Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the Design of Contingent Capital with a Market Trigger

Contingent capital (CC), which intends to internalize the costs of too-big-to-fail in the capital structure of large banks, has been under intense debate by policy makers and academics. We show that CC with a market trigger, in which direct stake-holders are unable to choose optimal conversion policies, does not lead to a unique competitive equilibrium, unless value transfer at conversion is not expected ex-ante. The \no value transfer" restriction precludes penalizing bank managers for taking excessive risk. Multiplicity or absence of an equilibrium introduces the potential for price uncertainty, market manipulation, inecient capital allocation, and frequent conversion errors. These results point to the need to explore alternative designs of a prudential capital structure for banks. (JEL classication:
Self-Organized Clustering technique based on sink mobility in heterogeneous M2M sensor networks

Machine-to-Machine (M2M) sensor nodes play a vital role in building up the Internet-of-Things (IoT). A suitable clustering technique for grouping the M2M sensor nodes can reduce the energy dissipation. Self-Organized Clustering-M2M (SOC-M2M) routing protocol is an energy-aware communication protocol proposed in this paper to improve the global energy dissipation of M2M sensor networks by using self-organized clusters and multiple mobile sink nodes. The SOC-M2M routing protocol compared to other well-known cluster-based routing protocols and the simulation results showed that the SOC-M2M protocol can improve the network lifetime by 74% and 27% while enhancing the packets delivered to sink node by 83% and 68% for the two and three levels of network heterogeneity respectively.
CYP93G2 Is a Flavanone 2-Hydroxylase Required for C-Glycosylflavone Biosynthesis in Rice1[W]

C-Glycosylflavones are ubiquitous in the plant kingdom, and many of them have beneficial effects on human health. They are a special group of flavonoid glycosides in which the sugars are C-linked to the flavone skeleton. It has been long presumed that C-glycosylflavones have a different biosynthetic origin from O-glycosylflavonoids. In rice (Oryza sativa), a C-glucosyltransferase (OsCGT) that accepts 2-hydroxyflavanone substrates and a dehydratase activity that selectively converts C-glucosyl-2-hydroxyflavanones to 6C-glucosylflavones were recently described. In this study, we provide in vitro and in planta evidence that the rice P450 CYP93G2 protein encoded by Os06g01250 is a functional flavanone 2-hydroxylase. CYP93G2 is related to the CYP93B subfamily, which consists of dicot flavone synthase II enzymes. In the presence of NADPH, recombinant CYP93G2 converts naringenin and eriodictyol to the corresponding 2-hydroxyflavanones. In addition, CYP93G2 generates 2-hydroxyflavanones, which are modified by O-glycosylation in transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Coexpression of CYP93G2 and OsCGT in Arabidopsis resulted in the production of C-glucosyl-2-hydroxyflavanones in the dibenzoylmethane tautomeric form. The same structure was reported previously for the in vitro OsCGT reaction products. Thus, CYP93G2 generates 2-hydroxyflavanone substrates from flavanones for C-glucosylation by OsCGT in planta. Furthermore, knocking down Os06g01250 in rice (O. sativa subsp. japonica 'Zhonghua 11') preferentially depleted the accumulation of C-glycosylapigenin, C-glycosylluteolin, and C-glycosylchrysoeriol but did not affect the levels of tricin, which is frequently present as O-glycosides in cereals. Taken together, our work conclusively assigned CYP93G2 as the first enzyme that channels flavanones to C-glycosylflavone biosynthesis in rice.
RunDroid: recovering execution call graphs for Android applications

Fault localization is a well-received technique for helping developers to identify faulty statements of a program. Research has shown that the coverages of faulty statements and its predecessors in program dependence graph are important for effective fault localization. However, app executions in Android split into segments in different components, i.e., methods, threads, and processes, posing challenges for traditional program dependence computation, and in turn rendering fault localization less effective. We present RunDroid, a tool for recovering the dynamic call graphs of app executions in Android, assisting existing tools for more precise program dependence computation. For each exectuion, RunDroid captures and recovers method calls from not only the application layer, but also between applications and the Android framework. Moreover, to deal with the widely adopted multi-threaded communications in Android applications, RunDroid also captures methods calls that are split among threads. Demo : https://github.com/MiJack/RunDroid Video : https://youtu.be/EM7TJbE-Oaw
Air Pollution and Birth Weight Among Term Infants in California

Objective. To examine associations between birth weight and air pollution among full-term infants in California. Methods. We matched exposure data collected from air pollution monitors for small particles (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) to California birth records for singleton births delivered at 40 weeks' gestation in 2000 using the locations of the monitors and mother's residence. Pollution measurements collected within 5 miles of the mother's residence, averaged for the time period corresponding to the duration of pregnancy and each trimester, were used as exposure variables. Logistic and linear regression models were used to estimate the associations between the pollution measures and 2 pregnancy outcomes: small for gestational age (SGA) and birth weight. Variations of the models were used to examine the robustness of the findings. Results. The adjusted odds ratio for SGA for exposure in the highest compared with lowest quartile of PM2.5 was 1.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–1.50). We found no association between CO and birth weight or SGA after controlling for maternal factors and PM2.5 (mean birth weight difference: 2.6 g; 95% CI: −20.6 to 25.8). The difference in mean birth weight for infants with a 9-month exposure in the highest quartile of PM2.5 compared with that of infants who were exposed in the lowest quartile was −36.1 g (95% CI: −16.5 g to −55.8 g); this difference was similar after controlling for CO. We did not find PM2.5 exposure during a particular trimester most important for assessing birth weight; trimester-level associations were similar to those found using the 9-month exposure variable. Conclusions. We found an increased odds of SGA and a small difference in mean birth weight between infants with the highest and lowest exposures to PM2.5 but not CO. These findings have important implications for infant health because of the ubiquitous exposure to fine particulate air pollution across the United States.
Mobile Applications' Impact on Student Performance and Satisfaction.

Mobile applications are rapidly growing in importance and can be used for various purposes. They had been used widely in education. One of the educational purposes for which mobile applications can be used is learning the right way to read and pronounce the verses of the Holy Quran. There are many applications that translate the Quran into several languages. In addition, there are applications that help usersto read the Quran, and search for a particular word or phrase in the text as well as listening to verses of the Holy Quran. This research aims to study the relationships of behavioral factors and perceived usefulness of using the mobile application “Say Quran” for learning Quran on students’ perceived performance, satisfaction and behavior. In this research a group of 118 students of the Computer Sciences and Information Systems College at Al Imam Muhammed Bin Saud Islamic University who are studying the Holy Quran course had been asked to use the application to help them on studying the Quran, then a survey had been distributed in order to collect the data. The results from this study provide evidence that there is a positive relationship between mobile application “Say Quran” and students’ perceived performance, satisfaction and behavior while engaged in studying the Holy Quran.
Analysis and control of a high voltage ratio and low stress DC-DC converter for fuel cell applications

The fuel cell systems are considered as current intensive sources with low output voltage, so power electronic converters are essential part of fuel cell applications. A dc/dc converter with high voltage ratio and low stress is developed in this paper. The inductors of the output series interleaved boost converter (OS-IBC) are interleaved in parallel at input which can reduce the input current ripple. Besides, the structure of output series can provide a high voltage ratio. A small signal ac model and the corresponding transfer function of the OS-IBC is derived as well as controller design is carried out in this paper. A series of simulation and experimental results validate the small signal ac model and the controller of the OS-IBC.
WhozThat? evolving an ecosystem for context-aware mobile social networks

One of the most compelling social questions, which until now was left unanswered by current technology, is "Who's that? " This question is usually asked about a new unfamiliar person in a social setting who piques your curiosity. This article presents WhozThat, a system that ties together online social networks with mobile smart- phones to answer this common and essential social question. WhozThat builds an infrastructure that shares social networking IDs locally, using wireless technology, while also leveraging a wireless connection to the Internet's social networks to bind identity with location. In addition, WhozThat offers an entire ecosystem on which increasingly complex context-aware applications can be built; that is, once the environment knows who one is, the environment can adapt its content based on the individual's identity or even the collective tastes of a local group. We describe a prototype of the basic WhozThat system and also describe a more advanced service we built, a context-aware music player. We also discuss security and privacy issues introduced by mobile social networks.
Supersymmetric mass spectrum in SU(5) supergravity grand unification.

A detailed analysis of predictions of SU(5) supergravity grand unification within the framework of radiative breaking of SU(2){times}U(1) is given. The masses of the 31 new supersymmetric particles depend on only four parameters. The full parameter space is explored and found to be strongly restricted by proton decay bounds if one requires no extreme fine tuning and the Higgs triplet mass to be {le}3{ital M}{sub {ital G}}. The 31 sparticle masses are then strongly correlated, e.g., {ital m}{sub {ital {tilde W}}1}{approx lt}1/3{ital m}{sub {ital {tilde g}}}, {ital m}{sub {ital {tilde W}}1}{congruent}{ital M}{sub {ital {tilde Z}}2}{congruent}2{ital m}{sub {ital {tilde Z}}1}, {ital m}{sub {ital h}}{approx lt}110 GeV.
Downy Mildew Resistance in Arabidopsis by Mutation of HOMOSERINE KINASE[W]

Plant disease resistance is commonly triggered by early pathogen recognition and activation of immunity. An alternative form of resistance is mediated by recessive downy mildew resistant 1 (dmr1) alleles in Arabidopsis thaliana. Map-based cloning revealed that DMR1 encodes homoserine kinase (HSK). Six independent dmr1 mutants each carry a different amino acid substitution in the HSK protein. Amino acid analysis revealed that dmr1 mutants contain high levels of homoserine that is undetectable in wild-type plants. Surprisingly, the level of amino acids downstream in the aspartate (Asp) pathway was not reduced in dmr1 mutants. Exogenous homoserine does not directly affect pathogen growth but induces resistance when infiltrated in Arabidopsis. We provide evidence that homoserine accumulation in the chloroplast triggers a novel form of downy mildew resistance that is independent of known immune responses.
Improving scalability of web applications based on stability of the network with the use of controller PI

This paper presents mathematical model of a computer network and then the model has been presented in the form of a flow chart. RED algorithm is a standard in computer network. RED algorithm has been replaced with the PI controller. In the article it has been assumed that a computer network is a particular dynamic system and it can be examined using known methods of the theory of dynamic systems. We tested of stability for the real computer networks. This method is called method the uncertain parameters space.
An improved measuring similarity for short text snippets and its application in clustering search engine

Measuring the similarity of short text snippets plays an important role in information retrieval and natural language processing. Measuring the similarity for short text snippets, such as search queries, remains a challenging task. In this paper, we develop a new similarity measure, which can further improve the accuracy of semantic similarity for short text snippets, especially in the case of insufficient content, such as Web page snippets. Then we introduce our similarity measure combined with information entropy to the clustering search engine to automatically find the best clustering numbers. Meanwhile, we rank the clusters with our method and illustrate the results.
Downregulation of ER60 Protease Inhibits Cellular Proliferation by Inducing G1/S Arrest in Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro

ER60 protease, a 58‐kDa molecular chaperone in the endoplasmic reticulum, is involved in glycoprotein synthesis. ER60 protease has been reported to be differentially expressed in various cancers including breast carcinoma. This study explored the relationship of ER60 protease with cell proliferation in breast cancer in vitro. ER60 protease expression was first determined in a panel of breast cell lines by real‐time RT‐PCR and Western blot analysis and found to be most abundantly expressed in T47D breast cancer cells. The ER60 protease gene was then successfully knocked down in T47D breast cancer cells using two different sequences of small‐interfering RNA. The silencing efficiencies of siER‐1 and siER‐2 at 48‐hr post‐transfection were found to be >80% at the mRNA level with concomitant downregulation of the ER60 protease protein by >60% when compared with control T47D breast cancer cells. Downregulation of ER60 protease was also associated with inhibition of cell proliferation when assessed by the AlamarBlue assay. Cell cycle analysis performed on the siER‐1‐ and siER‐2‐transfected cells, revealed an increase in G1 phase population and a decrease in the S and G2/M phase populations compared with control cells, implicating G1/S cell cycle arrest. It would appear that ER60 protease is involved in breast tumorigenesis and could therefore be a prospective target for cancer therapeutics. Anat Rec, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Risky bilateral contract for distributed wind energy in smart microgrid

This paper proposes a novel risky bilateral contract for trading distributed wind energy with flexible load in smart microgrid. Due to the randomness of wind energy production, wind energy can barely be traded at a pre-determined quantity. While in smart grid, load demand of electricity consumer can be easily adjusted (reduced or shifted) without decreasing its satisfaction, which can be utilized for integration of distributed wind energy. As a result, the wind power producer benefits from fewer penalties caused by less deviation between real-time traded quantity and pre-offered one. The electricity consumer, on the other hand, benefits from a decreased electricity bills without reducing its satisfaction. We take into account distributed wind energy, three categories of household appliances, and batteries. The Nash bargaining theory is used to determine the price of risky bilateral contract. Case studies are then conducted to demonstrate the efficiency of the risky bilateral contract.
Changes in Plasma Concentrations of Luteinizing Hormone, Progesterone, and Estradiol-17β in Peripubertal Turkey Hens under Constant or Diurnal Lighting1

Abstract Possible circadian fluctuations and long-term changes in concentrations of reproductive hormones in peripubertal female birds is poorly documented in comparison with mammalian species. Our objective was to document changes in concentrations of several reproductive hormones the several days before and after initial pubertal preovulatory surges of LH in turkey hens photostimulated with either constant (24L:0D) or diurnal (14L:10D) lighting. The hens were cannulated for hourly blood sampling, starting 10 days after photostimulation and continuing until all hens had laid at least two eggs. First eggs were oviposited between 16 and 24 days after photostimulation, and egg production ranged from two to nine eggs/hen during the experimental period. With both lighting treatments, concentrations of LH declined slightly, concentrations of progesterone (P4) increased, and concentrations of estradiol-17β (E2) were constant the 3–4 days prior to initial LH surges with no circadian fluctuations in hormone concentrations. Most (10 of 13) initial preovulatory surges of LH were coupled with ovulations, and all LH surges were coupled with P4 surges. Those LH and P4 surges not coupled with ovulations (blind surges) occurred with both lighting treatments, but the incidence of blind surges was higher with diurnal lighting. The interval between LH and P4 surges was longer between the first and second surges than between subsequent surges, when the interval was approximately 26 h. The duration of LH surges (7.4 ± 3.0 h) was shorter than that of P4 surges (10.0 ± 2.0 h). We conclude that, in the peripubertal female turkey, 1) prior to puberty (first LH-P4 surges), there are no circadian fluctuations in concentrations of LH, P4, and E2, 2) 3 days prior to initial LH surges, E2 concentrations are stable, LH concentrations decline slightly, and P4 concentrations increase, and 3) surges of LH are coupled to surges of P4 but LH-P4 surges are not always coupled to ovipositions (blind surges), possibly because of internal ovulations.
On bi-directional lossy communication of correlated Gaussian sources

We investigate fundamental limits of lossy communication in a bi-directional (two-way), half-duplex relay channel, where users wish to exchange correlated Gaussian sources and do so by sending their data according to a two-phase transmission protocol. We first establish a general distortion inner bound using the data processing inequality. Based on uncoded transmission schemes, separate source and channel coding schemes, and a lattice coding scheme, we then develop several cooperative joint source-channel coding (JSCC) approaches. Furthermore, we compare the corresponding achievable distortion performances in terms of the correlation coefficient between Gaussian sources. This comparison particularly shows that separate source and channel coding in combination with decode-and-forward relaying achieves the best distortion values of any joint source-channel coding scheme in this paper.
In vitro activity of Inula helenium against clinical Staphylococcus aureus strains including MRSA

Abstract The present study aims to investigate the bactericidal activity (specifically antistaphylococcal) of Inula helenium. The antimicrobial activity of the extract is tested against 200 clinically significant Irish Staphylococcus aureus isolates consisting of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and -sensitive (MSSA) S. aureus using a drop test method and a microbroth dilution method. The antibacterial effect is evaluated by measuring the area of the inhibition zone against the isolates. Results proved I. helenium to be 100% effective against the 200 staphylococci tested, with 93% of isolates falling within the ++ and +++ groups. The minimum bactericidal concentration of I. helenium was examined on a subset of isolates and values ranged from 0.9 mg/mL to 9.0 mg/mL. The extract was equally effective against antibiotic-resistant and -sensitive strains. This plant therefore possesses compounds with potent antistaphylococcal properties, which in the future could be used to complement infection control policies and prevent staphylococcal infection and carriage. This research supports other studies wherein herbal plants exhibiting medicinal properties are being examined to overcome the problems of antibiotic resistance and to offer alternatives in the treatment and control of infectious diseases.
11,12-Epoxyeicosatrienoic Acid Attenuates Synthesis of Prostaglandin E2 in Rat Monocytes Stimulated with Lipopolysaccharide

Cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase (epoxygenase)-derived arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites, including 11,12-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (11,12-EET), possess anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a cyclooxygenase (COX)-derived metabolite of AA, is a well-defined mediator of fever and inflammation. We have tested the hypothesis that 11,12-EET attenuates synthesis of PGE2 in monocytes, which are the cells that are indispensable for induction of fever and initiation of inflammation. Monocytes isolated from freshly collected rat blood were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 100 ng/2 × 105 cells) to induce COX-2 and stimulate generation of PGE2. SKF-525A, an inhibitor of epoxygenases, significantly augmented the lipopolysaccharide-provoked synthesis of PGE2 in cell culture in a concentration-dependent manner. It did not affect, however, elevation of the expression of COX-2 protein in monocytes stimulated with LPS. 11,12-EET also did not affect the induction of COX-2 in monocytes incubated with lipopolysaccharide. However, 11,12-EET suppressed, in a concentration-dependent fashion, the generation of PGE2 in incubates. Preincubation of a murine COX-2 preparation for 0–5 min with three concentrations of 11,12-EET (1, 5, and 10 μM) inhibited the oxygenation of [14C]-labeled AA by the enzyme. The inhibitory effect of 11,12-EET on COX-2 was time-and-concentration-dependent, suggesting a mechanism-based inhibition. Based on these data, we conclude that 11,12-EET suppresses generation of PGE2 in monocytes via modulating the activity of COX-2. These data support the hypothesis that epoxygenasederived AA metabolites constitute a negative feedback on the enhanced synthesis of prostaglandins upon inflammation.
Pollinator-Mediated Selection on Floral Display and Spur Length in the Orchid Gymnadenia conopsea

Floral diversification and specialization are thought to be driven largely by interactions with pollinators, but the extent to which current selection on floral traits is mediated by pollinators has rarely been determined experimentally. We documented selection through female function on floral traits in two populations of the rewarding orchid Gymnadenia conopsea in two years and quantified pollinator-mediated selection (Δβpoll) by subtracting estimates of selection gradients for plants receiving supplemental hand pollination from estimates obtained for open-pollinated control plants. There was directional selection for taller plants, more flowers, larger corollas, and longer spurs in the study populations. Pollinator-mediated selection ranged from weak to moderately strong (Δβpoll, range −0.01–0.21, median 0.08). All observed selection on spur length could be attributed to interactions with pollinators, while the proportion of observed selection on plant height (0%–77%), number of flowers (13%–42%), and corolla size (13%–97%) caused by pollinators varied among populations and years. Our results demonstrate that pollinators can mediate selection on both traits likely to be involved in pollinator attraction and traits affecting pollination efficiency. They further show that spatiotemporal variation in the strength of pollinator-mediated selection can contribute substantially to differences in selection between years and populations.