Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ground fluidization promotes rapid running of a lightweight robot

We study the locomotor mechanics of a small, lightweight robot (DynaRoACH, 10 cm, 25 g) which can move on a granular substrate of 3 mm diameter glass particles at speeds up to 5 body length/s, approaching the performance of certain desert-dwelling animals. To reveal how the robot achieves this performance, we used high-speed imaging to capture its kinematics, and developed a numerical multi-body simulation of the robot coupled to an experimentally validated simulation of the granular medium. Average speeds measured in experiment and simulation agreed well, and increased nonlinearly with stride frequency, reflecting a change in propulsion mode. At low frequencies, the robot used a quasi-static “rotary walking” mode, in which the substrate yielded as legs penetrated and then solidified once vertical force balance was achieved. At high frequencies the robot propelled itself using the speed-dependent fluid-like inertial response of the material. The simulation allows variation of parameters which are inconvenient to modify in experiment, and thus gives insight into how substrate and robot properties change performance. Our study reveals how lightweight animals can achieve high performance on granular substrates; such insights can advance the design and control of robots in deformable terrains.
The value of original source readings in management education

Purpose – Frederick Taylor, the “Father of Scientific Management” is recognized as a pioneer in the field of management. However, many unfair criticisms have been leveled at him starting with the infamous Congressional hearings of 1911. Many scholars of management history believe that such criticisms have resulted in negative portrayals of Frederick Taylor in both practitioner and academic circles, and even in some basic management textbooks. This is unfortunate because many of those criticisms result from either a failure to read and understand Taylor's original works or from misinterpretations of them. The purpose of this paper is to contend that students of management will develop a more accurate impression of Frederick Taylor if they read his words and not interpretations of them.Design/methodology/approach – First, an introduction of Frederick Taylor and scientific management is presented. Then, a categorization of common criticisms of Taylor is offered. The results of a study conducted to measure un.
OxyR Acts as a Repressor of Catalase Expression in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

ABSTRACT It has been reported that Neisseria gonorrhoeae possesses a very high level of catalase activity, but the regulation of catalase expression has not been investigated extensively. In Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, it has been demonstrated that OxyR is a positive regulator of hydrogen peroxide-inducible genes, including the gene encoding catalase. The oxyR gene from N. gonorrhoeae was cloned and used to complement an E. coli oxyR mutant, confirming its identity and function. The gene was inactivated by inserting a kanamycin resistance cassette and used to make a knockout allele on the chromosome of N. gonorrhoeae strain 1291. In contrast to E. coli, the N. gonorrhoeae oxyR::kan mutant expressed ninefold-more catalase activity and was more resistant to hydrogen peroxide killing than the wild type. These data are consistent with OxyR in N. gonorrhoeae acting as a repressor of catalase expression.
Role of atazanavir in the treatment of HIV infection

Atazanavir (ATV) is one of the latest protease inhibitors (PI) approved for the treatment of HIV infection. The drug has a relatively long-life (~7 h) and large inhibitory quotient which allows once daily administration. It is generally well tolerated and the main side effect is hyperbilirubinemia, since ATV inhibits the hepatic uridin-glucoronyl-transferase. A signature mutation at the protease gene, I50L, may confer loss of susceptibility to the drug. Interestingly, it produces hypersusceptibility to all other PIs. When ATV is pharmacokinetically boosted with ritonavir (r) 100 mg/day, a greater genetic barrier for resistance is achieved, and generally more than 3 major PI resistance associated mutations are needed to result in ATV resistance. In drug-naïve subjects, regimens based on ATV/r have shown non-inferiority compared to lopinavir (LPV)/r (CASTLE study) or fosamprenavir/r (ALERT trial), generally with improved tolerance (less diarrhea and dyslipidemia). Given its good tolerance and convenience, ATV has been proven to be successful as a simplification strategy in switch studies (ie, SWAN and SLOAT) conducted in patients with complete virological suppression under other PI-based regimens. Finally, ATV/r-based combinations have shown to be equivalent in terms of viral response to other PI/r-containing regimens, including LPV/r, in rescue interventions in patients failing other PI regimens (ie, studies AI424-045 and NADIS).
Evidence for magmatic vapor deposition of anhydrite prior to the 1991 climactic eruption of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines

Abstract Anhydrite (CaSO4) phenocrysts from Mount Pinatubo pumices show evidence of having responded dynamically to changing conditions prior to the June 15, 1991 climactic eruption. Micrometer-sized and smaller pyramidal surface growth features and lesser numbers of etch pits on anhydrite surfaces are documented by scanning electron microscopy. Chemical analyses indicate that the pyramids are a CaSO4 polymorph and electron backscatter diffraction patterns show conclusively that the pyramids are indeed orthorhombic anhydrite and not another Ca-sulfate phase. Unit-cell measurements of volcanic anhydrite are identical with evaporitic anhydrite, as determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction patterns. The computer program SOLVGAS was used to identify conditions under which the pyramids may have precipitated. Thermodynamic modeling of a cooling magmatic gas (H2O-CO2-SO2) at 500 bars (maximum model pressure) and NNO +1.7 was performed. Assuming that the gas contained >10-9 mol% Ca and 4 mol% SO2, the program indicates that anhydrite will precipitate homogeneously at approximately 780 °C, whereas an isothermal drop in pressure would likely lead to dissolution. Pyramids located between a phenocryst and adjacent glass provide physical evidence that at least a portion of the pyramids nucleated and grew before the melt quenched. We propose a mechanism to account for these previously unrecognized surface growths, which is that the anhydrite pyramids precipitated from a fluid or vapor phase that had separated from the magma at depth. At least a portion of the Pinatubo anhydrite phenocrysts provided substrates for nucleation and epitaxial growth of anhydrite. Because the anhydrite pyramids resemble products of chemical vapor deposition of metals and ceramics, we propose that this previously unrecognized process be termed magmatic vapor deposition. Evidence of high-temperature, magmatic vapor deposition of anhydrite could be used as an indicator that a pre-eruptive gas phase was accumulating or stored at depth, especially at arc volcanoes where excess amounts of sulfur are vented into the atmosphere
Parameter extraction for bass guitar sound models including playing styles

We present a system to realistically model the sound of bass guitars, and how to estimate the corresponding parameters from the sound of a bass guitar alone, without other physical measurements. Our model includes plucking and expression styles of the musician, like vibrato or bending, and the string number for a realistic modeling and reproduction of the sound. We show that we can estimate the playing techniques and the string number with relatively high accuracy.
Conflict Management: A Practical Guide to Developing Negotiation Strategies

1. Defining Negotiation and Its Components 2. Personality 3. Conflict 4. Negotiation Style 5. Key Negotiating Temperaments 6. Communicating in Negotiation 7. A Note on Cultural and Gender Differences 8. Interests and Goals in Negotiation 9. Understanding the Importance of Perception in Negotiation 10. Effects of Power in Negotiation 11. Asserting Yourself 12. Principles of Persuasion 13. Rules of Negotiation & Common Mistakes 14. The Negotiation Process and Preparation 15. Alternative Styles, Strategies, & Techniques of Negotiation 16. Team Negotiation 17. Third-Party Intervention 18. Using Your Personal Negotiating Power 19. Post-Negotiation Evaluation
Web-based haptic applications for blind people to create virtual graphs

Haptic technology has great potentials in many applications. This paper introduces our work on delivery haptic information via the Web. A multimodal tool has been developed to allow blind people to create virtual graphs independently. Multimodal interactions in the process of graph creation and exploration are provided by using a low-cost haptic device, the Logitech WingMan Force Feedback Mouse, and Web audio. The Web-based tool also provides blind people with the convenience of receiving information at home. In this paper, we present the development of the tool and evaluation results. Discussions on the issues related to the design of similar Web-based haptic applications are also given.
Teacher Acceptability of Oral Reading Fluency.

TEACHER ACCEPTABILITY OF ORAL READING FLUENCY By Sarah Stebbe Rowe Many schools are adopting a Response to Intervention (RTI) model to support and evaluate learning (Fuchs & Fuchs, 2006). Universal screening and progress monitoring are two essential components of RTI that generally support improved student outcomes (Shinn, 2007). In many schools, teachers collect and use a tool called oral reading fluency for these purposes. Some teachers are resistant to using oral reading fluency due to its disputed validity and their lack of time, resources, and knowledge about how to use these data (Foegen, Espin, Allinder, & Markell, 2001; Roehrig, Duggar, Moats, Glover, & Mincey, 2008; Samuels, 2007; Yell, Deno, & Marston, 1992). With a greater understanding of teacher resistance, school psychologists can address the critical factors that relate to the acceptability, use, and effectiveness of oral reading fluency (National Association of School Psychologists, 2008, p. cxix). The purpose of this study was to explore teacher acceptability of oral reading fluency for universal screening and progress monitoring. First to sixth grade teachers from mid-Michigan completed a survey (N = 164), and 22 teachers attended focus groups. In the survey, teachers reported oral reading fluency to be highly acceptable for universal screening and progress monitoring. Teachers reported that oral reading fluency was slightly more acceptable for universal screening than progress monitoring. Knowledge of oral reading fluency and perceived time for assessment were significantly related to teachers’ attitudes toward oral reading fluency. In the focus groups, teachers reported many of the reasons for their attitudes towards oral reading fluency. Implications for future research and educational practice are presented. Copyright by SARAH STEBBE ROWE 2013
Nuclear export of different classes of RNA is mediated by specific factors

Various classes of RNA are exported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, including transcripts of RNA polymerase I (large ribosomal RNAs), II (U- rich small nuclear RNAs [U snRNAs], mRNAs), and III (tRNAs, 5S RNA). Here, evidence is presented that some steps in the export of various classes of nuclear RNA are mediated by specific rather than common factors. Using microinjection into Xenopus oocytes, it is shown that a tRNA, a U snRNA, and an mRNA competitively inhibit their own export at concentrations at which they have no effect on the export of heterologous RNAs. While the export of both U snRNAs and mRNAs is enhanced by their 7-methyl guanosine cap structures, factors recognizing this structure are found to be limiting in concentration only in the case of U snRNAs. In addition to the specific factors, evidence for steps in the export process that may be common to at least some classes of RNA are provided by experiments in which synthetic homopolymeric RNAs are used as inhibitors.
Atribución de responsabilidad social: contexto social y atributos personales del observador

Resumen El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer en qué medida la magnitud de responsabilidad social atribuida al actor se ve afectada por el contexto social (tipo de conducta y proximidad actor-observador), los atributos personales (nivel de individualismo-colectivismo, responsabilidad personal) y las características demográficas (sexo, edad, número de amigos íntimos, número de endogruposy religiosidad) del observador. Participaron 249 estudiantes universitarios, un 82% mujeres y con edad promedio de 20 años. Éstos contestaron a la Escala de Individualismo-Colectivismo (Triandis y cols., 1988) y la Escala de Responsabilidad Personal; además, participaron en un experimento en que, a través de historias escritas, fueron manipulados el tipo de conducta (intención vs. omisión vs. negligencia) y la proximidad actor-observador (una persona cercana vs. un desconocido). Tras leerlas, tenían que indicar el grado de responsabilidad social del actor. Los resultados fueron que el contexto social es más determinante que las características personales del observador a la hora de explicar la magnitud de la responsabilidad que éste atribuye al actor; la mayor responsabilidad social es atribuida cuando el actor es alguien cercano al observador.
Host-Based Card Emulation: Development, Security, and Ecosystem Impact Analysis

Equipping a smartphone with NFC (Near Field Communication) capacity adds new functions to it. One of these functions is the emulation of a contact less card, which enables the smartphone to realize commercial transactions (e.g. Payment, loyalty and ticketing) through NFC enabled Point of Sale (POS). Initially, the card emulation related services were uniquely hosted on a secure element, e.g., SIM, and thus, their protection against security threats is ensured. Recently, Android proposed the Host-based Card Emulation (HCE) that enables an ordinary application to emulate a contact less card. Hence, the complexity and outlay of emulating a contact less card are reduced. In this paper, we clarify the concept of HCE, and present its history and current utilizations. We further compare HCE with SE-based card emulation in terms of security and development issues. Finally, we discuss the impact of HCE on the ecosystem of the NFC-enabled services.
Semantic Code Repair using Neuro-Symbolic Transformation Networks

We study the problem of semantic code repair, which can be broadly defined as automatically fixing non-syntactic bugs in source code. The majority of past work in semantic code repair assumed access to unit tests against which candidate repairs could be validated. In contrast, the goal here is to develop a strong statistical model to accurately predict both bug locations and exact fixes without access to information about the intended correct behavior of the program. Achieving such a goal requires a robust contextual repair model, which we train on a large corpus of real-world source code that has been augmented with synthetically injected bugs. Our framework adopts a two-stage approach where first a large set of repair candidates are generated by rule-based processors, and then these candidates are scored by a statistical model using a novel neural network architecture which we refer to as Share, Specialize, and Compete. Specifically, the architecture (1) generates a shared encoding of the source code using an RNN over the abstract syntax tree, (2) scores each candidate repair using specialized network modules, and (3) then normalizes these scores together so they can compete against one another in comparable probability space. We evaluate our model on a real-world test set gathered from GitHub containing four common categories of bugs. Our model is able to predict the exact correct repair 41\% of the time with a single guess, compared to 13\% accuracy for an attentional sequence-to-sequence model.
A modified technique for Gore Excluder limb deployment in difficult iliac anatomy during endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Complex iliac anatomy including extreme tortuosity constitutes a relative contraindication for endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with additional risk of limb-graft occlusion. The Gore Excluder limb-graft is a flexible stent-graft, which adapts easily to iliac tortuosity. Nevertheless, the presence of the stiff guide wire does not always allow for an ideal apposition of the stent graft to the angulated common iliac artery vessel wall. We describe herein a modified technique for Gore Excluder limb-graft deployment with partial removal of the stiff wire in cases with difficult tortuous or narrow iliac arteries during endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.
Primary structure and transcription of the genes coding for the two virion phosphoproteins pp65 and pp71 of human cytomegalovirus

Human cytomegalovirus contains a phosphorylated matrix protein of 65,000 apparent molecular weight (65K phosphoprotein; pp65) and a related phosphoprotein of 71,000 molecular weight (pp71). The 65K phosphoprotein is usually by far the most abundant structural component found in culture-grown purified virus particles. This study describes the precise mapping of the genes for both polypeptides, giving the entire nucleotide sequences and the exact positions of the respective transcripts. The 65K phosphoprotein is coded for by the 5'-terminal part of an abundant 4-kilobase (kb) mRNA. The 71K phosphoprotein corresponds to the single translational reading frame of a rare nonspliced 1.9-kb mRNA that is coterminal with the 4-kb transcript. The promoter for 4-kb mRNA appears to be unusual in structure; it does not contain a characteristic TATA sequence. The expression of antigenic epitopes from pp65 may allow improved serodiagnosis of human cytomegalovirus infections.
A Hybrid Model for Estimation of Volatility of Call Option Price Using Particle Filter

In the recent years, the distribution of possible future losses for portfolios, such as bonds or loans, exhibits strongly asymmetric behavior. In this paper, we have analyzed the effective portfolio risk management through a computational state space model by using particle filter through sequential estimation of volatility. The computational model comprises with Extended weight Moving Average Model and Black Scholes-Option Pricing model as well as GARCH deterministic volatility model. The outcome of the model establishes the effectiveness of particle filter for estimating volatility of call option prices for future portfolio returns and it can able to predict the investor’s financial risk and measures in a significant manner.
How information shapes cities: theory and facts

The primary aim of this paper is to show that " information matters " in shaping space and cities. This statement has both theoretical and empirical foundations. Theoretical reasoning, especially on the basis of economic geography modelling, is able to provide consistent and realistic explanations for the agglomeration of information using activities including producer services and R&D. Empirical testing of these models raises a number of methodological problems. Nevertheless, many empirical studies have been conducted into the local character of the diffusion of tacit information. Over the last ten years, much progress has been made, and initial difficulties are progressively being overcome. Indirect tests afford a better grasp of both the consequences and the media of information externalities. These advances are essentially focused on one category of information externalities: the information spillovers generated and received by R&D. Most of the studies show a close link between the need for more or less tacit information exchanges and the effective proximity of actors and/or between this proximity and the production of innovation. / L'objectif de ce papier est de montrer que " l'information compte " dans la formation et l'evolution de l'espace et des villes. Cette affirmation a des fondements a la fois theoriques et empiriques. Le raisonnement theorique, particulierement sur la base de la modelisation en economie geographique, fournit une explication coherente et realiste de l'agglomeration d'activites consommatrices d'informations comme les services aux entreprises et la R&D. Les tests empiriques de ces modeles soulevent un certain nombre de difficultes methodologiques. Neanmoins, de nombreuses etudes ont ete menees sur le caractere local de la diffusion des informations tacites. Dans les dix dernieres annees, de nombreux progres ont ete realises pour pallier ces difficultes. Des tests indirects permettent une meilleure approche des supports et des consequences des externalites d'informations. Ces progres se sont focalises sur une categorie particuliere d'externalites d'informations : les spillovers de connaissance relatifs a la R&D. La plupart des etudes mettent en evidence un lien etroit entre le besoin d'echanger des informations plus ou moins tacites et la proximite effective des agents, ainsi qu'entre cette proximite et la production d'innovations.
Engineered Sarafotoxins as Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases-like Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors*

The sarafotoxins and endothelins are ∼25-residue peptides that spontaneously fold into a defined tertiary structure with specific pairing of four cysteines into two disulfide bonds. Their structures show an interesting topological similarity to the core of the metalloproteinase interaction sites of the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases. Previous work indicates that sarafotoxins and endothelins can be engineered to eliminate or greatly reduce their vasopressive action and that their structural framework can withstand multiple sequence changes. When sarafotoxin 6b, which possesses modest matrix metalloproteinase inhibitory activity, was C-terminally truncated to remove its toxic vasopressive activity, the metalloproteinase inhibitory activity was essentially abolished. However, further changes, based on the sequences of peptides selected from libraries of sarafotoxin variants or suggested by analogy with tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases, progressively enhanced the matrix metalloproteinase inhibitory activity. Peptide variants with multiple substitutions folded correctly and formed native disulfide bonds. Improvements in matrix metalloproteinase affinity have generated a peptide with micromolar Ki values for matrix metalloproteinase-1 and -9 that are selective inhibitors of different metalloproteinases. Characterization of its solution structure indicates a close similarity to sarafotoxin but with a more extended C-terminal helix. The effects of N-acetylation and other changes, as well as docking studies, support the hypothesis that the engineered sarafotoxins bind to matrix metalloproteinases in a manner analogous to the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases.
Wavelet-based denoising and independent component analysis for improving multi-group inference in fMRI data

Denoising is amongst the most challenging steps involved in analyzing fMRI data. The conventionally used Gaussian smoothing improves the SNR at the cost of spatial sensitivity and specificity. We briefly describe a 3-D framework for wavelet based fMRI analysis that includes denoising and signal separation followed by a detailed illustration of the benefits and improvements when applied to multi-group (healthy/patient) fMRI studies. We utilize a novel shape metric to highlight the accuracy of the shape of activation regions obtained through different processing frameworks. The proposed algorithm results in higher specificity and increased shape accuracy which in turn is likely to be more sensitive to important differences in the patient and control group.