Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Method for Quantification of Penetration of Nanoparticles through Skin Layers Using Near-Infrared Optical Imaging

Our study presents a new method for tracking nanoparticle penetration through different layers of the skin using near-infrared dye-loaded nanoparticles (hydrodynamic diameter = 156 nm) and optical imaging. The dye-loaded nanoparticles were mixed in a topical skin cream, applied to human cadaver skin and incubated either for three or 24 h post-application, skin tissue was clipped between glass slides prior to imaging for signal intensity across the skin thickness using an optical imaging system. The data show that nanoparticles penetrate through all the layers of the skin but there is almost an exponential decay in the signal intensity from epidermis to dermis. Depending upon the incubation time, about 55%–59% of the total signal was seen in the epidermis and the remaining through dermis and hypodermis. The advantage of the method is that it allows quantitative analysis of the extent of penetration of nanoparticles through different layers of the skin without interference of any background signal from skin tissue, and without requiring extensive tissue processing. Our method could potentially be used to study the effect of nanoparticle properties and/or the use of different formulation additives on penetration of nanoparticles through different skin layers.
Incentive mechanism design for heterogeneous networking routing

In the future, an increasing number of heterogeneous networks will be connected with each other. Each of them has its own interest. Existing systems lack good incentive mechanisms to attract more networks to participate in cooperations. In this paper, we design an auction-based incentive mechanism for routing protocols applied in heterogeneous networking which is computationally efficient, individually rational, profitable, and truthful. Through several simulations, we evaluate the performance and validate the properties of our mechanism.
Shape Modification of Ship Hulls in H-rep

The transfinite interpolation of an irregular network of curves is an effective modelling methodology for the design of non-trivial free-form shapes. Recent literature refers to this methodology with the term hybrid representation or H-rep, to indicate that it is based on the merger of wire-frame modelling and solid modelling. In practice, the term H-rep also implies the integration of a curve fitting/fairing algorithm, which is essential for the discussions in this article. Koelman (1999) gives a detailed description of the conception of the H-rep concept, and of an implementation called ‘Fairway’, which is a module in the ‘PIAS’ package and tailored to (but not limited to) the geometric design of ship hulls. Introductions to the H-rep concept and its value for the maritime industry include Koelman et al. (2001), Koelman (2003a,b), Veelo (2004).
Turbocharged P 2 P Video Distribution

Video distribution over the Internet continues to increase its bandwidth consumption, and is a challenging research topic. There are two types of user demands: video downloading and Video on Demand (VoD) streaming. We are the first to analyze the combination of the two different demands and propose a mutual benefit design, which can accelerate video distribution significantly. BitTorrent-like P2P video downloading works well on the most parts, VoD streaming relies on two methods: Client/Server (C/S) approach or Peer-to-Peer (P2P) approach, or a combination of the two. The C/S approach is quite expensive, and traditional P2P approach requires replicating videos at peers to allow peers to be able to serve. Besides the complications in replicating videos at peers, the use of disk storage to replicate videos is disliked by users and makes content owners uncomfortable. In this paper, we propose a novel design for a mesh-based video distribution system without depending on peer storage. Instead, we achieve scalable and effective streaming by integrating video downloading and VoD streaming. At the same time of boosting VoD performance, video downloading is itself improved. We produce simple back-of-the-envelop analysis, and use simulation to validate our design and compare with other designs.
Entrepreneurship in Golden Years-- Creative Opportunity or Not？

The study analyses older age people (50+) thoughts to be self-employed and items influencing their choice and opportunities to start a business of their own. The aim of this paper is to increase understanding of older age entrepreneurship and related policy opportunities for supporting entrepreneurship in golden years. The following questions were upraised: Why older people want to become entrepreneurs? What kind of factors may influence on the opportunity recognition and exploitation when the older people want to become entrepreneurs? How in practice the older age people entrepreneurship and start-up initiatives could be supported? Based on explorative interviews and constructs of the four nascent senior entrepreneurs it seems that there exist several reasons to be self-employed. Both pull and push factors simultaneously have influence to becoming entrepreneur. The role of innovation and growth as the main sources and competitive advantages of business opportunities is very low. Secure and flexible self-employment is more important than providing jobs for other people. The building blocks of entrepreneurship in older age are life and work experience, longitudinally develop of know-how, personal networks, flexibility and current personal life situations. Moreover, social aspects such as belonging to a community and opportunities to create and maintain social contacts were found to be important drivers of entrepreneurship in golden years. Economic gains are upraised but not in the sense of the most important item of motivation to be self-employed and/or start a business in older age. The paper policy implication widens the focus group thinking, portfolio of possible actions and institutional development ideas in order to foster older age entrepreneurship.
Luminosity Function of the Local Universe 1

The measurement of the Star Formation Rate density of the Universe is of prime importance in understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies. The [OII]λ3727 emission line flux, easy to measure up to z≈1.4 within deep redshift surveys in the optical and up to z≈5.4 in the near infrared, offers a reliable means of characterizing the star formation properties of high-z objects. In order to provide the high-z studies with a local reference, we have measured total [OII]λ3727 fluxes for the well analyzed local sample of star-forming galaxies from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid Survey. This data is used to derive the [OII]λ3727 luminosity function for local star-forming galaxies. When compared with similar luminosity densities published for redshift up to z≈1, the overall evolution already observed in the star formation activity of the Universe is confirmed. Subject headings: Galaxies: luminosity function, fundamental parameters, evolution
N = 2 Superconformal Description of Superstring in Ramond-Ramond Plane Wave Backgrounds

Using the U(4) formalism developed ten years ago, the worldsheet action for the superstring in Ramond-Ramond plane wave backgrounds is expressed in a manifestly N = (2,2) superconformally invariant manner. This simplifies the construction of consistent Ramond-Ramond plane wave backgrounds and eliminates the problems associated with light-cone interaction point operators.
ActKM: the story of a community

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on a research project that sought to discover the value of the online KM discussion list, ActKM, to its members; how members manage the postings, the degree of off‐list activity generated through the list; and the impact of the list on KM practice.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through the use of web‐based questionnaires to the full list membership and a second questionnaire to members of the list's core management team. Telephone interviews were conducted with a sample drawn from the frequent contributors to the list. A basic assumption of the research was that the discussion list ActKM is a community of practice.Findings – The results indicated that ActKM is indeed a community of practice and that off‐list activity is considered a valuable extension of community life. Other finings are that ActKM is a significant tool that facilitates learning for members and there is strong agreement about the type of postings that are preferred.Resear.
Satellite and street maps matching method using iterative Closest Point

This paper proposes a satellite and street maps matching by using Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm. The proposed method is two data point sets matching extracted from maps. First, we extract the feature points from a map. Second, we consist of input data set from feature points, and then take the center of mass transformation process. Finally, map matching is performed with two data point sets. The ICP algorithm is used as a matching method. The error results of the rotation and translation will be compared with original input values. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by various simulations.
Transfer Entropy Analysis of the Stock Market

In terms of transfer entropy, we investigated the strength and the direction of information transfer in the US stock market. Through the directionality of the information transfer, the more influential company between the correlated ones can be found and also the market leading companies are selected. Our entropy analysis shows that the companies related with energy industries such as oil, gas, and electricity influence the whole market.
Selective Optical Control of Synaptic Transmission in the Subcortical Visual Pathway by Activation of Viral Vector-Expressed Halorhodopsin

The superficial layer of the superior colliculus (sSC) receives visual inputs via two different pathways: from the retina and the primary visual cortex. However, the functional significance of each input for the operation of the sSC circuit remains to be identified. As a first step toward understanding the functional role of each of these inputs, we developed an optogenetic method to specifically suppress the synaptic transmission in the retino-tectal pathway. We introduced enhanced halorhodopsin (eNpHR), a yellow light-sensitive, membrane-targeting chloride pump, into mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) by intravitreously injecting an adeno-associated virus serotype-2 vector carrying the CMV-eNpHR-EYFP construct. Several weeks after the injection, whole-cell recordings made from sSC neurons in slice preparations revealed that yellow laser illumination of the eNpHR-expressing retino-tectal axons, putatively synapsing onto the recorded cells, effectively inhibited EPSCs evoked by electrical stimulation of the optic nerve layer. We also showed that sSC spike activities elicited by visual stimulation were significantly reduced by laser illumination of the sSC in anesthetized mice. These results indicate that photo-activation of eNpHR expressed in RGC axons enables selective blockade of retino-tectal synaptic transmission. The method established here can most likely be applied to a variety of brain regions for studying the function of individual inputs to these regions.
Impact of School Type on Parent Involvement and Academic Achievement of Kindergarten Students Controlling Socioeconomic Status

States. According to a recent study (Coulson, 1999), academic achievement of public school students has stagnated for most of this century at a comparatively low level, dropping somewhat during the 1960s and 1970s, rising in the 1980s, and dropping again during the mid-1990s. Efforts to raise academic achievement typically focus on reforming schools. Some components of reforming schools include: extension of the school day length, implementation of more rigorous standards, heightened qualifications for teachers, and so on. However, it has been argued that current educational policy debates are missing the most important reform issues by focusing on school quality based on its public and private charter (Rothstein, 2000; Witte, 1996). It is believed by some that private school outcomes are generally superior to public school outcomes. On average, private school students score higher on standardized tests than do public school students, private school students take more advanced courses than do public school students, and private school students are more likely to graduate and attend college than public school students. Based on commonly held generalizations about the superiority of private school systems, several educators have implemented some private school practices in public schools (Crawford & Freeman, 1996; Grogan, 1999; McHugh & Spath, 1997; Natale, 1995). For example, research has shown that the implementation of private school practices in public schools can improve student achievement (Natale, 1995). Grade by grade, teachers and students alike learned a new way of approaching education using private school practices. Improvement in overall academic achievement was found for almost all students. In addition, a marked improvement in attendance and behavior was found. Such research has challenged the belief that private schools are superior to public schools. Recently, much of the debate around differences between public and private schools has revolved around statistical analyses designed to control for student background characteristics, thus leading to the identification of a private
Recognition Confidence Measures: Detection of Misrecognitions and Out- Of-Vocabulary Words

Abstract : This paper describes and evaluates a new technique for measuring confidence in word strings produced by speech recognition systems. It detects misrecognized and out-of-vocabulary words in spontaneous spoken dialogs. The system uses multiple, diverse knowledge sources including acoustics, semantics, pragmatics and discourse to determine if a word string is misrecognized. When likely misrecognitions are detected, a series of tests distinguishes out-of- vocabulary words from other error sources. The work is part of a larger effort to automatically recognize and understand new words when spoken in a spontaneous spoken dialog. We describe a system that combines newly developed acoustic confidence measures with the semantic, pragmatic and discourse structure knowledge en-bodied in the MINDS-II system. The newly developed acoustic confidence metrics output independent probabilities that a word's recognized correctly along with a measure of how reliably we can estimate if a word is wrong. The acoustic confidence metrics are derived from normalized acoustic recognition scores. The acoustic scores are normalized by estimates of the denominator of Bayes equation. To evaluate the utility of using the acoustic techniques together with higher-level constraints, the preliminary system restricted component interaction. Words with normalized acoustic scores that had a 95% or greater probability of being incorrect were flagged prior to being input to the MINDS-II analysis module.
Mobile learning in tomorrow ’ s education for MBA students

This paper reflects the MBA case study scenario strand of the MOBIlearn project in respect of the coming user trials and evaluations in autumn and winter 2004. It specifies the added value expected by integrating the MOBIlearn system into a traditional MBA course lecture. This paper tries to argue and give indications what kind of results might be gained from the user trials and its evaluations. All presented results in the framework of the project MOBILearn are financially funded by the Swiss Federal Office of Education and Science (BBW).
Passive remote sensing of tropospheric aerosol and atmospheric

The launch of ADEOS in August 1996 with POLDER, TOMS, and OCTS instruments on board and the future launch of EOS-AM 1 in mid-1998 with MODIS and MISR instruments on board start a new era in remote sensing of aerosol as part of a new remote sensing of the whole Earth system (see a list of the acronyms in the Notation section of the paper). These platforms will be followed by other international platforms with unique aerosol sensing capability, some still in this century (e.g., ENVISAT in 1999). These international spaceborne multispectral, multiangular, and polarization measurements, combined for the first time with international automatic, routine monitoring of aerosol from the ground, are expected to form a quantum leap in our ability to observe the highly variable global aerosol. This new capability is contrasted with present single-channel techniques for AVHRR, Meteosat, and GOES that although poorly calibrated and poorly characterized already generated important aerosol global maps and regional transport assessments. The new data will improve significantly atmospheric corrections for the aerosol effect on remote sensing of the oceans and be used to generate first real-time atmospheric corrections over the land. This special issue summarizes the science behind this change in remote sensing, and the sensitivity studies and applications of the new algorithms to data from present satellite and aircraft instruments. Background information and a summary of a critical discussion that took place in a workshop devoted to this topic is given in this introductory paper. In the discussion it was concluded that the anticipated remote sensing of aerosol simultaneously from several space platforms with different observation strategies, together with continuous validations around the world, is expected to be of significant importance to test remote sensing approaches to characterize the complex and highly variable aerosol field. So far, we have only partial understanding of the information content and accuracy of the radiative transfer inversion of aerosol information from the satellite data, due to lack of sufficient theoretical analysis and applications to proper field data. This limitation will make the anticipated new data even more interesting and challenging. A main concern is the present inadequate ability to sense aerosol absorption, from space or from the ground. Absorption is a critical parameter for climate studies and atmospheric corrections. Over oceans, main concerns are the effects of white caps and dust on the correction scheme. Future improvement in aerosol retrieval and atmospheric corrections will require better climatology of the aerosol properties and understanding of the effects of mixed composition and shape of the particles. The main ingredient missing in the planned remote sensing of aerosol are spaceborne and ground-based lidar observations of the aerosol profiles.
Variations on a Theme: An Analysis of Peer Involvement in Teacher Evaluation.

Calls to professionalize teaching turn on the ability of policy makers to increase peer involvement in the setting of professional standards for teachers and in the monitoring of individual practitioners. Yet few models of peer involvement in teacher evaluation exist at the elementary and secondary level. This study examines peer involvement in the summative evaluation of teachers in three school districts in an effort to explore critical issues in this underdeveloped field. This research is exploratory in nature. A qualitative methodology was employed to construct three case studies. Document inspection was combined with a semi-structured elite interview format to provide the data Data were collected and analyzed according to qualitative research guidelines discussed in Yin, (1984), and Miles and Huberman (1984). Three critical issues emerged. Extensive teacher involvement in both the design and the implementation of any peer evaluation system symbolizes teachers' professional status and secures commitment. Teacher involvement maximizes the sources of expertise within a district. Existing collegial relations among teachers must be seen as a starting point for planning peer involvement in the evaluation process. Districts must make stratecic decisions regarding the extent and form of peer involvement based on past experience. Blending bureaucratic and professional conceptions of authority and control within a school district is necessary if valid summative judgments are to result. Professional and bureaucratic controls can serve as a check and a balance that enables tLtchers to trust the validity of the personnel decisions that resul
Neutralization of KIT Oncogenic Signaling in Leukemia with Antibodies Targeting KIT Membrane Proximal Domain 5

KIT is a cell surface tyrosine kinase receptor whose ligand stem cell factor (SCF) triggers homodimerization and activation of downstream effector pathways involved in cell survival, proliferation, homing, or differentiation. KIT-activating mutations are major oncogenic drivers in subsets of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), in mast cell leukemia, and in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). The overexpression of SCF and/or wild-type (WT) KIT is also observed in a number of cancers, including 50% of AML and small cell lung cancer. The use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in these pathologies is, however, hampered by initial or acquired resistance following treatment. Using antibody phage display, we obtained two antibodies (2D1 and 3G1) specific for the most membrane proximal extracellular immunoglobulin domain (D5) of KIT, which is implicated in KIT homodimerization. Produced as single chain variable antibody fragments fused to the Fc fragment of a human IgG1, bivalent 2D1-Fc and 3G1-Fc inhibited KIT-dependent growth of leukemic cell lines expressing WT KIT (UT7/Epo) or constitutively active KIT mutants, including the TKI imatinib-resistant KIT D816V mutant (HMC1.2 cell line). In all models, either expressing WT KIT or mutated KIT, 2D1 and 3G1-Fc induced KIT internalization and sustained surface downregulation. However, interestingly, KIT degradation was only observed in leukemic cell lines with oncogenic KIT, a property likely to limit the toxicity of these antibodies in patients. These fully human antibody formats may represent therapeutic tools to target KIT signaling in leukemia or GIST, and to bypass TKI resistance of certain KIT mutants. Mol Cancer Ther; 14(11); 2595–605. ©2015 AACR.
A mobile follow-me cloud content caching model

With the increasing usage of mobile devices for traffic-heavy applications, mobile operators struggle for delivering good performance while, at the same time, optimizing resource consumption. By resorting to Information-Centric Networking and mobile cloud computing paradigms, mobile operators are able to tackle this challenge, simultaneously supporting more users and reducing operational costs. In this paper we propose a Mobile Follow-Me Cloud (M-FMC) model for enhancing the migration of content caches located at the edge of cloudified mobile networks, leveraging the benefits of such paradigms. This is achieved by accounting for content popularity and user mobility, optimizing systems' caches according to user interests and improving resource management. Evaluation results demonstrate that M-FMC model achieves more than 90% accuracy in real-time selection of content objects to be migrated between caches. This performance is reflected in higher cache-hit rates, therefore representing an improvement in content-access latency and overall bandwidth savings.