Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DISCUSSION PAPER

This paper provides a theoretical analysis of the relationship between public sector motivation and development. In the model the public sector produces a public good and workers are heterogeneous in terms of public sector motivation (PSM). Wages in the private sector increase with the quality of the public good. In this context, public sector wage premia (PSWP) have two opposite e⁄ects: low PSWP helps screen workers with PSM into the public sector, while high PSWP helps motivate workers to be honest. Raising PSWP may not improve the quality of governance and multiple equilibria might arise. The model highlights that the relative importance of workers selection and provision of "on the job" incentives in the public sector varies in systematic ways with wages in the private sector. We provide anecdotal and original empirical evidence consistent with the theoretical predictions and discuss some policy implications for public sector reforms in developing countries.
More food, more forests, fewer emissions, better livelihoods: linking REDD+, sustainable supply chains and domestic policy in Brazil, Indonesia and Colombia

The triple, intertwined challenges of climate change, the conversion of tropical forests to crop lands and grazing pastures, and the shortage of new arable land demand urgent solutions. The main approaches for increasing food production while sparing forests and lowering carbon emissions include sustainable supply chain initiatives, domestic policies and finance, and REDD+. These approaches are advancing largely in isolation, separated by different scales of intervention, performance metrics and levers for shaping land user behavior. As a result of this disconnect, farmers are receiving few, if any, positive incentives to forgo legal forest clearing and to invest in more sustainable production systems. These three approaches could become mutually reinforcing through integrated, performance-based incentive systems operating across regions and scales, linked through a shared metric of jurisdiction-wide performance introduced here as the Jurisdictional Performance System.
Functional characterization of human NBC 4 as an electrogenic Na-HCO 3 cotransporter ( NBCe 2 )

Virkki, Leila V. , Darren A. Wilson, Richard D. Vaughan-Jones, and Walter F. Boron. Functional characterization of human NBC4 as an electrogenic Na -HCO3 cotransporter (NBCe2). Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 282: C1278–C1289, 2002. First published January 16, 2002; 10.1152/ajpcell.00589. 2001. —We have functionally characterized Na -driven bicarbonate transporter (NBC)4, originally cloned from human heart by Pushkin et al. (Pushkin A, Abuladze N, Newman D, Lee I, Xu G, and Kurtz I. Biochem Biophys Acta 1493: 215–218, 2000). Of the four NBC4 variants currently present in GenBank, our own cloning efforts yielded only variant c. We expressed NBC4c (GenBank accession no. AF293337) in Xenopus laevis oocytes and assayed membrane potential (Vm) and pH regulatory function with microelectrodes. Exposing an NBC4c-expressing oocyte to a solution containing 5% CO2 and 33 mM HCO3 elicited a large hyperpolarization, indicating that the transporter is electrogenic. The initial CO2-induced decrease in intracellular pH (pHi) was followed by a slow recovery that was reversed by removing external Na . Two-electrode voltage clamp of NBC4c-expressing oocytes revealed large HCO3 and Na -dependent currents. When we voltage clamped Vm far from NBC4c’s estimated reversal potential (Erev), the pHi recovery rate increased substantially. Both the currents and pHi recovery were blocked by 200 M 4,4 -diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2 -disulfonic acid (DIDS). We estimated the transporter’s HCO3 :Na stoichiometry by measuring Erev at different extracellular Na concentration ([Na ]o) values. A plot of Erev against log[Na ]o was linear, with a slope of 54.8 mV/log[Na ]o. This observation, as well as the absolute Erev values, are consistent with a 2:1 stoichiometry. In conclusion, the behavior of NBC4c, which we propose to call NBCe2-c, is similar to that of NBCe1, the first electrogenic NBC.
The Projection Method in Wavelet Analysis

A simple way of obtaining multivariate wavelets is the tensor product of univariate wavelets. Multivariate wavelets are of interest in both theory and application. In this paper, we study the projection method, an inverse operation in some sense to the tensor product method, to investigate various properties of multivariate refinable function vectors and multivariate multiwavelets. To illustrate the projection method, we provide analysis for the optimal (in terms of smoothness) bivariate interpolatory Hermite subdivision schemes whose masks are supported inside [−1, 1]. Using the projection method, for any dilation matrix, we are able to construct orthogonal scalar masks and interpolatory scalar masks painlessly with arbitrarily high orders of sum rules. §
Visual words selection for human action classification

Human action classification is an important task in computer vision. The Bag-of-Words model uses spatio-temporal features assigned to visual words of a vocabulary and some classification algorithm to attain this goal. In this work we have studied the effect of reducing the vocabulary size using a video word ranking method. We have applied this method to the KTH dataset to obtain a vocabulary with more descriptive words where the representation is more compact and efficient. Two feature descriptors, STIP and MoSIFT, and two classifiers, KNN and SVM, have been used to check the validity of our approach. Results for different vocabulary sizes show an improvement of the recognition rate whilst reducing the number of words as non-descriptive words are removed. Additionally, state-of-the-art performances are reached with this new compact vocabulary representation.
Quantum bose-hubbard model with an evolving graph as a toy model for emergent spacetime

We present a toy model for interacting matter and geometry that explores quantum dynamics in a spin system as a precursor to a quantum theory of gravity. The model has no a priori geometric properties; instead, locality is inferred from the more fundamental notion of interaction between the matter degrees of freedom. The interaction terms are themselves quantum degrees of freedom so that the structure of interactions and hence the resulting local and causal structures are dynamical. The system is a Hubbard model where the graph of the interactions is a set of quantum evolving variables. We show entanglement between spatial and matter degrees of freedom. We study numerically the quantum system and analyze its entanglement dynamics. We analyze the asymptotic behavior of the classical model. Finally, we discuss analogues of trapped surfaces and gravitational attraction in this simple model.
Method of Boundary based Smooth Shape Design

The discussion in this paper focuses on how boundary based smooth shape design can be carried out. For this we treat surface generation as a mathematical boundary-value problem. In particular, we utilize elliptic Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) of arbitrary order. Using the methodology outlined here a designer can therefore generate the geometry of shapes satisfying an arbitrary set of boundary conditions. The boundary conditions for the chosen PDE can be specified as curves in 3-space defining the profile geometry of the shape. We show how a compact analytic solution for the chosen arbitrary order PDE can be formulated enabling complex shapes to be designed and manipulated in real time. This solution scheme, although analytic, satisfies exactly, even in the case of general boundary conditions, where the resulting surface has a closed form representation allowing real time shape manipulation. In order to enable users to appreciate the powerful shape design and manipulation capability of the method, we present a set of practical examples.
Radiological risks of neutron interrogation of food

In recent years there has been growing interest in the use of neutron scanning techniques for security. Neutron techniques with a range of energy spectra including thermal, white and fast neutrons have been shown to work in different scenarios. As international interest in neutron scanning increases the risk of activating cargo, especially foodstuffs must be considered. There has been a limited amount of research into the activation of foods by neutron beams and we have sought to improve the amount of information available. In this paper we show that for three important metrics; activity, ingestion dose and Time to Background there is a strong dependence on the food being irradiated and a weak dependence on the energy of irradiation. Previous studies into activation used results based on irradiation of pharmaceuticals as the basis for research into activation of food. The earlier work reports that 24Na ? > production is the dominant threat which motivated the search for 23 ? >Na(n,γ)24 ? >Na in highly salted foods. We show that 42 ? >K can be more significant than 24 ? >Na in low sodium foods such as Bananas and Potatoes.
Dynamic expression of desmin, α-SMA and TGF-β1 during hepatic fibrogenesis induced by selective bile duct ligation in young rats

We previously described a selective bile duct ligation model to elucidate the process of hepatic fibrogenesis in children with biliary atresia or intrahepatic biliary stenosis. Using this model, we identified changes in the expression of alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) both in the obstructed parenchyma and in the hepatic parenchyma adjacent to the obstruction. However, the expression profiles of desmin and TGF-β1, molecules known to be involved in hepatic fibrogenesis, were unchanged when analyzed by semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Thus, the molecular mechanisms involved in the modulation of liver fibrosis in this experimental model are not fully understood. This study aimed to evaluate the molecular changes in an experimental model of selective bile duct ligation and to compare the gene expression changes observed in RT-PCR and in real-time quantitative PCR (qRT‐PCR). Twenty-eight Wistar rats of both sexes and weaning age (21-23 days old) were used. The rats were separated into groups that were assessed 7 or 60 days after selective biliary duct ligation. The expression of desmin, α-SMA and TGF-β1 was examined in tissue from hepatic parenchyma with biliary obstruction (BO) and in hepatic parenchyma without biliary obstruction (WBO), using RT-PCR and qRT‐PCR. The results obtained in this study using these two methods were significantly different. The BO parenchyma had a more severe fibrogenic reaction, with increased α-SMA and TGF-β1 expression after 7 days. The WBO parenchyma presented a later, fibrotic response, with increased desmin expression 7 days after surgery and increased α-SMA 60 days after surgery. The qRT‐PCR technique was more sensitive to expression changes than the semiquantitative method.
Patterns in the sequence context of protein disulfide bonds

Disulfide bonds play an important role in the structural stability of the proteins that contain them. Yet, little is known about the specificity with which they are formed. To address this, a representative set of disulfide bonds from nonhomologous eukaryotic polypeptides was created. The amino acid sequences flanking these disulfide bonds were searched for conserved patterns that may reflect recognition sites by the disulfide bond forming enzyme protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). Several methods of classifying disulfide bonds were explored, and each class was analyzed for conserved sequence patterns. To maximize the chances of finding a conserved recognition site, a simulated annealing algorithm was implemented to divide a set of disulfidebonded cysteines into two sets of cysteines with an average sequence environment that is as far from randomly-distributed as possible. No significant conserved patterns were found in the set of disulfide bonds or within any of the classification schemes introduced. Additionally, several methods for predicting disulfide bond connectivity were explored. The most successful methods predicted connectivity based on the sequential distance between cysteines.
Investigation of Ser315 Substitutions within katG Gene in Isoniazid-Resistant Clinical Isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from South India

Mutation at codon 315 of katG gene is the major cause for isoniazid (INH) resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). Substitution at codon 315 of katG gene was analyzed in 85 phenotypically resistant isolates collected from various parts of southern India by direct sequencing method. The obtained results were interpreted in the context of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of INH. Of the 85 phenotypically resistant isolates, 56 (66%) were also correlated by the presence of resistance mutations in the katG gene; 47 of these isolates had ACC, 6 had AAC, 2 had ATC, and one had CGC codon. The frequency of Ser315 substitution in katG gene was found to be higher (70%) amongst multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains than among non-MDR (61%) INH-resistant isolates. Further, the frequency of mutations was found to be greater (74%) in isolates with higher MIC values in contrast to those isolates with low MIC values (58%). Therefore, the study identified high prevalence of Ser315Thr substitution in katG gene of INH-resistant isolates from south India. Also, isolates harboring this substitution were found to be associated with multidrug and high level INH resistance.
A homogeneous spectroscopic analysis of host stars of transiting planets

Context. The analysis of transiting extra-solar planets provides an enormous amount of information about the formation and evolution of planetary systems. A precise knowledge of the host stars is necessary to derive the planetary properties accurately. The properties of the host stars, especially their chemical composition, are also of interest in their own right. Aims. Information about planet formation is inferred by, among others, correlations between different parameters such as the orbital period and the metallicity of the host stars. The stellar properties studied should be derived as homogeneously as possible. The present work provides new, uniformly derived parameters for 13 host stars of transiting planets. Methods. Effective temperature, surface gravity, microturbulence parameter, and iron abundance were derived from spectra of both high signal-to-noise ratio and high resolution by assuming iron excitation and ionization equilibria. Results. For some stars, the new parameters differ from previous determinations, which is indicative of changes in the planetary radii. A systematic offset in the abundance scale with respect to previous assessments is found for the TrES and HAT objects. Our abundance measurements are remarkably robust in terms of the uncertainties in surface gravities. The iron abundances measured in the present work are supplemented by all previous determinations using the same analysis technique. The distribution of iron abundance then agrees well with the known metal-rich distribution of planet host stars. To facilitate future studies, the spectroscopic results of the current work are supplemented by the findings for other host stars of transiting planets, for a total dataset of 50 objects.
Gametophytic and zygotic selection leads to segregation distortion through in vivo induction of a maternal haploid in maize

Production of maternal haploids via a male inducer can greatly accelerate maize breeding and is an interesting biological phenomenon in double fertilization. However, the mechanism behind haploid induction remains elusive. Segregation distortion, which is increasingly recognized as a potentially powerful evolutionary force, has recently been observed during maternal haploid induction in maize. The results present here showed that both male gametophytic and zygotic selection contributed to severe segregation distortion of a locus, named segregation distortion 1 (sed1), during maternal haploid induction in maize. Interestingly, analysis of reciprocal crosses showed that sed1 is expressed in the male gametophyte. A novel mapping strategy based on segregation distortion has been used to fine-map this locus. Strong selection for the presence of the sed1 haplotype from inducers in kernels with haploid formation and defects could be detected in the segregating population. Dual-pollination experiments showed that viable pollen grains from inducers had poor pollen competitive ability against pollen from normal genotypes. Although defective kernels and haploids have different phenotypes, they are most probably caused by the sed1 locus, and possible mechanisms for production of maternal haploids and the associated segregation distortion are discussed. This research also provides new insights into the process of double fertilization.
Oscillometric waveform difference between cuff inflation and deflation during blood pressure measurement

The majority of automatic blood pressure (BP) measurement devices use the oscillometric method made during cuff inflation or deflation. However, there is currently little information available on the comparison of oscillometric waveform shape between cuff inflation and deflation. This study aimed to provide this information. Oscillometric cuff pressure waveforms were recorded digitally from 10 normotensive subjects during standard BP measurement at slow linear inflation and deflation rates of 2-3 mmHg/s. Three repeat sessions were performed for each subject. Four features were quantified for each oscillometric waveform: the maximum oscillometric pulse peak amplitude (Amax) and three cuff pressure widths corresponding to 70%, 50% and 30% of Amax (denoted as W70, W50 and W30 respectively). For all subjects, these oscillometric waveform features were then compared between cuff inflation and deflation. Analysis of variance showed that there was no significant difference between the three repeat measurements for all four waveform features (all P>0.4). Mean Amax from cuff inflation was 0.7 mmHg higher (mean±SD: 3.7±0.9 vs. 3.0±0.8 mmHg, P<;0.001) than that from cuff deflation. For the cuff pressure widths at the three thresholds, W70 was not significantly different between cuff inflation and deflation, but W50 and W30 were both significantly narrower for cuff inflation by 12 mmHg (45±9 vs. 57±11 mmHg) and 22 mmHg narrower (67±10 vs. 89±12 mmHg) respectively; both P<;0.001. The oscillometric waveform differences during BP measurement suggest that arteries may behave differently during cuff inflation and deflation.
P 300-Based BCI Performance Prediction through Examination of Paradigm Manipulations and Principal Components Analysis

Severe neuromuscular disorders can produce locked-in syndrome (LIS), a loss of nearly all voluntary muscle control. A brain-computer interface (BCI) using the P300 event-related potential provides communication that does not depend on neuromuscular activity and can be useful for those with LIS. Currently, there is no way of determining the effectiveness of P300-based BCIs without testing a person's performance multiple times. Additionally, P300 responses in BCI tasks may not resemble the typical P300 response. I sought to clarify the relationship between the P300 response and BCI task parameters and examine the possibility of a predictive relationship between traditional oddball tasks and BCI performance. Both waveform and component analysis have revealed several task-dependent aspects of brain activity that show significant correlation with the user's performance. These components may provide a fast and reliable metric to indicate whether the BCI system will work for a given individual.
Object normal forms and dependency constraints for object-oriented schemata

We address the development of a normalization theory for object-oriented data models that have common features to support objects. We first provide an extension of functional dependencies to cope with the richer semantics of relationships between objects, called path dependency, local dependency, and global dependency constraints. Using these dependency constraints, we provide normal forms for object-oriented data models based on the notions of user interpretation (user-specified dependency constraints) and object model. In constrast to conventional data models in which a normalized object has a unique interpretation, in object-oriented data models, an object may have many multiple interpretations that form the model for that object. An object will then be in a normal form if and only if the user's interpretation is derivable from the model of the object. Our normalization process is by nature iiterative, in which objects are restructured until their models reflect the user's interpretation.
Improved Correction System for Vibration Sensitive Inertial Angle of Attack Measurement Devices

Inertial angle of attack (AoA) devices currently in use at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) are subject to inaccuracies due to centrifugal accelerations caused by model dynamics, also known as sting whip. Recent literature suggests that these errors can be as high as 0.25 deg. With the current AoA accuracy target at LaRC being 0.01 deg. , there is a dire need for improvement. With other errors in the inertial system (temperature, rectification, resolution, etc.) having been reduced to acceptable levels, a system is currently being developed at LaRC to measure and correct for the sting-whip-induced errors. By using miniaturized piezoelectric accelerometers and magnetohydrodynamic rate sensors, not only can the total centrifugal acceleration be measured, but yaw and pitch dynamics in the tunnel can also be characterized. These corrections can be used to determine a tunnel's past performance and can also indicate where efforts need to be concentrated to reduce these dynamics. Included in this paper are data on individual sensors, laboratory testing techniques, package evaluation, and wind tunnel test results on a High Speed Research (HSR) model in the Langley 16-Foot Transonic Wind Tunnel.
Metabolic adaptation and trophic strategies of soil bacteria—C1- metabolism and sulfur chemolithotrophy in Starkeya novella

The highly diverse and metabolically versatile microbial communities found in soil environments are major contributors to the global carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles. We have used a combination of genome –based pathway analysis with proteomics and gene expression studies to investigate metabolic adaptation in a representative of these bacteria, Starkeya novella, which was originally isolated from agricultural soil. This bacterium was the first facultative sulfur chemolithoautotroph that was isolated and it is also able to grow with methanol and on over 39 substrates as a heterotroph. However, using glucose, fructose, methanol, thiosulfate as well as combinations of the carbon compounds with thiosulfate as growth substrates we have demonstrated here that contrary to the previous classification, S. novella is not a facultative sulfur chemolitho- and methylotroph, as the enzyme systems required for these two growth modes are always expressed at high levels. This is typical for key metabolic pathways. In addition enzymes for various pathways of carbon dioxide fixation were always expressed at high levels, even during heterotrophic growth on glucose or fructose, which suggests a role for these pathways beyond the generation of reduced carbon units for cell growth, possibly in redox balancing of metabolism. Our results then indicate that S. novella, a representative of the Xanthobacteraceae family of methylotrophic soil and freshwater dwelling bacteria, employs a mixotrophic growth strategy under all conditions tested here. As a result the contribution of this bacterium to either carbon sequestration or the release of climate active substances could vary very quickly, which has direct implications for the modeling of such processes if mixotrophy proves to be the main growth strategy for large populations of soil bacteria.