Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mice lacking Period 1 and Period 2 circadian clock genes exhibit blue cone photoreceptor defects

Many aspects of retinal physiology are modulated by circadian clocks, but it is unclear whether clock malfunction impinges directly on photoreceptor survival, differentiation or function. Eyes from wild‐type (WT) and Period1 (Per1) and Period2 (Per2) mutant mice (Per1Brdm1Per2Brdm1) were examined for structural (histology, in vivo imaging), phenotypical (RNA expression, immunohistochemistry) and functional characteristics. Transcriptional levels of selected cone genes [red/green opsin (Opn1mw), blue cone opsin (Opn1sw) and cone arrestin (Arr3)] and one circadian clock gene (RORb) were quantified by real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Although there were no changes in general retinal histology or visual responses (electroretinograms) between WT and Per1Brdm1Per2Brdm1 mice, compared with age‐matched controls, Per1Brdm1Per2Brdm1 mice showed scattered retinal deformations by fundus inspection. Also, mRNA expression levels and immunostaining of blue cone opsin were significantly reduced in mutant mice. Especially, there was an alteration in the dorsal–ventral patterning of blue cones. Decreased blue cone opsin immunoreactivity was present by early postnatal stages, and remained throughout maturation. General photoreceptor differentiation was retarded in young mutant mice. In conclusion, deletion of both Per1 and Per2 clock genes leads to multiple discrete changes in retina, notably patchy tissue disorganization, reductions in cone opsin mRNA and protein levels, and altered distribution. These data represent the first direct link between Per1 and Per2 clock genes, and cone photoreceptor differentiation and function.
Reorganization of Nuclear Pore Complexes and the Lamina in Late-Stage Parvovirus Infection

ABSTRACT Canine parvovirus (CPV) infection induces reorganization of nuclear structures. Our studies indicated that late-stage infection induces accumulation of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) and lamin B1 concomitantly with a decrease of lamin A/C levels on the apical side of the nucleus. Newly formed CPV capsids are located in close proximity to NPCs on the apical side. These results suggest that parvoviruses cause apical enrichment of NPCs and reorganization of nuclear lamina, presumably to facilitate the late-stage infection.
INFORMys: A Flexible Invoice-Like Form-Reader System

We describe a flexible form-reader system capable of extracting textual information from accounting documents, like invoices and bills of service companies. In this kind of document, the extraction of some information fields cannot take place without having detected the corresponding instruction fields, which are only constrained to range in given domains. We propose modeling the document's layout by means of attributed relational graphs, which turn out to be very effective for form registration, as well as for performing a focused search for instruction fields. This search is carried out by means of a hybrid model, where proper algorithms, based on morphological operations and connected components, are integrated with connectionist models. Experimental results are given in order to assess the actual performance of the system.
ONE-CLASS SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINES APPROACH TO ANOMALY DETECTION

This article presents two-class and one-class support vector machines (SVM) for detection of fraudulent credit card transactions. One-class SVM classification with different kernels is considered for a dataset of fraudulent credit card transactions treating the fraud transactions as outliers. The effectiveness of the two-class C-Support Vector Classification (C-SVC) and ν-Support Vector Machines with different kernels are also presented on a fraudulent credit card transactions dataset. We describe and compare the performance of binary classifiers using balanced and imbalanced datasets with one-class SVM classifiers. The results of these methods are demonstrated on a credit card fraud dataset to show the superiority of one-class SVM for the anomaly detection problem.
Bounds for Frequency Estimation of Packet Streams

We consider the problem of approximating the frequency of frequently occurring elements in a stream of length n using only a memory of size m n. This models the process of gathering statistics on Internet packet streaming using a memory that is small relative to the number of classes (e.g. IP addresses) of packets. We show that when some data item a occurs αn times in a stream of length n, the FREQUENT algorithm of Demaine et al. [4], can approximate a’s frequency with an error of no more than (1−α)n/m. We also give a lower-bound of (1−α)n/(m+1) on the accuracy of any deterministic packet counting algorithm, which implies the FREQUENT algorithm is nearly optimal. Finally, we show that randomized algorithms can not be significantly more accurate since there is a lower bound of (1−α)Ω(n/m) on the expected accuracy of any randomized packet counting algorithm.
A map of directional genetic interactions in a metazoan cell

Gene–gene interactions shape complex phenotypes and modify the effects of mutations during development and disease. The effects of statistical gene–gene interactions on phenotypes have been used to assign genes to functional modules. However, directional, epistatic interactions, which reflect regulatory relationships between genes, have been challenging to map at large-scale. Here, we used combinatorial RNA interference and automated single-cell phenotyping to generate a large genetic interaction map for 21 phenotypic features of Drosophila cells. We devised a method that combines genetic interactions on multiple phenotypes to reveal directional relationships. This network reconstructed the sequence of protein activities in mitosis. Moreover, it revealed that the Ras pathway interacts with the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodelling complex, an interaction that we show is conserved in human cancer cells. Our study presents a powerful approach for reconstructing directional regulatory networks and provides a resource for the interpretation of functional consequences of genetic alterations. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.05464. 001
Does government effort or citizen word-of-mouth determine e-Government service diffusion?

Ranked best in the world for e-Government Readiness in 2002, 2004, and 2005, second in 2006 and third in 2007, Taiwan's experience in promoting e-Government services could provide governments worldwide with practical knowledge for planning and implementation. In general, e-Government services can be seen as innovations for citizens to adopt. This study uses the tax e-filing system (TEFS) in Taiwan as an example and investigates the determinants of citizens' adoption of such an innovative e-Government service. Three diffusion models – the external, internal and mixed influence models – are employed to reveal whether the diffusion of the TEFS in Taiwan is affected by government promotion efforts, interactions among acquaintances or a combination of both. Findings indicate that the influence of acquaintances is the major predictor of Taiwan's TEFS diffusion and the mixed influence model is the best fit. ‘Source-Strategy Fit’ implications are proposed based on this study's findings.
The Design of Adaptive Interfaces for Enterprise Resource Planning Systems

Research has shown that AUIs can improve the usability of software systems. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are an example of complex software systems which suffer from several usability issues. Limited research has been published on the applicability of AUIs to the domain of ERP systems. This paper aims to address this limitation by discussing the design of AUIs for ERP systems. A secondary contribution of this paper is the proposal of an adaptive taxonomy for ERP systems. Application of the proposed taxonomy and the proposed design is demonstrated through the implementation of an AUI for an existing ERP system, namely SAP Business One (SBO). The AUI was designed to address several of the usability issues identified in SBO, specifically efficiency and learnability.
Study of Ag Doped SnO2 Film and its Response Towards Aromatic Compounds Present in Tea

The work presented here focuses on the synthesis of Ag doped SnO2 based metal oxide semiconductor gas sensor using co-precipitation method and its performance evaluation towards some vital compounds responsible for the appealing aroma in tea. The sensor is tested to evaluate its response towards four noteworthy compounds (linalool, geraniol, methyl salicylate and trans-2-hexenal) present in the aroma matrix of black tea under diverse working temperature conditions. The prepared Ag doped SnO2 gas sensor exhibits improved sensitivity at a comparatively lesser working temperature (150°C) than the undoped SnO2 gas sensor. The proposed Ag doped sensor yields the highest sensitivity towards methyl salicylate(64.69%), an organic ester naturally synthesized by tea plants and is found in green, oolong and black tea. The physical characterization of the sensing material is carried out using XRD(x-ray diffraction), EDS(Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) and SEM (scanning electron microscope). This research will aid in selecting an appropriate sensing material for detection of methyl salicylate which could help in the quality determination of tea.
Tibialis anterior architecture, strength, and gait in individuals with cerebral palsy

Introduction: The relationship of tibialis anterior (TA) muscle architecture, including muscle thickness (MT), cross‐sectional area (CSA), pennation angle (PA), and fascicle length (FL), to strength and ankle function was examined in ambulatory individuals with CP and unilateral foot drop. Methods: Twenty individuals with CP participated in muscle ultrasound imaging, unilateral strength testing, and three‐dimensional gait analysis. Results: Muscle size (MT and CSA) was positively related to strength, fast gait velocity, and ankle kinematics during walking. Higher PA was related to a more dorsiflexed ankle position at initial contact and inversely with fast gait velocity. FL was related to strength, fast velocity, and step length at a self‐selected speed. Conclusions: Muscle architecture partially explains the degree of impairment in strength and ankle function in CP. Treatments to increase TA size and strength may produce some gait improvement, but other factors that may contribute to ankle performance deficits must be considered. Muscle Nerve, 2011
Uniformity detector retinal ganglion cells fire complex spikes and receive only light-evoked inhibition

Retinal ganglion cells convey information by increasing their firing in response to an optimal visual stimulus or “trigger feature. ” However, one class of ganglion cell responds to changes in the visual scene by decreasing its firing. These cells, termed uniformity detectors in the rabbit retina, are encountered only rarely and the synaptic mechanisms underlying their unusual responses have not been investigated. In this study, patch-clamp recordings of uniformity detectors show that the action potentials underlying the maintained firing arise within “complex spikes. ” Both ON and OFF visual stimuli elicit only inhibitory synaptic input, the immediate effect of which is to suppress the maintained firing. However, this inhibition also alters the properties of the “renascent” spiking by increasing the amplitude of the spikes within each burst, suggesting that the effect may increase the efficacy of spike propagation and transmission.
Compensatory Inter Vivos Gifts

Empirical studies of intergenerational transfers usually find that bequests are equally divided among heirs while inter vivos gifts tend to be compensatory. Using the 1992 and 1994 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, we find that only 4 percent of parents who give divide their gifts equally among their children. Estimating probit models using family panels, we find that gifts are compensatory in the sense that a child is more likely to receive a gift if she works fewer hours and has lower income than her brothers and sisters; these results carry over to the amounts given. Fixed effects Tobit estimations show that the fewer hours a child works and the lower her income is, the more the parents give. These results imply that gifts are compensatory. The empirical results are, therefore, consistent with the predictions of the altruistic model of intergenerational transfers.
Self-determination and substance use: is effortful control a mediator?

BACKGROUND Alcohol and other drug use among college students are highly common in the United States. This study examined the relationships between 2 motivational orientations (i.e., autonomy and controlled orientations) and substance use and related problems among college students. It also examined whether effortful control mediated the relationship between these motivational orientations and substance use. METHODS Study participants were 644 undergraduate students (67.2% female; 87.2% Caucasian) who completed a series of online questionnaires as a part of a larger longitudinal study on sleep and substance use. The mean age of participants was 23.58 (SD = 6.861). RESULTS Students with a higher autonomy orientation were more likely than their counterparts to report that they did not drink in the last 6 months. In contrast, students with a higher controlled orientation were less likely to report that they did not drink. Among those who drank in the last 6 months, effortful control significantly mediated the effects of autonomy orientation and controlled orientation on frequency of alcohol use within that time frame. Autonomy orientation positively predicted effortful control, which was associated with a decrease in the expected frequency of drinking. In contrast, controlled orientation negatively predicted effortful control, which was associated with an increase in the expected frequency of drinking. Controlled orientation also significantly predicted the presence of alcohol-related problems and illicit drug use. CONCLUSIONS Intervention and prevention programs on college drinking could incorporate education about strategies for self-control, including strategies for withstanding peer pressure and diverting one's attention to activities unrelated to substance use. Focusing on strategies of self-control may be a useful starting point for a more in-depth discussion about the motivations, values, and psychological needs satisfaction that are associated with drinking and other drug use.
Head pose estimation based on Active Shape Model and Relevant Vector Machine

Human head pose estimation is a hot topic in computer vision field, which can be used in video surveillance, Human Computer Interaction and so on. Active Shape Model is a template matching method, which is suitable for object localization and point based feature extraction. In this paper, we propose an algorithm based on Active Shape Model for head pose estimation. In the proposed algorithm, we firstly use Active Shape Model to estimate 2D face feature points of the target human head, then we adopt Relevant Vector Machine to evaluate head pose based on the extracted feature points. Experiments on CAS-PEAL-R1 dataset show that the proposed algorithm has great potential in estimating head pose with small yaw angle.
Preparation of Ni coating on NdFeB by magnetic jet electrodeposition

In order to lengthen the lifespan of NdFeB materials, nickel coating was manufactured by magnetic jet electrodeposition. The surface morphology, coating adhesion, and corrosion resistance of the coating were characterized and analyzed, respectively, by scanning electron microscope, scratch tester, and electrochemical workstation. The experimental results show that the surface of nickel coating which was fabricated by magnetic jet electrodeposition had no nodularity, and as a result, the surface morphology improved; furthermore, the corrosion resistance and coating adhesion of the coating improved in the effect of magnetic field intensity. When the value of the current density was 60 A/dm2 and the intensity of magnetic field was 100 mT, the coating adhesion could reach the standard in 33.4 N, which was doubled compared to the coating without magnetic field. Corrosion of the coating morphology is no longer the regional corrosion. Magnetic field is beneficial to improve the quality of coating surface morphology and reduce the corrosion current density of the coating.
Phase-field-based calculations of the disregistry fields of static extended dislocations in FCC metals

ABSTRACT In the continuum context, the displacements of atoms induced by a dislocation can be approximated by a continuum disregistry field. In this work, two phase-field (PF)-based approaches and their variants are employed to calculate the disregistry fields of static, extended dislocations of pure edge and pure screw character in two face-centred cubic metals: Au and Al, which have distinct stable stacking fault energy and elastic anisotropy. A new truncated Fourier series form is developed to approximate the generalised stacking fault energy (GSFE) surface, which shows significant improvement over the previously employed Fourier series form. By measuring the intrinsic stacking fault (ISF) width and partial dislocation core size in different ways, the PF-based disregistry fields are quantitatively compared against those predicted by molecular statics. In particular, two new measures for the ISF widths are proposed and shown to overcome drawbacks of the more commonly used standards in the literature. Our calculations also show that continuum formulation of the elastic energy and the GSFE for a homogeneous surface can successfully characterise the core structure. Last, our comparisons highlight the significance of including the gradient energy in the free energy formulation when an accurate description of the dislocation core structure is desired.
Moderate concentrations of ethanol inhibit endocytosis of the yeast maltose transporter

The maltose transporter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is degraded in the vacuole after internalization by endocytosis upon nitrogen starvation in the presence of a fermentable substrate. This degradation, known as catabolite inactivation, is inhibited by the presence of moderate concentrations (2 to 6%, vol/vol) of ethanol. We have investigated the mechanism of this inactivation and have found that it is due to the inhibition of the internalization of the transporter by endocytosis. The results also indicate that this inhibition is due to alterations produced by ethanol in the organization of the plasma membrane which also affects to endocytosis of other plasma membrane proteins. Apparently, endocytosis is particularly sensitive to these alterations compared with other processes occurring at the plasma membrane.
National Imaging Trends of Recurrent Pediatric Urolithiasis

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Objectives The aim of this study was to examine computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US) utilization trends in incident and prevalent pediatric emergency department (ED) urolithiasis patients before and after imaging guideline release. Methods We reviewed imaging modalities for children with 2 or more ED encounters between January 1, 2006, and September 1, 2013, for urolithiasis using the Pediatric Health Information System database. Z scores compared the proportion of patient encounters receiving CT and US before (January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2010) and after (January 1, 2011, to September 1, 2013) the release of imaging guidelines. McNemar test for paired proportions compared the percentage of US and CT use between initial versus subsequent visits. Piecewise logistic regression was used to determine the probability of US use and CT use over time before and after the implementation of imaging guidance. Results Analysis was completed on 2041 patients with 4930 unique encounters for urolithiasis. During 1758 encounters (35.7%), CT was performed initially. Ultrasound was performed 1585 times (32.2%). Fourteen percent fewer CT procedures were performed during first urolithiasis visits after guideline release (P < 0.01), whereas US use increased by 15% (P < 0.01). Fewer CT procedures were performed at later visits compared with the first (P < 0.05), and US was used more during second or later visits than the first (P < 0.05). Conclusions Medical providers at large academic pediatric EDs have decreased use of CT and increased use of US over the study time frame to diagnose urolithiasis and are now similar during initial visits (US 36.4% vs CT 36.2%, P = 0.94). Physicians are still more likely to use US as the initial urolithiasis imaging modality during second and later encounters.
e-Government challenges : Exploring inter-organisational aspects of e-service development

In this paper we are applying inter-organizational concepts from the industrial/business network approach on empirical findings from an e-government case, in order to describe and better understand challenges in one-stop government e-service development. We analyze our case by using concepts that characterize an inter-organizational relationship in terms of its level of continuity, complexity, symmetry, informality, and its dimensions (links, bonds, and ties). The purpose of the paper is to explore how these theoretical concepts can help us focus on certain aspects of e-service development challenges. The empirical findings are collected within an on-going action research project for e-service development in the public sector in Sweden. The aim of the project is to develop one-stop government e-services for driver’s license matters as well as a web-based portal where these e-services and information about the driver’s license process will be easily accessible. Our conclusions are that the theoretical concepts helped us reach further understanding of the empirical case. In the spirit of the network approach, we focused on the present situation and been able to give a rather detailed and fine-grained picture of the problems and challenges in this context.
Some Problems in Proof Complexity and Combinatorial Optimization

Lovász and Schjriver [34] introduced several lift and project methods for 0-1 integer programs, now collectively known as Lovász-Schjriver (LS) hierarchies. Several lower bounds have since been proven for the rank of various linear programming relaxations in the LS hierarchy. In this paper we study lower bounds on the rank in the more general LS∗ hierarchy, which was first investigated by Grigoriev et al [26]. In particular we show that the PHP inequalities have a log2 n rank refutation in LS∗ and we prove that this is tight. We also extend the strong rank lower bounds for MAX-CUT, Sparsest Cut etc, studied in Charikar et al. [12], for Sherali-Adams to weaker rank lower bounds in LS∗ hierarchy.
Infection-Immunity in Tularemia: Specificity of Cellular Immunity

The relationship between hypersensitivity and cellular resistance to infection with facultative intracellular parasites was studied in mice by using infection-immunity in tularemia as a model system. Delayed hypersensitivity to antigenic fractions of Francisella tularensis was first detected 6 to 7 days after immunization with viable F. tularensis vaccine, at which time immunity against challenge infection developed. Both immunity and delayed-type sensitivity reached maximal levels by 9 to 10 days. Immediate hypersensitivity occurred after immunization with both viable and nonviable tularemia vaccines but could not be correlated with resistance since nonviable antigens were not protective. Attempts to relate resistance to F. tularensis with nonspecific immunity factors were unsuccessful. Immunization of mice with BCG vaccine stimulated protection against infection with F. novicida and Salmonella typhimurium but provided no protection against infection with F. tularensis. Moreover, viable tularemia vaccine, while inducing marked protection against challenge with specific organisms, afforded no protection against infection with S. typhimurium or S. enteritidis. It is concluded that cellular immunity in tularemia involves an immunologically specific component.