture
Identification of SPPL2a Inhibitors by Multiparametric Analysis of a High-Content Ultra-High-Throughput Screen

The intramembrane protease signal peptide peptidase-like 2a (SPPL2a) is a potential drug target for the treatment of autoimmune diseases due to an essential role in B cells and dendritic cells. To screen a library of 1.4 million compounds for inhibitors of SPPL2a, we developed an imaging assay detecting nuclear translocation of the proteolytically released cytosolic substrate fragment. The state-of-the-art hit calling approach based on nuclear translocation resulted in numerous false-positive hits, mainly interrupting intracellular protein trafficking. To filter the false positives, we extracted 340 image-based readouts and developed a novel multiparametric analysis method that successfully triaged the primary hit list. The identified scaffolds were validated by demonstrating activity on endogenous SPPL2a and substrate CD74/p8 in B cells. The multiparametric analysis discovered diverse cellular phenotypes and provided profiles for the whole library. The principle of the presented imaging assay, the screening strategy, and multiparametric analysis are potentially applicable in future screening campaigns.
Research on an anti-motion interference algorithm of blood oxygen saturation based on AC and DC analysis.

BACKGROUND There is an urgent need for blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) tests when participants are ambulatory, as in daily activity monitoring, sleep monitoring, or even athletes' cardiovascular function tests. In such situations, measuring equipment needs to be wearable. This restricts the processor volume, and the corresponding algorithm should be microprocessor compatible. OBJECTIVE This article proposes an anti-motion interference blood oxygen saturation algorithm for the microcontroller based on AC and DC analysis, named de-trended FFT. METHODS An experiment was conducted to compare the de-trended FFT algorithm with two other algorithms commonly used in the time and frequency domains. In the experiment, participants' oxygen saturation levels were calculated from Photoplethysmography (PPG) signals that were recorded continuously. Meantime, five types of hand motions were conducted, including hand trembling movements, horizontal hand movements, vertical hand movements, finger tapping, and finger bending, with each state lasting 2 minutes. RESULTS Results show significant performance of de-trended FFT in SpO2 calculation (P < 0.05), in both accuracy and stability. CONCLUSION De-trended FFT stands out in both mean deviation and variance by eliminating trending influence when compared with the other two algorithms. The motion interference's influence on SpO2 calculation mainly comes from the AC component, not the DC.
Income Inequality, Equal Opportunity, and Attitudes About Redistribution

type="main"> This article explores how income inequality and social mobility affect attitudes about redistribution in global perspective. Individual-level data on over 50,000 individuals from 38 countries in the International Social Survey Programme are combined with country-level data from the World Bank, Standardized Income Inequality Database, and the Economic Freedom of the World data. OLS regression models with robust, clustered standard errors are estimated to account for the presence of unobserved, country-level effects in the error terms. Social mobility is found to be a more important predictor of preferences for redistribution than income inequality. Specifically, those who live in countries with greater social mobility are more supportive of redistribution while individuals who have experienced upward mobility themselves are less supportive, although an upwardly mobile individual in a more mobile society is more supportive of redistribution than an upwardly mobile individual in a less mobile society. The central finding of this study is that the tangibility of redistributive social policies may bolster support for social spending. The structures and institutions that facilitate upward mobility—and potentially attenuate some of the detrimental effects of income inequality—are generally the products of more comprehensive redistribution policies, and public opinion may reflect this.
Taxane‐based chemoirradiation for organ preservation with locally advanced head and neck cancer: Results of a phase II multi‐institutional trial

The optimal drug schedule and sequencing of chemotherapy and radiation for organ preservation in head and neck cancer has yet to be determined. We undertook a phase II trial of a taxane‐based induction chemotherapy (ICT) followed by a taxane‐based concurrent chemoradiation (CCR) regimen in patients with resectable stage III or IV disease to determine the feasibility, toxicity, and overall efficacy.
Serum Response Factor, an Enriched Cardiac Mesoderm Obligatory Factor, Is a Downstream Gene Target for Tbx Genes*

We tested the idea that T-box factors direct serum response factor (SRF) gene activity early in development. Analysis of SRF-LacZ “knock-in” mice showed highly restricted expression in early embryonic cardiac and skeletal muscle mesoderm and neuroectoderm. Examination of the SRF gene for regulatory regions by linking the promoter and 5′-flanking sequences, up to 5.5 kb, failed to target LacZ transgene activity to the heart and the tail pre-somitic mesenchyme. However, linkage of a minimal SRF promoter with the SRF 3′-untranslated region (UTR), inundated with multimeric T-box binding sites (TBEs), restored robust reporter gene activity to embryonic heart and tail. Finer dissection of the 3′-UTR to a small cluster of TBEs also stimulated transgene activity in the cardiac forming region and the tail, however, when the TBEs contained within these DNA sequences were mutated, preventing Tbx binding, transgene activity was lost. Tbx2, Tbx5, and the cardiac-enriched MYST family histone acetyltransferase TIP60, were observed to be mutual interactive cofactors through the TIP60 zinc finger and the T-box of the Tbx factors. In SRF-null ES cells, TIP60, Tbx2, and Tbx5 were sufficient to stimulate co-transfected SRF reporter activity, however this activity required the presence of the SRF 3′-UTR. SRF gene transactivation was blocked by two distinct TIP60 mutants, in which either the histone acetyltransferase domain was inactivated or the Zn finger-protein binding domain was excised. Our study supports the idea that SRF embryonic cardiac gene expression is dependent upon the SRF 3′-UTR enhancer, Tbx2, Tbx5, and TIP60 histone acetyltransferase activity.
Estimating the Effects of Different Admission Fees on Revenues for a Mega-Event Using a Contingent Valuation Method

Estimates of the effect of different admission fees on revenues for the Expo 2012 Yeosu mega-event are provided. A national survey was conducted for the Korean population. The results indicate that the revenue-maximizing admission fee is approximately KRW 27,000, with an estimated 14.6 million visitors and KRW 388.3 billion for the best-guess scenario. With an eight million visitor capacity constraint, the admission fee should be KRW 39,000. Implications of admission pricing strategies are provided in the conclusion.
Behavioral Analysis of Review Fraud: Linking Malicious Crowdsourcing to Amazon and Beyond

We exploit the prevalence of malicious review writers on crowdsourcing platforms like RapidWorkers to identify actual fraud reviews on Amazon. Complementary to previous efforts which often rely on proxies for fraud reviews, we present a long-term study of actual fraudulent behaviors in online review manipulation. We find that these malicious reviewers — though often providing seemingly legitimate opinions — do exhibit significant differences from normal reviewers in terms of ratings distribution, length of the reviews, and the burstiness of the reviews themselves. We additionally study the evolution of these reviews, and find striking temporal changes that could support future discovery of these reviewers who may be “hiding in plain sight. ”
Core and Periphery -- The Dual Effect of Terror

In this paper we analyze the impact of terrorist attacks conducted in Israel during the Second Intifada (2000-2006) on the Israeli stock market. The impact is assessed by differentiating between attacks in the center of Israel (what is termed here the core region) and attacks in the periphery (the southern and northern areas of the country). We use the event study technique to evaluate the effects of the attacks on abnormal returns on the Israeli stock market. Our major finding is that a terrorist attack in the center of Israel has a significant negative effect on the stock market on the day it happens and a significant cumulative negative effect for several days afterward. However, when the attack takes place in the periphery, it has a less significant effect and no lasting impact after the first day.
Different trends in antibiotic resistance rates at a university teaching hospital.

OBJECTIVES To investigate long-term trends in antibiotic resistance of common bacterial species isolated at a university hospital and in its intensive care units (ICUs). METHODS Levels of antibiotic resistance of common bacterial pathogens were investigated at the Karolinska Hospital during the 12-year period 1988-99. Resistance rates were analyzed for the entire hospital, as well as for ICUs combined. RESULTS At the Karolinska Hospital, we found increased ciprofloxacin resistance among Escherichia coli isolates, from 0% in 1991 to 11% in 1999. In the ICUs, the corresponding increase was from 0% to 4.8% during the same period. Co-trimoxazole resistance levels increased from 7.5% to 14%, with lower levels for the ICUs. For ampicillin, cefuroxime, and gentamicin, the levels of resistance were similar in the whole hospital and in the ICUs. Among Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, imipenem resistance was higher in the ICUs. For ciprofloxacin, resistance increased from 2.5% in 1991 to 13% in 1999 in the whole hospital, with similar figures for the ICUs. CONCLUSION The resistance rates at the Karolinska Hospital were still generally low, but were increasing for some antibiotic-microbe combinations. The results emphasize the importance of including all sectors of a hospital in resistance surveillance studies, and also the value of long surveillance periods.
Self-Control against Half-Intuitive Reactions

Title of Dissertation Self-Control Against Half-Intuitive Reactions Author Mr. Pakathorn Na Pattalung Degree Doctor of Philosophy (Economics) Year 2013 People often make everyday decisions based on their intuition. A large number of experiments in Neuroeconomics and Behavioral Economics draw this conclusion without providing explanations on the reaction-generating processes. These intuitive reactions are efficient and appropriate in many situations. However, when the issue at stake concerns immediate rewards; intuitive reactions usually lead to suboptimal results. In fact, these continued reaction patterns may breed bad habits and act as endogenous constraints to one's making an optimal choice. They can eventually cause major undesirable consequences. This paper offers a model which explains intuitive reaction processes and bridges the literature on Self-Control and Bounded Rationality. It aims to tackle the abovementioned impulsive reactions right away at the time the reactions take place, in an extremely impulsive setting. The model explains the mental supply formation steps: starting from being aware of the event in question, searching the reactions, to executing the reactions which come from either a rational or a bounded rational system. These four elements: awareness, predetermined reactions, self-control, and rational/bounded rational, form a mental supply state of an individual. While the latter two elements link the paper to the Self-Control and Bounded Rationality literature, the former two are the main highlights of this paper. In the extremely impulsive setting, awareness and predetermined reactions are scarce; hence, they underpin the mental supply sufficiency and consequently determine the reaction result.
Articular Chondrocyte Culturing for Cell-Based Cartilage Repair: Needs and Perspectives

Articular cartilage displays a limited capacity of self-regeneration after injury. Thus, the biology of this tissue and its cellular components – the chondrocytes – has become the focus of several investigations, driven by tissue engineering and the basic and clinical research fields, aiming to ameliorate the present clinical approaches to cartilage repair. In this work, we present a brief recapitulation of the events that lead to cartilage development during the skeletal embryonal growth. The intrinsic phenotypic plasticity of the mesenchymal precursors and the adult chondrocytes is evaluated, dependent on the cell source, its physiopathological state, and as a function of the donor’s age. The phenotypic changes induced by the basic culturing techniques are also taken into account, thus highlighting the phenotypic plasticity of the chondrocyte as the main property which could couple the differentiation process to the repair process. Chondrocyte proliferation and the contemporary maintenance of the chondrogenic differentiation potential are regarded as the two primary goals to be achieved in order to fulfill the quantitative needs of the clinical applications and the qualitative requirements of a properly repaired tissue. In this light, the effects of several growth factors and medium supplements are investigated. Finally, the latest improvements in culturing conditions and their possible clinical applications are presented as well.