Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Salience Not Status: How Category Labels Influence Feature Inference

Two main uses of categories are classification and feature inference, and category labels have been widely shown to play a dominant role in feature inference. However, the nature of this influence remains unclear, and we evaluate two contrasting hypotheses formalized as mathematical models: the label special-mechanism hypothesis and the label super-salience hypothesis. The special-mechanism hypothesis is that category labels, unlike other features, trigger inference decision making in reference to the category prototypes. This results in a tendency for prototype-compatible inferences because the labels trigger a special mechanism rather than because of any influences they have on similarity evaluation. The super-salience hypothesis assumes that the large label influence is due to their high salience and corresponding impact on similarity without any need for a special mechanism. Application of the two models to a feature inference task based on a family resemblance category structure yields strong support for the label super-salience hypothesis and in particular does not support the need for a special mechanism based on prototypes.
Privacy Preserving Information Dispersal in Social Networks Based on Disposition to Privacy

Social networks are no more a phenomenon. They have assimilated into our daily lives and are a part of our being. It has become a vehicle that carries information on our triumphs, failures, social and societal views, travel and leisure activities. Information shared through social networks contain sensitive information that poses a serious threat to our privacy. One of the contributing factor in being victimised is, information reaching more than the intended audience. Ignorance towards risk posed, sheer neglect towards privacy or complexity in understanding the privacy settings are pushing the general public in the direction of privacy breaches. We address controlling the intended audience for the information posted on social networks in this work on privacy. The notion of disposition to privacy of the user in assessing his friends, has not been strongly addressed before. We propose a model for quantifying privacy where the user's disposition (personality) towards privacy decides which information is seen by whom. Access to information is driven through assigning visibility to groups of users, traditionally. We propose to shift this access control to category. Category is a virtual container of information, profile items and general posts included. By this shift, we contend that information privacy is intuitive and hassle free from end users perspective thereby assisting to have a tight control over sensitive information.
Engineering and Therapeutic Application of Single-Chain Bivalent TGF-β Family Traps

Deregulation of TGF-β superfamily signaling is a causative factor in many diseases. Here we describe a protein engineering strategy for the generation of single-chain bivalent receptor traps for TGF-β superfamily ligands. Traps were assembled using the intrinsically disordered regions flanking the structured binding domain of each receptor as "native linkers" between two binding domains. This yields traps that are approximately threefold smaller than antibodies and consists entirely of native receptor sequences. Two TGF-β type II receptor-based, single-chain traps were designed, termed (TβRII)2 and (TβRIIb)2, that have native linker lengths of 35 and 60 amino acids, respectively. Both single-chain traps exhibit a 100 to 1,000 fold higher in vitro ligand binding and neutralization activity compared with the monovalent ectodomain (TβRII-ED), and a similar or slightly better potency than pan–TGF-β–neutralizing antibody 1D11 or an Fc-fused receptor trap (TβRII-Fc). Despite its short in vivo half-life (<1 hour), which is primarily due to kidney clearance, daily injections of the (TβRII)2 trap reduced the growth of 4T1 tumors in BALB/c mice by 50%, an efficacy that is comparable with 1D11 (dosed thrice weekly). In addition, (TβRII)2 treatment of mice with established 4T1 tumors (100 mm3) significantly inhibited further tumor growth, whereas the 1D11 antibody did not. Overall, our results indicate that our rationally designed bivalent, single-chain traps have promising therapeutic potential. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(7); 1477–87. ©2012 AACR.
Exploring the role of drama and storyboarding in learner-centered scenario generation

Involving learners at an early stage of learning environment design enables the researchers to base a system around their needs. This approach is particularly advantageous when designing innovative system that encourages the experiential and entertaining activities of learners in areas such as social learning. The paper describes the learner centered design process which was used to develop a visual representation for interactive narrative in Shimpai Muyou! focusing on the difficult and often devastating problem of bullying in schools. Early consultation with our users through the use of drama and electronic storyboarding techniques ensured that the representations we proposed could be comprehended and subsequently generated by children in the target age group. A rich picture of the process and effects of children involvement in the creation of believable synthetic characters and engaging scenarios has been presented that has revealed several important design implications.
A paper-based microfluidic device for multiplexed electrochemical detection of biomarkers

Paper-based microfluidic devices have emerged as simple yet powerful platforms for performing low-cost analytical tests. This paper reports a microfluidic paper-based electrochemical biosensor array for multiplexed detection of disease markers. Different from existing paper-based electrochemical biosensors, our device includes an array of eight electrochemical sensors and utilizes a custom-made, handheld electrochemical reader (potentiostat) for signal readout. The biosensor array can detect several analytes in a sample solution and produce multiple measurement data for each analyte from a single run. Using the device, we demonstrate simultaneous detection of three disease-relevant metabolic biomarkers (glucose, lactate, and uric acid), with analytical performance comparable to that of the existing commercial and paper-based platforms. The paper-based biosensor array and the electrochemical reader will enable the acquisition of high-density, statistically-meaningful diagnostic information at the point of care in a rapid and cost-efficient way.
Catalyst Performance in the HDPE Pyrolysis-Reforming under Reaction-Regeneration Cycles

The performance of a Ni commercial catalyst has been studied under reaction-regeneration cycles in a continuous process consisting of the flash pyrolysis (500 °C) of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in a conical spouted bed reactor (CSBR), followed by catalytic steam reforming in-line (700 ºC) of the volatiles formed in a fluidized bed reactor. The catalyst is regenerated between reactions by coke combustion in situ in the reforming reactor, using a sequence of air concentrations and following a temperature ramp between 600 and 700 °C. Several analytical techniques (TPO, TEM, XRD, and TPR) have proven that the catalyst does not fully recover its initial activity by coke combustion due to the sintering of Ni0 active sites. This sintering process is steadily attenuated in the successive reaction-regeneration cycles and the catalyst approaches a steady state.
Men with chronic occupational stress benefit from behavioural/psycho-educational group training: a randomized, prospective, controlled trial

ABSTRACT Background Overworking is one of the most frequent stressors. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of behavioural/psycho-educational group training in men who are chronically stressed from overworking. Method Of 72 male subjects, 36 were randomly assigned to training for 8 weeks and another 36 formed the control group, which received a placebo intervention. Primary outcome measures were systolic blood pressure, salivary cortisol concentration upon awakening, and self-reported changes on the scales of the Trier Inventory for the Assessment of Chronic Stress (TICS), the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Results A significant reduction in mean values was observed in daily systolic blood pressure and salivary cortisol concentration on all the TICS and most of the STAXI and SF-36 scales. Conclusions Behavioural/psycho-educational group training appears to be effective in the treatment of men suffering from chronic stress due to overworking.
Concern for Community: A Case Study of Cooperatives in Costa Rica

ABSTRACT Through enacting the principle concern for community, cooperatives hold promise in promoting social welfare. This article builds on the literature about the intersections of cooperatives and community practice by using empirical evidence gathered through intensive case-study immersion. The data suggest that cooperatives bolster the well-being of their associates and the entire community along economic, social, and political axes. The evidence suggests that ideological, contextual, and social factors provide the rationale for cooperatives’ community engagement. Given the congruence between cooperatives’ community practices and social work aims, the article ends by raising questions about opportunities for collaborations between cooperatives and social workers.
TransCrypt: Transparent Main Memory Encryption Using a Minimal ARM Hypervisor

Attacks on memory, revealing secrets, for example, via DMA or cold boot, are a long known problem. In this paper, we present TransCrypt, a concept for transparent and guest-agnostic, dynamic kernel and user main memory encryption using a custom minimal hypervisor. The concept utilizes the address translation features provided by hardware-based virtualization support of modern CPUs to restrict the guest to a small working set of recently accessed physical pages. The rest of the pages, which constitute the majority of memory, remain securely encrypted. Furthermore, we present a transparent and guest-agnostic mechanism for recognizing pages to be excluded from encryption to still ensure correct system functionality, for example, for pages shared with peripheral devices. The detailed evaluation using our fully functional prototype on an ARM Cortex-A15 development board running Android shows that TransCrypt is able to effectively protect secrets in memory while keeping the performance impact small. For example, the system is able to keep the E-mail account password of a typical user in the Android mail app's memory encrypted 98.99% of the time, while still reaching 81.7% and 99.8% of native performance in different benchmarks.
Neither Free Trade Nor Protection

This book challenges both sides of the debate around international trade. Most mainstream economists advocate free trade as a mainstay of national and global prosperity. Meanwhile, many critics see trade causing inequality and poverty. Unfortunately, supporters and opponents share many assumptions about trade and the character of the international economy and produce similarly abstract and asocialized theories. Their propositions need to be investigated critically, and in doing so, this book begins the task of assessing when and how trade matters.
The 'Visible Hand' of the ECB's Quantitative Easing

In the midst of the market turbulence of recent years, policy rates have reached the zero lower bound, with central banks aggressively deploying their balance sheet with an array of ‘unconventional’ monetary policies to ensure the transmission of monetary policy impulses in disrupted financial markets, ultimately to set the conditions for economic recovery. Since March 9th, the European Central Bank (ECB) has also joined the club of central banks deploying the most feared monetary policy tool in its armoury. Unsterilised outright asset purchases (so-called ‘quantitative easing’, or QE) aim to re-establish control over the transmission of monetary policy impulse via policy rates by improving conditions for unsecured interbank market activity. This paper examines three dimensions of quantitative easing: i) the rationale behind the ECB’s new monetary policy stance, ii) the operational challenges of QE and iii) preliminary evidence on the effects of QE on markets.
Reaction kinetics of cephalexin synthesizing enzyme from Xanthomonas citri

In enzymatic synthesis of cephalexin from D‐α‐phenylglycine methyl ester (PGM) and 7‐amino‐3‐deacetoxy‐cephalosporanic acid (7‐ADCA) using α‐acylamino‐β‐lactam acylhydrolase from Xanthomonas citri, it was found that this enzyme catalyzes all three reactions including PGM hydrolysis, cephalexin synthesis, and cephalexin hydrolysis. Based on our experimental results, a mechanistic kinetic model for cephalexin synthesizing enzyme system having acyl‐enzyme intermediate was proposed. From this kinetic model, the reaction rate equations for three reactions were derived, and the kinetic parameters were evaluated. A good agreement between the simulation results and the experimental results was found.
An FEM based framework to simulate semiconductor devices using streamline upwind Petrov-Galerkin stabilization technique

In this paper, a Continuous Galerkin Finite Element Method has been used to build a suitable framework to numerically analyse semiconductor devices for various applications in electronics industry. Streamline upwind Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) stabilization technique has been utilized to calculate the flux (flow of charge) in the device effectively. SUPG stabilization technique has been proved to be better than the classical Scharfetter-Gummel method to solve a advection-diffusion equation. We have implemented semi-classical Drift-Diffusion model to simulate semiconductor devices, incorporating different models for carrier generation-recombination and mobility. SUPG technique enables the use of coarse unstructured mesh to get accurate results which effectively reduces simulation time as well. Simulation results for a PN junction diode and MOSFET have been presented to validate effectiveness of the method.
TaqMan‐based real‐time polymerase chain reaction for detection of FUT2 copy number variations: identification of novel Alu‐mediated deletion

BACKGROUND: The human FUT2 locus, which encodes a secretor‐type α(1,2)fucosyltransferase, is known to be highly polymorphic. In addition to many single‐nucleotide polymorphisms, three recombination alleles with a deletion of complete or partial FUT2 coding region have been reported.
REVIEW OF DIGITAL IDENTITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM MODELS

Purpose: Public and private Institutions are presently facing challenges in the control of users accessing information via online platforms. Institutions presently control classified user identity information via online platforms. Trends indicate there is insignificant control of classified information within organizations, making it one of the serious threats facing governments and organizations. Digital Identity Management Systems (DIMS) are very vital in organization infrastructure for the purpose of authenticating users and supporting unlimited access control of services. The core intention of this paper is to review the existing digital identity management models and analyze the extent of the research work. Methodology: The paper will review the characteristics of Digital Identity Management Models and evaluate on how trust and privacy issues impact or influence the establishment of an effective digital identity management system. Findings: This paper reviews existing digital identity management system models. Regulation of information in cases when the entities requiring access to it are both highly diverse and spread is among the most significant challenges to effective identity management. A variety of normal technical questions also faces the field, for example, the manner in which information in centralized and distributed databases can be controlled. In a bid to ensure that information related to authorization and authentication is up to date and dependable within an organization’s systems of information, handling personnel has been a major concern of identity management systems. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: A hybrid digital Identity Management System model approach that will aim at solving the gaps identified in the existing digital identity models will be the future paper’s subject of concern.
Perceptions of Vanuatu seasonal workers on conducting oral health promotion in their community

Video link: https://www.youtube. com/watch? v=FlJd_Mv2ApU Introduction: Poor oral health is a significant public health problem in Vanuatu, and in Melanesia more generally. It has a negative impact on overall health and well-being and is linked to heart disease and diabetes. Determinants of health such as poverty, poor diet, geographical remoteness, and limited oral health care are some of the contributing factors of poor oral health in Vanuatu. Vanuatu seasonal workers visit Aotearoa New Zealand annually under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme, for the purposes of fruit processing. Fruit of the Pacific (FOP), a charitable trust, has collaborated with Oral Health at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) to provide oral health care to seasonal workers since 2010. Emerging from these relationships, a community-led initiative was undertaken by returning workers to Vanuatu in collaboration with FOP involving good oral health, especially tooth-brushing. Method: In 2016, a small-scale study was undertaken of the perceptions of Vanuatu seasonal workers’ of oral health promotion in their community. An exploratory focus group discussion with seasonal workers and a contextual review of sources was undertaken. This paper discusses oral health in Vanuatu and presents the findings of the study. Results/Discussion: The seasonal workers are well aware of the poor oral health of their communities, describing important gains from community-led sharing of oral health messages, including cultural knowledge, empathy, and appropriate forms of communication. They noted that stakeholders and funders are needed on an ongoing basis to support such mechanisms. Conclusion: The study presents and discusses a positive case of Pacific community leaders from migrant diaspora taking action on oral health. This can inform similar actions in Vanuatu, Melanesia, and other Pacific island communities. Further research would be valuable to explore community oral health messaging in Vanuatu and in other settings. Given the potential of the ‘digital dividend’ for greater access to the internet in future, ehealth promotion tools alongside appropriate community programming, might provide a low cost and sustainable model of Pacific oral health promotion.
Tumor‐associated carbohydrate antigens: A possible avenue for cancer prevention

Here we examine the use of glycopeptides containing tumour‐associated carbohydrate antigens (TACA) as potential preventive vaccines for carcinomas. Our recent results suggest that CD8+ T cells (CTL) are capable of recognizing TACA in a conventional class I MHC‐restricted fashion. The Thomsen–Friedenreich antigen (TF), a disaccharide, and Tn, its immediate precursor, are TACA largely expressed in carcinomas. TF and Tn can be successfully used as Th‐independent vaccines when conjugated to designer peptides with optimal binding affinity for class I MHC molecules. TF‐ and Tn‐specific CTL generated using this strategy are capable of recognizing TACA‐expressing tumours in vitro, suggesting that glycopeptides are as effectively presented by class I MHC molecules as non‐glycosylated peptides. Because the exact sequences of endogenously synthesized glycopeptides are unknown, the TACA‐specific T cell repertoire elicited by carbohydrate‐based vaccines is assumed to be degenerate. Here we report that mice genetically manipulated to develop TACA‐expressing mammary tumours are not tolerant to glycopeptide vaccination. Moreover, we tested the immunogenicity of designer glycopeptides capable of binding multiple HLA alleles as a novel approach for the development of vaccines potentially useful for vaccination of a large fraction of the general population. Our results have suggested that CTL derived from normal donors respond with high efficiency to glycopeptides in vitro, opening a new avenue for the design of prospective vaccines for cancer prevention.
Flagella and motility behaviour of square bacteria.

Square bacteria are shown to have right‐handed helical (RH) flagella. They swim forward by clockwise (CW), and backwards by counterclockwise (CCW) rotation of their flagella. They are propelled by several or single filaments arising at several or single points on the cell surface. When there are several filaments a stable bundle is formed that does not fly apart during the change from clockwise to counterclockwise rotation or vice versa. In addition to the flagella attached to the cells, large amounts of detached flagella aggregated into thick super‐flagella, can be observed at all phases of growth.
Psychosocial Risk Factors in Near-Fatal Asthma and in Asthma Deaths

BACKGROUND A description of near-fatal asthma (NFA) and comparison with patients who died of asthma in an English health district between 1988 and 1995. METHODS The hospital case notes of patients aged under 65 years with NFA, identified from the intensive therapy unit register, were reviewed using forms based on those of the East Anglian confidential asthma death enquiry. Details were compared with patients dying from asthma in the same population during the same period. RESULTS Between 1988 and 1995, 19 patients suffered 23 episodes of NFA and 44 died from asthma. Those with NFA were significantly younger. There were more women in both groups. Two patients with NFA subsequently died of asthma. Significantly more patients with NFA had had a previous NFA episode than those who died. Five had a cardio-respiratory arrest. Thirteen required intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV). PaCO2 ranged from 6.1 to 17.8 kPa; nine had PaCO2 > or = 10 kPa and three recovered without IPPV. Adverse psychological and social factors were similar in both groups. Denial was the commonest psychological factor and domestic, financial or employment stress, smoking or passive smoking the commonest adverse social factors; only two with NFA and seven who died had no recorded adverse psychological or social factors. CONCLUSIONS NFA and deaths from asthma occur in asthmatics who have many psychosocial risk factors in common. Special attention needs to be directed at patients with these adverse psychosocial factors, emphasising that they need continued follow-up with support to help them manage their asthma according to currently recommended practice.
CMOS Impulse Radar

A novel CMOS impulse radar for CMOS implementation is proposed exploring the concept of swept-threshold sampling. Time-domain signal processing with counter-based integration in parallel structures is used. With continuous time delay line based parallel sampling topologies we achieve a sampling rate in excess of 20GHz. A functional CMOS impulse radar is implemented in silicon with measured system performance