Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Willingness-to-Pay for Science as a Public Good: A Contingent Valuation Experiment

Every year a significant amount of money is invested by governments on large-scale research infrastructures such as particle accelerators, telescopes, robotic space probes, biological data banks, oceanographic vessels, etc. The majority of these projects is funded through general taxation, and hence taxpayers are implicitly called to contribute to scientific discovery. Against the actual tax burden, how much the general public is actually willing to pay for investment in science? This paper explores the attitudes of young science-outsiders (the taxpayers of tomorrow) by the design of a pilot experiment involving a sample of undergraduate students in economics at University of Milan. We were interested in building a replicable survey setting aimed at eliciting the willingness to pay (WTP) for the discovery potential of a basic science project. Our case study is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the most powerful particle accelerator worldwide. The experiment takes the form of a Contingent Valuation Referendum-like in depth interview. Both parametric and non-parametric estimators were used to calculate the mean WTP. Our results suggest that the sample mean WTP for the LHC discoveries ranges from EUR 23 to 28 per person annually. This is a relatively high result, several times in excess of the actual average tax-burden for supporting the CERN budget by Italian taxpayers, but can be compared with several previous empirical findings about the WTP for the non-use value of specific cultural and environmental goods. Building on this pilot experiment, we discuss possible future research avenues in order to extend to representative samples of taxpayers the empirical analysis of WTP for scientific discovery.
FORECASTING EXCHANGE RATE VOLATILITY USING INTEGRATED GARCH MODEL: EVIDENCE FROM GHANA

Just like most developing, the characteristics of the foreign exchange market in Ghana economies have vital policy implications. This study investigates the volatility in Ghana’s exchange rate. The study determines whether exchange rate has a volatile property in the Ghanaian foreign exchange market. The policy implications therefore suggest that the Bank of Ghana should give priority to the attainment of exchange rate equilibrium.
Empirical evaluation of dissimilarity measures for 3D object retrieval with application to multi-feature retrieval

A common approach for implementing content-based multimedia retrieval tasks resorts to extracting high-dimensional feature vectors from the multimedia objects. In combination with an appropriate dissimilarity function, such as the well-known Lp functions or statistical measures like χ2, one can rank objects by dissimilarity with respect to a query. For many multimedia retrieval problems, a large number of feature extraction methods have been proposed and experimentally evaluated for their effectiveness. Much less work has been done to systematically study the impact of the choice of dissimilarity function on the retrieval effectiveness. Inspired by previous work which compared dissimilarity functions for image retrieval, we provide an extensive comparison of dissimilarity measures for 3D object retrieval. Our study is based on an encompassing set of feature extractors, dissimilarity measures and benchmark data sets. We identify the best performing dissimilarity measures and in turn identify dependencies between well-performing dissimilarity measures and types of 3D features. Based on these findings, we show that the effectiveness of 3D retrieval can be improved by a feature-dependent measure choice. In addition, we apply different normalization schemes to the dissimilarity distributions in order to show improved retrieval effectiveness for late fusion of multi-feature combination. Finally, we present preliminary findings on the correlation of rankings for dissimilarity measures, which could be exploited for further improvement of retrieval effectiveness for single features as well as combinations.
Rapid Functional Screening of Streptomyces coelicolor Regulators by Use of a pH Indicator and Application to the MarR-Like Regulator AbsC

ABSTRACT To elucidate the function of an unknown regulator in Streptomyces, differences in phenotype and antibiotic production between a deletion mutant and a wild-type strain (WT) were compared. These differences are easily hidden by complex media. To determine the specific nutrient conditions that reveal such differences, we used a multiwell method containing different nutrients along with bromothymol blue. We found several nutrients that provide key information on characterization conditions. By comparing the growth of wild-type and mutant strains on screened nutrients, we were able to measure growth, organic acid production, and antibiotic production for the elucidation of regulator function. As a result of this method, a member of the MarR-like regulator family, SCO5405 (AbsC), was newly characterized to control pyruvate dehydrogenase in Streptomyces coelicolor. Deletion of SCO5405 increased the pH of the culture broth due to decreased production of organic acids such as pyruvate and α-ketoglutarate and increased extracellular actinorhodin (ACT) production in minimal medium containing glucose and alanine (MMGA). This method could therefore be a high-throughput method for the characterization of unknown regulators.
The responsiveness of legislative actors to stakeholders’ demands in the European Union

ABSTRACT This study examines the extent to which stakeholders’ demands are represented by the Commission, European Parliament, and national governments in the Council when legislative proposals are debated. We formulate and test propositions from resource exchange theory to explain variation in the responsiveness of EU actors to various stakeholders. Our research design integrates the study of the formative and decision-making stages of the legislative process, which are often studied in isolation. We combine new information from detailed qualitative content analysis of consultation documents with an established dataset on subsequent legislative decision-making. The findings indicate that a broad range of stakeholders’ demands are reflected in the positions taken by the national and supranational actors involved in the EU's legislative process, but also that there is considerable variation in the extent to which different EU actors respond to stakeholders of different types and origins.
Protein kinase C and A sites on troponin I regulate myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity and ATPase activity in the mouse myocardium

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a phosphoprotein subunit of the troponin‐tropomyosin complex that is thought to inhibit cardiac muscle contraction during diastole. To investigate the contributions of cTnI phosphorylation to cardiac regulation, transgenic mice were created with the phosphorylation sites of cTnI mutated to alanine. Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) by perfusion of hearts with phorbol‐12‐myristate‐13‐acetate (PMA) or endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) inhibited the maximum ATPase rate by up to 25 % and increased the Ca2+ sensitivity of ATPase activity and of isometric tension by up to 0.15 pCa units. PKC activation no longer altered cTnI phosphorylation, depressed ATPase rates or enhanced myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity in transgenic mice expressing cTnI that could not be phosphorylated on serines43/45 and threonine144 (PKC sites). Modest changes in myosin regulatory light chain phosphorylation occurred in all mouse lines, but increases in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity required the presence of phosphorylatable cTnI. For comparison, the β‐adrenergic agonist isoproterenol caused a 38 % increase in maximum ATPase rate and a 0.12 pCa unit decrease in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity. These β‐adrenergic effects were absent in transgenic mice expressing cTnI that could not be phosphorylated on serines23/24 (protein kinase A, PKA, sites). Overall, the results indicate that PKC and PKA exert opposing effects on actomyosin function by phosphorylating cTnI on distinct sites. A primary role of PKC phosphorylation of cTnI may be to reduce the requirements of the contractile apparatus for both Ca2+ and ATP, thereby promoting efficient ATP utilisation during contraction.
Sensorless position control for four-switch three-phase synchronous reluctance motor drives

This paper proposes a novel sensorless technique applied to position control for four-switch three-phase synchronous reluctance motor drives as opposed to conventional methods which use six switches. According to the defined three-phase current-slope vectors of the synchronous reluctance motor with four designated active-voltage vectors generated by a four-switch three-phase inverter, the proposed technique can extract rotor position from the components of difference current-slope vectors. Cost down of synchronous reluctance motor driver is achieved by reducing the number of power switches, reducing the algorithm coding effort, and eliminating the encoder or the resolver. In addition, the proposed technique achieves position control with satisfactory performance. Moreover, no additional hardware circuits and no switching strategy change are required for existing drive systems. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are demonstrated by simulation results.
Multispectral iris recognition utilizing hough transform and modified LBP

This paper presents a multispectral iris recognition scheme using Circular Hough Transform (CHT) and a modified Local Binary Pattern (mLBP) feature extraction technique. The CHT is used to localize the iris regions from the multispectral iris images. We also apply the binary thresholding and edge detection techniques in an effort to reduce the effects of over and under segmentation in multispectral iris images in which iris and pupil boundaries are not clearly separable. Furthermore, we apply mLBP in an attempt to elicit the iris feature elements. The mLBP technique combines both the sign and magnitude features for the improvement of iris texture classification performance. The identification and verification performance of the proposed scheme is validated using a multispectral iris dataset of 3120 images.
Inhibition of intestinal tumors by curcumin is associated with changes in the intestinal immune cell profile.

BACKGROUND The C57BL/6J-Min/+ (Min/+) mouse bears a germline mutation in Apc and is therefore a model for familial adenomatous polyposis and sporadic colorectal cancer. Min/+ intestinal mucosa exhibits a marked tendency for spontaneous adenoma formation. Curcumin is a phenolic antioxidant known for its antitumor and immune modulatory functions in vitro. Curcumin prevents adenoma formation in Min/+ mice, through a mechanism that may be related to its immunomodulatory properties. MATERIALS AND METHODS To study the relationship between intestinal immunity and curcumin-induced antitumor response, we used immunohistochemistry to characterize the effect of curcumin treatment on resident intestinal immune effector cells in Min/+ mice. RESULTS/CONCLUSION These results show that mucosal CD4(+) T cells and B cells increase in animals treated with curcumin, suggesting that curcumin modulates lymphocyte-mediated immune functions.
Epididymitis Caused by Coxsackievirus A6 in Association with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

ABSTRACT Coxsackievirus A6 (CV-A6) caused hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) with a unique manifestation of epididymitis. The patient underwent operation due to suspicion of testicular torsion. Epididymitis was diagnosed by ultrasound examination. Enterovirus was detected from epididymal fluid by PCR and typed by partial sequencing of viral protein 1 as CV-A6.
Revisiting the relationship between corporate governance and corporate social and environmental disclosure practices in Pakistan

PurposeThis study aims to revisit the corporate social and environmental disclosure (CSED) practices of Pakistani companies using unique CSED index which measures the CSED through three dimensions such as theme, news type and nature of information. In addition, the effect of board composition, ownership structure and corporate characteristics on CSED was tested through performing multiple regression analysis.Design/methodology/approachFor this purpose, data were collected from annual reports of top 120 companies’ selected based on market capitalization for three years period of 2013-2015.FindingsBased on the descriptive statistics, the results found that overall level of CSED in Pakistan is moderate. However considering CSED using three dimensions, the results demonstrate that highest level of disclosure on the basis of theme is reported in terms of human resource category as compared to other categories where, as in terms of news type and nature of information, analysis shows that companies in Pakistan feel resistant to disclose bad news, monetary and non-monetary aspect of CSED information. Using multiple regression analysis, the results found that all the variables have hypothesized relationship with CSED except government and institutional ownership. The variables such as chairman as non-executive director, board diversity, appointment of independent director as audit committee chairman, CSR committee, industry type and firm size are found to have significant influence on the CSED practices in Pakistan.Research limitations/implicationsThese results imply that the CSED phenomenon is still lacking behind. Under individual categories of CSED, descriptive statistics found that environment is still not a matter of concern for companies operating in Pakistan. In addition, the results demonstrate that CSED practices are only performed by very few companies in Pakistan based on standard deviation. In addition, appointment of non-executive and independent director as chairman of board and audit committee and representation of foreigners on the board should be encouraged in order to improve CSED practices in Pakistan.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature in developing country like Pakistan through using unique CSED index and also making comparison of financial versus non-financial sectors. The author suggests that regulatory authorities in Pakistan must take reasonable steps to make the company’s operations environment-friendly.
Oxidation of Trichloroethylene, 1,1-Dichloroethylene, and Chloroform by Toluene/o-Xylene Monooxygenase from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1

ABSTRACT Toluene/o-xylene monooxygenase (ToMO) fromPseudomonas stutzeri OX1, which oxidizes toluene ando-xylene, was examined for its ability to degrade the environmental pollutants trichloroethylene (TCE), 1,1-dichloroethylene (1,1-DCE), cis-1,2-DCE, trans-1,2-DCE, chloroform, dichloromethane, phenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,5-trichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 2,3,5,6-tetrachlorophenol, and 2,3,4,5,6-pentachlorophenol.Escherichia coli JM109 that expressed ToMO from genes on plasmid pBZ1260 under control of the lac promoter degraded TCE (3.3 μM), 1,1-DCE (1.25 μM), and chloroform (6.3 μM) at initial rates of 3.1, 3.6, and 1.6 nmol/(min · mg of protein), respectively. Stoichiometric amounts of chloride release were seen, indicating mineralization (2.6, 1.5, and 2.3 Cl− atoms per molecule of TCE, 1,1-DCE, and chloroform, respectively). Thus, the substrate range of ToMO is extended to include aliphatic chlorinated compounds.
An approach based on constrained nonnegative matrix factorization to unmix hyperspectral data

Nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) has been recently applied to solve the hyperspectral unmixing problem because it ensures nonnegativity and needs no assumption for the presence of pure pixels. However, the algorithm has a large amount of local minima due to the obvious nonconvexity of the objective function. In order to improve its performance, auxiliary constraints can be introduced into the algorithm. In this paper, we propose a new approach named abundance separation and smoothness constrained NMF by introducing two constraints, namely, abundance separation and smoothness, into the NMF algorithm. These constraints are based on two properties of hyperspectral imagery. First, usually, every ground object presents dominance in a specific region of the entire image scene and the correlation is weak between different endmembers. Second, moving through various regions, ground objects usually vary slowly and abrupt changes rarely appear. We also propose a learning algorithm to further improve the performance of our method, from which the auxiliary constraints are removed at an appropriate time. The proposed algorithm retains all the advantages of NMF and effectively overcomes the shortcoming of local minima at the same time. Experimental results based on synthetic and real hyperspectral data show the superiority of the proposed algorithm with respect to other state-of-the-art approaches.
T‐cell memory and recall responses to respiratory virus infections

Summary: The respiratory tract is characterized by its large surface area and the close association of an extensive vasculature with the external environment. As such, the respiratory tract is a major portal of entry for many pathogens. The immune system is able to effectively control most pulmonary pathogens and establish immunological memory that is capable of mediating an accelerated and enhanced recall response to secondary pathogen challenge. A key component of the recall response in the lung involves the rapid response of antigen‐specific memory CD8+ T cells. Recent studies have shown that memory CD8+ T cells are extremely heterogeneous in terms of phenotype, function, anatomical distribution, and longevity. However, we have little understanding of how the different subsets of memory cells actually contribute to the recall response, especially with respect to peripheral or mucosal sites, such as the lung. Since immunological memory is the cornerstone of vaccination, it is essential that we understand how different memory CD8+ T‐cell subsets are initially generated, maintained over time, and contribute to recall responses. This review focuses on memory T cells that mediate recall responses to influenza and parainfluenza virus infections in the lung.
Gene Silencing and Haploinsufficiency of Csk Increase Blood Pressure

Objective Recent genome-wide association studies have identified 33 human genetic loci that influence blood pressure. The 15q24 locus is one such locus that has been confirmed in Asians and Europeans. There are 21 genes in the locus within a 1-Mb boundary, but a functional link of these genes to blood pressure has not been reported. We aimed to identify a causative gene for blood pressure change in the 15q24 locus. Methods and Results CSK and ULK3 were selected as candidate genes based on eQTL analysis studies that showed the association between gene transcript levels and the lead SNP (rs1378942). Injection of siRNAs for mouse homologs Csk, Ulk3, and Cyp1a2 (negative control) showed reduced target gene mRNA levels in vivo. However, Csk siRNA only increased blood pressure while Ulk3 and Cyp1a2 siRNA did not change it. Further, blood pressure in Csk+/- heterozygotes was higher than in wild-type, consistent with what we observed in Csk siRNA-injected mice. We confirmed that haploinsufficiency of Csk increased the active form of Src in Csk+/- mice aorta. We also showed that inhibition of Src by PP2, a Src inhibitor decreased high blood pressure in Csk+/- mice and the active Src in Csk+/- mice aorta and in Csk knock-down vascular smooth muscle cells, suggesting blood pressure regulation by Csk through Src. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that Csk is a causative gene in the 15q24 locus and regulates blood pressure through Src, and these findings provide a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of hypertension.
Porcine Dentin Sialoprotein Is a Proteoglycan with Glycosaminoglycan Chains Containing Chondroitin 6-Sulfate*

Dentin sialoprotein (DSP) is a glycoprotein that is critical for proper tooth dentin formation, but little is known about the nature of its carbohydrate attachments and other post-translational modifications. We have isolated DSP from pig dentin and demonstrate that it is a proteoglycan. Polyclonal antibodies were raised in chicken against recombinant pig DSP, and used to identify native DSP in fractions of tooth dentin proteins extracted from developing pig molars. Amino acid analyses and characterization of lysylendopeptidase cleavage products confirmed that the purified protein was DSP, and that Arg391 is at the DSP C terminus. On SDS-PAGE and on urea gels, DSP appeared as a smear extending from 280 to 100 kDa, but in the presence of β-mercaptoethanol the top of the DSP smear disappeared. The high molecular weight material was likely comprised of covalent DSP dimers connected by a disulfide bridge at Cys205. Oligosaccharides were released from DSP following N- and O-linked glycosidase digestions, but these digestions had little effect on the apparent molecular weight of DSP on SDS-PAGE, when compared with the significant reduction following chondroitinase ABC digestion. Glycosaminoglycanases with assorted glycosaminoglycan (GAG) cleavage specificities coupled with Western analyses of the cleaved GAG “stubs” demonstrated that the DSP GAG attachments contain chondroitin 6-sulfate, but not keratan sulfate, heparan sulfate, chondroitin, or chondroitin 4-sulfate. DSP binds biotin-labeled hyaluronic acid, and such binding is inhibited by the addition of unlabeled hyaluronic acid. We conclude that DSP is a proteoglycan and that GAG attachments are the predominant structural feature of porcine DSP.
A Hybrid Genetic Algorithm for the Minimum Exposure Path Problem of Wireless Sensor Networks Based on a Numerical Functional Extreme Model

Searching for the minimum exposure path (MEP) is one of the critical issues in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The exposure corresponding to the MEP is one indicator to measure the coverage quality of a WSN, reflecting how well a mobile target is monitored through the sensing field. The classical methods, such as the grid-based method and the Voronoi-diagram-based method, are not accurate enough to obtain the MEP, are too complex, and are not applicable to networks with heterogeneous sensor nodes, a large number of sensor nodes, or all-sensor field intensity function. To overcome these challenges, a numerical functional extreme (NFE) model is proposed for the MEP problem in this paper. The NFE model is a high-dimensional and nonlinear optimization problem. To efficiently solve this problem, based on the characteristics of the sensor node coverage, a new crossover operator is designed, a new local search scheme is proposed, and an upside-down operator to escape from local optima is developed. Integrating all of these, a hybrid genetic algorithm (HGA) is proposed for the NFE model, and its global convergence with probability one is proven. An extensive collection of experiments were conducted, and the results indicate that the proposed NFE model and the developed HGA can improve the solution accuracy and can be applicable to not only the case with heterogeneous sensors but the case with a large number of sensor nodes and all-sensor field intensity function as well.