Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Economics and Politics on the Structure of World Trade and Investment Flows

The Asia Pacific region, and especially East Asia, has experienced rapid economic integration without the hard politics of legally binding economic and political treaties, unlike Europe where integration has been institutionled. The soft politics and marketled integration in East Asia set against a background of political tensions and rivalries in key relationships in the region. The paper measures trade and investment performance in the world economy. This allows comparison of bilateral and regional trade and investment flows. A measure of the effect of political distance on both trade and investment flows is also defined. The growth of ChinaJapan trade and investment, despite political distance between the two countries is discussed to highlight and elaborate on key findings. The analysis leads to five conclusions. Multilateral institutions are important in reducing economic and political distance between trading partners. While political relations do affect economic relations, their effect is not important across the vast majority of trading relationships. The important effects of political relations on economic relations come in todays world via international investment rather than through international trade. East Asian economies are leading trade and economic integration, measured in terms of their trade and investment performance and their impact on global trade and investment frontiers. Finally, of all the major regional groupings, APEC and ASEAN stand out as arrangements in which there has been no trade diversion, unlike the other formal regional groupings such as NAFTA and the EU in which trade diversion is measurable. The paper finds an APEC effect, explains how economics can dominate politics in international economic relations and recommends priority to strengthening regional and international investment regimes to help ameliorate the likely effects of politics on economic integration in the future.
The JStar language philosophy

This paper introduces the JStar parallel programming language, which is a Java-based declarative language aimed at discouraging sequential programming, encouraging massively parallel programming, and giving the compiler and runtime maximum freedom to try alternative parallelisation strategies. We describe the execution semantics and runtime support of the language, several optimisations and parallelism strategies, with some initial benchmark results.
Divide and Conquer: Enriching Environmental Sequencing Data

Background In environmental sequencing projects, a mix of DNA from a whole microbial community is fragmented and sequenced, with one of the possible goals being to reconstruct partial or complete genomes of members of the community. In communities with high diversity of species, a significant proportion of the sequences do not overlap any other fragment in the sample. This problem will arise not only in situations with a relatively even distribution of many species, but also when the community in a particular environment is routinely dominated by the same few species. In the former case, no genomes may be assembled at all, while in the latter case a few dominant species in an environment will always be sequenced at high coverage to the detriment of coverage of the greater number of sparse species. Methods and Results Here we show that, with the same global sequencing effort, separating the species into two or more sub-communities prior to sequencing can yield a much higher proportion of sequences that can be assembled. We first use the Lander-Waterman model to show that, if the expected percentage of singleton sequences is higher than 25%, then, under the uniform distribution hypothesis, splitting the community is always a wise choice. We then construct simulated microbial communities to show that the results hold for highly non-uniform distributions. We also show that, for the distributions considered in the experiments, it is possible to estimate quite accurately the relative diversity of the two sub-communities. Conclusion Given the fact that several methods exist to split microbial communities based on physical properties such as size, density, surface biochemistry, or optical properties, we strongly suggest that groups involved in environmental sequencing, and expecting high diversity, consider splitting their communities in order to maximize the information content of their sequencing effort.
Influence of anterior midcingulate cortex on drinking behavior during thirst and following satiation

Significance This study provides important insight into how the human brain regulates fluid intake in response to changes in hydration status. The findings presented here reveal that activity in the anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC) is associated with drinking responses during a state of thirst, and that this region is likely to contribute to the facilitation of drinking during this state. These results are consistent with a reduction in the influence of the aMCC contributing to the conclusion of drinking during a state of satiation. Because drinking stops before changes in blood volume and chemistry signal the restoration of fluid balance, these results implicate the aMCC in the regulation of drinking behavior before these changes manifest within the circulatory system. In humans, activity in the anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC) is associated with both subjective thirst and swallowing. This region is therefore likely to play a prominent role in the regulation of drinking in response to dehydration. Using functional MRI, we investigated this possibility during a period of “drinking behavior” represented by a conjunction of preswallow and swallowing events. These events were examined in the context of a thirsty condition and an “oversated” condition, the latter induced by compliant ingestion of excess fluid. Brain regions associated with swallowing showed increased activity for drinking behavior in the thirsty condition relative to the oversated condition. These regions included the cingulate cortex, premotor areas, primary sensorimotor cortices, the parietal operculum, and the supplementary motor area. Psychophysical interaction analyses revealed increased functional connectivity between the same regions and the aMCC during drinking behavior in the thirsty condition. Functional connectivity during drinking behavior was also greater for the thirsty condition relative to the oversated condition between the aMCC and two subcortical regions, the cerebellum and the rostroventral medulla, the latter containing nuclei responsible for the swallowing reflex. Finally, during drinking behavior in the oversated condition, ratings of swallowing effort showed a negative association with functional connectivity between the aMCC and two cortical regions, the sensorimotor cortex and the supramarginal gyrus. The results of this study provide evidence that the aMCC helps facilitate swallowing during a state of thirst and is therefore likely to contribute to the regulation of drinking after dehydration.
Changes in intracranial pressure and cerebral autoregulation in patients with severe traumatic brain injury*

Background Impaired cerebral autoregulation is frequent after severe traumatic head injury. This could result in intracranial pressure fluctuating passively with the mean arterial pressure. Objective This study examines the influence of autoregulation on the amplitude and direction of changes in intracranial pressure in patients with severe head injuries during the management of cerebral perfusion pressure. Design Prospective study. Setting Neurosurgical intensive care unit Patients A total of 42 patients with severe head injuries. Interventions Continuous recording of cerebral blood flow velocity, intracranial pressure, and mean arterial pressure during the start or change of continuous norepinephrine infusion. Measurements and Main Results Cerebrovascular resistance was calculated from the cerebral perfusion pressure and middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity. The strength of autoregulation index was calculated as the ratio of the percentage of change in cerebrovascular resistance by the percentage of change in cerebral perfusion pressure before and after 121 changes in mean arterial pressure at constant ventilation between day 1 and day 18 after trauma. The strength of autoregulation index varied widely, indicating either preserved or severely perturbed autoregulation during hypotensive or hypertensive challenge in patients with or without intracranial hypertension at the basal state (strength of autoregulation index, 0.51 ± 0.32 to 0.71 ± 0.25). The change in intracranial pressure varied linearly with the strength of autoregulation index. There was a clinically significant change in intracranial pressure (≥5 mm Hg) in the same direction as the change in mean arterial pressure in five tracings of three patients. This was caused by the mean arterial pressure dropping below the identified lower limit of autoregulation in three tracings for two patients. It seemed to be caused by a loss of cerebral autoregulation in the remaining two tracings for one patient. Conclusion Cerebral perfusion pressure–oriented therapy can be a safe way to reduce intracranial pressure, whatever the status of autoregulation, in almost all patients with severe head injuries.
Detection of matrix cracking in a GFRP laminate using a fibre optic sensor

An optical system based on a polarimetric sensor has been successfully used to detect initial damage in the form of matrix cracks in a model GFRP laminate. A model material system has been used for this work, consisting of a transparent Eglass/epoxy laminate, with a fibre optical sensor incorporated in the 00 ply parallel to the reinforcement fibres. This configuration was chosen because the use of transparent laminates allowed measurements of the formation of matrix cracking easily to be made for direct comparison with the fibre optical output. An important issue in the design of such embedded sensor systems is whether or not the embedded sensor degrades the properties of the composites. To answer this question, the effect of the presence of optical fibres was investigated theoretically using finite element modelling. A design curve was developed which shows the optimum combinations of coating thicknesses and Young's moduli for minimum obtrusivity of the sensor. Experimentally, it was found that only for the case of fatigue loading with low peak cyclic loads was there a measurable effect of the presence of the optical fibre sensor on crack development. In this case, the fatigue crack growth rate of the matrix cracks was significantly reduced in the vicinity of the optical fibre. This effect was more pronounced for sensors closer to the 0/90 interface. Tests on unidirectional laminates with an active embedded polarimetric sensor enabled the coefficients needed to characterise the sensitivity of the sensor fabricated using Hi-Bi PANDA fibre to be determined. Subsequently, the longitudinal sensitivity of the sensor embedded in a crossply laminate was measured under quasi-static loading which was in good agreement with the sensitivity predicted using the phase-strain model and the results from the unidirectional composite. In particular, it has been shown that the anisotropy of the crossply laminate has a large effect on the sensitivity of such a sensor. Finally, it has been shown that damage in the form of matrix cracking could be detected in the crossply laminate using the polarimetric sensor under both quasistatic and fatigue loading. Such a system could form the basis of a low-cost, realtime crack detection system.
Measurement of elastic follow-up for combined applied and residual stresses

Tensile residual stress can reduce the load carrying capability of a structure. However, residual stresses may be redistributed during the life of a component by, for example, permanent deformation. This paper explains an experiment carried out to understand how applied and residual stresses interact and to seek a method of measuring elastic follow-up during the interaction. A friction stir welded aluminium alloy plate was subjected to a series of incrementally increasing load and unload cycles, whilst simultaneously measuring residual stresses and deformation. In-situ loading of the specimen during the residual stress measurements allowed the relaxation of the residual stress to be quantified. The elastic follow-up has been estimated and measured by considering both the structural stiffnesses of the specimen and the relaxation of the residual stress. It was found that global yielding, which can result in no net change of incompatibility, has to be considered when calculating elastic follow-up. An estimation of the elastic follow-up factor based on the structural stiffnesses of the specimen was found to be non-conservative and an elastic follow-up factor of 2.9 was measured. That is three times as much plastic strain is required to relax the residual stress when compared to the fixed-displacement case.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Hierarchical HMM-based Failure Isolation for Cognitive Robots

Robots execute their planned actions in the physical world to accomplish their goals. However, since the real world is partially observable and dynamic, failures may occur during the execution of their actions. These failures should be detected immediately, and the underlying reasons of these failures should be isolated to ensure robustness. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic and temporal model-based failure isolation method that maintains Hierarchical Hidden Markov Models (HHMMs) in order to represent and reason about different failure types. The underlying reason of a failure can be isolated efficiently by multi-hypothesis tracking.
Beyond 'yesterday's tomorrow': towards the design of awareness technologies for the contemporary worker

Modern office work practices increasingly breach traditional boundaries of time and place, increasing breakdowns workers encounter when coordinating interactions with colleagues. We conducted interviews with 12 workers and identified key problems introduced by these practices. To address these problems we developed myUnity, a fully functional platform enabling rich workplace awareness and coordination. myUnity is one of the first integrated platforms to span mobile and desktop environments, both in terms of access and sensing. It uses multiple sources to report user location, availability, tasks, and communication channels. A pilot field study of myUnity demonstrated the significant value of pervasive access to workplace awareness and communication facilities, as well as positive behavioral change in day-to-day communication practices for most users. We present resulting insights about the utility of awareness technology in flexible work environments.
The capability maturity model and CASE

Abstract. Many software organizations face serious problems in their attempts to make expectations and realities meet in introducing CASE technology. One promising approach to understanding CASE introduction better and to managing it more effectively has been developed by relating CASE introduction to the Capability Maturity Model (CMM). This paper reviews software process maturity as a framework for CASE introduction. The relevance of the framework is discussed and three critical questions are explored: 1) What is the role of organizational experiments in CASE introduction? 2) How do the functional characteristics of CASE technology influence CASE introduction? and 3) How does the organizational context influence CASE introduction? The aim of the paper, by way of this discussion, is to explicate the strengths and limits of software process maturity as a framework for CASE introduction, and to identify the most important supplementary issues
Understanidng Mobile Work Continuance of Chineses Knowledge Workers

As more and more organizations adopt a “mobile by default” approach to information systems and work design, studying mobile work as a post-adoption phenomenon is both important and timely. Using data collected from 238 Chinese mobile workers, this study develops and validates a model of mobile work continuance. Our findings suggest that the expectation-confirmation framework provides strong theoretical support for explaining mobile work continuance, and that performance, technical support, management support, data security concerns and work life balance concerns affect knowledge workers’ mobile work continuance intention collectively.
Selective Modulation of Hedgehog/GLI Target Gene Expression by Epidermal Growth Factor Signaling in Human Keratinocytes

ABSTRACT Hedgehog (HH)/GLI signaling plays a critical role in epidermal development and basal cell carcinoma. Here, we provide evidence that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling modulates the target gene expression profile of GLI transcription factors in epidermal cells. Using expression profiling and quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR, we identified a set of 19 genes whose transcription is synergistically induced by GLI1 and parallel EGF treatment. Promoter studies of a subset of GLI/EGF-regulated genes, including the genes encoding interleukin-1 antagonist IL1R2, Jagged 2, cyclin D1, S100A7, and S100A9, suggest convergence of EGFR and HH/GLI signaling at the level of promoters of selected direct GLI target genes. Inhibition of EGFR and MEK/ERK but not of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT abrogated synergistic activation of GLI/EGF target genes, showing that EGFR can signal via RAF/MEK/ERK to cooperate with GLI proteins in selective target gene regulation. Coexpression of the GLI/EGF target IL1R2, EGFR, and activated ERK1/2 in human anagen hair follicles argues for a cooperative role of EGFR and HH/GLI signaling in specifying the fate of outer root sheath (ORS) cells. We also show that EGF treatment neutralizes GLI-mediated induction of epidermal stem cell marker expression and provide evidence that EGFR signaling is essential for GLI-induced cell cycle progression in epidermal cells. The results suggest that EGFR signaling modulates GLI target gene profiles which may play an important regulatory role in ORS specification, hair growth, and possibly cancer.
A Timed Logic for Modeling and Reasoning about Security Protocols

Many logical methods are usually considered suitable to express the static properties of security protocols while unsuitable to model dynamic processes or properties. However, a security protocol itself is in fact a dynamic process over time, and sometimes it is important to be able to express time-dependent security properties of protocols. In this paper, we present a new timed logic based on predicate modal logic, in which time is explicitly expressed in parameters of predicates or modal operators. This makes it possible to model an agent’s actions, knowledge and beliefs at different and exact time points, which enables us to model both protocols and their properties, especially time-dependent properties. We formalize semantics of the presented logic, and prove its soundness. We also present a modeling scheme for formalizing protocols and security properties of authentication and secrecy under the logic. The scheme provides a flexible and succinct framework to reason about security protocols, and essentially enhances the power of logical methods for protocol analysis. As a case study, we then analyze a timed-release protocol using this framework, and discover a new vulnerability that did not appear previously in the literature. We provide a further example to show additional advantages of the modeling scheme in the new logic.
Projection augmented physical visualizations

Physical visualizations are an emergent area of research and appear in increasingly diverse forms. While they provide an engaging way of data exploration, they are often limited by a fixed representation and lack interactivity. In this work we discuss our early approaches and experiences in combining physical visualizations with spatial augmented reality and present an initial prototype.
Knowledge creation process & Innovation in Egyptian Banking Sector

1Concept of Knowledge creation process in organisation In 1995, Nonaka and Takeuchi proposed a model for creating knowledge in organizations. They argued that the success of many Japanese firms depends on their ability to create new organisational knowledge through a cyclic model of continuous interactions and transformation of tacit and explicit knowledge on three levels: individuals, groups and organizations. This occurs through the four processes of socialisation, externalisation, combination, and internalisation, as depicted in their SECI model. This model has become widely accepted by scholars and widely quoted in approaches to classifying, creating, documenting, sharing and transferring and knowledge, from a (knowledge management) KM perspective, (Haggie and Kingston, 2003; Aurum et al., 2008). The following figure describes the four processes of SECI model.
Properties enhancement of partially biodegradable polyamide/polylactide blends through compatibilization with novel polyalkenyl-poly-maleic-anhydride-amide/imide-based additives

This work is dedicated to compatibilization process investigation between polyamide 6 and biodegradable polylactide. The process was conducted by newly developed polyalkenyl-poly-maleic-anhydride-imide/amide agents over a selected range of composition to identify morphologies and properties of these blends. The properties of resulted blends were studied by scanning electron microscopy, solvent extraction techniques, mechanical testing, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. Results show that blending of the two polymers without compatibilizers produced multiphase blends. It was shown by scanning electron microscopy imaging that addition of prepared compatibilizers reduced a domain size of a dispersed phase and also changes in nearly co-continuous state occurred. Static and dynamic mechanical properties were improved, and especially impact strength and tensile strength were the most sensitive on the presence of compatibilizers.
Whispering-gallery-mode Nd-ZBLAN microlasers at 1.05 μm

Experimental results on the realization of microlasers at 1.05 micrometers with Nd-doped ZBLAN spheres are described. A microwave plasma torch process was developed to produce spheres with very low ellipticities. Laser oscillation was obtained using properties of whispering gallery modes. These modes were excited with an evanescence wave coupling which provided a low threshold and an oscillation with only few modes.
A collagen-binding protein on the surface of ejaculated rabbit spermatozoa

A rabbit antibody to mouse 3T3 cell fibronectin was used in conjunction with a fluorescein-tagged second antibody to detect fibronectin-like activity on the surface of rabbit spermatozoa. Only ejaculated sperm displayed an intense and highly localized fluorescence over the acrosomal region. Cauda epididymal sperm of the rabbit as well as several other species did not exhibit any reaction. The fluorescent activity could be eliminated by trypsin treatment but was re- established by incubation in cell-free seminal fluid. Sperm recovered from females 10-12 h after mating showed a reduction or absence of antifibronectin fluorescence, suggesting that this component's loss could be a factor in sperm capacitation. Because fibronectins show strong binding to collagen, mixtures of ejaculated sperm and collagen were examined in the light and electron microscope. Living sperm appear to have a strong affinity for collagen and quickly adhere to the filaments by their heads, while continuing vigorous flagellations. Surface labeling of sperm with the galactose-oxidase-NaB[3H]4 technique, extraction with urea-detergent mixtures and affinity chromatography of extracts on gelatin-Sepharose revealed a single radioactive band of mot wt approximately 40,000 after SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography.