Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inertial-aided homography-based visual servo control of autonomous underwater vehicles without linear velocity measurements

An inertial-aided visual servo control approach for fully-actuated Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) without relying on linear velocity measurements is proposed. The homography obtained from corresponding images of a locally planar scene is directly exploited as feedback information. A cascade inner-outer loop control architecture is adopted that facilitates both control implementation and gain tuning procedures. Control robustness with respect to model uncertainties and external disturbances is reinforced using both high gain estimation and integrator techniques. Rigourous stability analysis and insightful discussions are provided throughout the paper. Finally, robustness and efficiency of the proposed approach are illustrated by simulation on a realistic AUV model.
Compete or cooperate in the creative industries? A quasi-experimental study with Dutch cultural and creative entrepreneurs

This exploratory study examines the relationship between cultural and creative entrepreneurs’ self-perceived creative and entrepreneurial competencies and their competitive and cooperative behaviour. The authors developed tailor-made survey scales and conducted a Prisoner’s Dilemma experiment with 45 cultural and creative entrepreneurs in the Netherlands. They found that both self-perceived absolute and relative creativity were associated with cooperation, yet in the reverse directions - that is, one’s self-perceived creative competencies positively related to cooperation, while self-perceived creative skills relative to other people’s creativity negatively affected cooperative behaviour. The former may suggest a sense of self-confidence that leads to a propensity to seek collaboration, while the latter may indicate a sense of superiority that eradicates any need or inclination to cooperate; self-perceived entrepreneurial competencies do not matter.
Do Small Bank Deposits Run More than Large Ones? Three Event Studies of Contagion and Financial Inclusion

How susceptible to contagion are bank deposits associated with financial inclusion? To shed light on this question, we analyze the behavior of deposits of different account sizes around three significant bank closures in the Philippines. When we look at the three events by applying difference-in-difference regressions to a dataset that distinguishes between small and large deposits at the town level, we find no evidence that the closure of a large bank leads to withdrawals by depositors at other banks nearby, whether the deposits are large or small. For two of the events, we do find some evidence that depositors, both large and small, anticipate that their bank is about to fail, and they start to withdraw before the bank is closed. With more comprehensive branch-level data for one of the events, we find that the bank closure does lead to reduced deposits at bank branches nearby. All this suggests that, while a bank failure can lead to contagion, the behavior of small depositors is no different from that of large depositors, and thus financial inclusion is unlikely to add to financial instability.
[New localizations in France of Phlebotomus ariasi, P. mascittii and Sergentomyia minuta (Diptera-Phlebotomidae)].

Au cours d'une enquete entomologique effectuee en juillet Aout 1983 dans le massif central les auteurs ont recolte 1212 phlebotomes appartenant aux especes suivantes. P.a. P. perniciosus, P. mascittii et S.M. Trois de ces especes ont ete capturees dans des departements ou leur presence n'avait pas encore ete celles effectuees par d'autres auteurs. Elles sont rassemblees dans des cartes
Designing "interacting places" for a student community using a communicative ecology approach

In the age of online social networks, local communities still play an essential role in supporting social cohesion. In this paper we present a study that explores the design of "interacting places" -- networked public multimedia services that foster community awareness between local members -- in the context of a student community. In order to have interacting places "fit in" with the existing communication practices of the students, we performed and analyzed a set of semi-structured interviews with n=17 students regarding their use of email, social networking services, and instant messaging to stay in touch with others. A follow-up online survey (n=76) then explored how networked public multimedia services could complement these practices. Following a "communicative ecology" approach -- a conceptual model that represents the technical, social, and discursive contexts of communication -- we draw up guidelines to support the design of both content and channels (applications) for interacting places in student communities.
Segment-Focused Shilling Attacks against Recommendation Algorithms in Binary Ratings-based Recommender Systems

As one of the most successful approaches to building recommender systems, collaborative filtering (CF) uses the known preferences of a group of users to make recommendations or predictions of the unknown preferences for other users. However, the open nature of collaborative filtering recommender systems allows attackers who inject biased profile data to have a significant impact on the recommendations produced. Shilling attacks against numeric ratings-based CF schemes have been extensively studied. To the best of our knowledge, there is rare study about how to attack binary ratings-based recommendation systems. Hence, shilling attacks strategies against binary ratings-based recommendation algorithms need to be further investigated. The empirical results obtained from Movielens dataset show that the segment attack, which is easy to mount, affects strongly against BU-CF algorithm and BI-CF algorithm, and the attack size and the filler size don’t have the same sensitivity in attack effect.
The influences on human longe v ity by HUMTHO 1 . STR polymorphism ( Tyrosine Hydroxylase gene ) A relati v e risk approach

A new method based on the recently developed relative risk approach is introduced, and applied to data from Italian centenarian study (965 subjects aged from 13 to 109 years old) for investigating influences on longevity by Tyrosine Hydroxylase (TH) gene variability. The strategic parameterization enables the model to disentangle the various ways by which HUMTHO1.STR alleles (alleles 6, 7, 8, 9, 10*, 10, as defined according to the number of repeats) may contribute in reducing or increasing the hazard of death with different patterns of influences. Among all the alleles, we have found that allele 10* (10 imperfect repeats) shows a remarkable dominant and beneficial effect that reduces the log hazard of death in an additive manner. The results confirm that HUMTHO1.STR polymorphism is involved in the modulation of human longevity. # 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
The MotA transcription factor from bacteriophage T4 contains a novel DNA‐binding domain: the ‘double wing’ motif

MotA is a transcription factor from bacteriophage T4 that helps adapt the host Escherichia coli transcription apparatus to T4 middle promoters. We have determined the crystal structure of the C‐terminal DNA‐binding domain of MotA (MotCF) to 1.6 Å resolution using multiwavelength, anomalous diffraction methods. The structure reveals a novel DNA‐binding α/β motif that contains an exposed β‐sheet surface that mediates interactions with the DNA. Independent biochemical experiments have shown that MotCF binds to one surface of a single turn of DNA through interactions in adjacent major and minor grooves. We present a model of the interaction in which β‐ribbons at opposite corners of the six‐stranded β‐sheet pen‐etrate the DNA grooves, and call the motif a ‘double wing’ to emphasize similarities to the ‘winged‐helix’ motif. The model is consistent with data on how MotA functions at middle promoters, and provides an explanation for why MotA can form non‐specific multimers on DNA.
Reproducing concurrency failures from crash stacks

Reproducing field failures is the first essential step for understanding, localizing and removing faults. Reproducing concurrency field failures is hard due to the need of synthesizing a test code jointly with a thread interleaving that induce the failure in the presence of limited information from the field. Current techniques for reproducing concurrency failures focus on identifying failure-inducing interleavings, leaving largely open the problem of synthesizing the test code that manifests such interleavings. In this paper, we present ConCrash, a technique to automatically generate test codes that reproduce concurrency failures that violate thread-safety from crash stacks, which commonly summarize the conditions of field failures. ConCrash efficiently explores the huge space of possible test codes to identify a failure-inducing one by using a suitable set of search pruning strategies. Combined with existing techniques for exploring interleavings, ConCrash automatically reproduces a given concurrency failure that violates the thread-safety of a class by identifying both a failure-inducing test code and corresponding interleaving. In the paper, we define the ConCrash approach, present a prototype implementation of ConCrash, and discuss the experimental results that we obtained on a known set of ten field failures that witness the effectiveness of the approach.
The potential to narrow uncertainty in projections of stratospheric ozone over the 21st century

Future stratospheric ozone concentrations will be determined both by changes in the concentration of ozone depleting substances (ODSs) and by changes in stratospheric and tropospheric climate, including those caused by changes in anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs). Since future economic development pathways and resultant emissions of GHGs are uncertain, anthropogenic climate change could be a significant source of uncertainty for future projections of stratospheric ozone. In this pilot study, using an "ensemble of opportunity" of chemistry-climate model (CCM) simulations, the contribution of scenario uncertainty from different plausible emissions pathways for ODSs and GHGs to future ozone projections is quantified relative to the contribution from model uncertainty and internal variability of the chemistry-climate system. For both the global, annual mean ozone concentration and for ozone in specific geographical regions, differences between CCMs are the dominant source of uncertainty for the first two-thirds of the 21st century, up-to and after the time when ozone concentrations return to 1980 values. In the last third of the 21st century, dependent upon the set of greenhouse gas scenarios used, scenario uncertainty can be the dominant contributor. This result suggests that investment in chemistry-climate modelling is likely to continue to refine projections of stratospheric ozone and estimates of the return of stratospheric ozone concentrations to pre-1980 levels.
Mapping the conflict of raptor conservation and recreational shooting in the Batumi Bottleneck, Republic of Georgia

Illegal use of natural resources threatens biodiversity and often leads to conservation conflicts between affected parties. Such a conflict is emerging in the Batumi Bottleneck in the Republic of Georgia, where every autumn more than one million migrating birds of prey funnel above a handful of villages, and where thousands of these birds fall victim to illegal shooting. As a first step towards resolving this conflict, utilizing semi-structured interviews, we map the goals and opinions of relevant stakeholders associated with raptor migration in the bottleneck. Our results show that most stakeholders, except some local hunters, are on common ground considering the shooting unacceptable, but articulate different preferences concerning a solution, which hinged on institutional and enforcement issues. The hunters expressed a wide spectrum of responses concerning their involvement and motivation in raptor shooting, the role and importance of hunting in their lives, and preferred mitigation actions. The most urgent issues to be addressed via conservation actions are the wide-scale lack of awareness of the conflict, the potential loss of species, and the risk of conflict escalation.
Process based archival descriptions - organizational and process challenges

Purpose – The paper presents the implementation and classification of archival records according to business processes, a new field with many organizational and archival challenges. The purpose of the paper is to map the current situation, challenges, problems and topics for further investigation.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a wide benchmark study on information management in governmental agencies, municipalities and regions/country councils in Sweden.Findings – There are many general similarities with process projects regarding management initiatives and roles. There is also a need for alignment between the business organizations, the business processes, and the archival descriptions. Unresolved issues occur in modeling, e.g. from whose perspective should the processes be described and on which level is the mapping useful. The business organizations require detail in order to analyze flaws improvements, while archivists ask for a static “frozen” description at higher levels. This may contradict the purpose of the archive – to provide useful information for the unknown future user.Originality/value – Process based archival descriptions is a new field that broadens business process management. Projects are starting in several countries with challenges in the interaction between the business organizations and the archivists.
Functional and biochemical interaction of the HTLV‐I Tax1 transactivator with TBP.

The human T‐cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV‐I) codes for the potent transcriptional activator, Tax1, which induces the enhancer activity of various enhancer elements. In the case of the 21 bp enhancer of the HTLV‐I provirus, this induction is correlated with the association of Tax1 with this DNA element via a specific cellular factor. That the indirect association of Tax1 with DNA can lead to transcriptional activation has also been supported by the study of chimeric GAL4‐Tax1 proteins. The GAL4‐Tax1 stimulatory effect exhibits a strong self‐squelching. In order to determine whether Tax1 interacts directly with the general transcription factors or via intermediary molecules, we have analyzed how overexpression of the TATA binding protein (TBP) and TFIIB protein affects the squelching curve of GAL4‐Tax1. The data presented here show that overexpression of TBP strongly increases the stimulatory effect of GAL4‐Tax1, causes a displacement of the maximum of the squelching curve and partially alleviates the squelching. Under similar conditions TFIIB exhibited little effect. From these results we conclude that Tax1 can increase the recruitment of TBP by directly interacting with this protein. Biochemical experiments with purified proteins produced in bacteria confirmed that Tax1 can interact with TBP but not with TFIIB. Tax1 interacts with the conserved C‐terminal part of TBP. Analysis of the ability of different mutants of Tax1 fused to the GAL4 DNA binding domain to activate transcription and to associate with TBP, showed that these activities are correlated. However, since one transcriptionally inactive mutant was able to interact efficiently with TBP in vitro, it would appear that an event other than the Tax1‐TBP contact also intervenes in the activation of transcription by Tax1.
On the coexistence of primary and secondary users in spectrum-sharing broadcast channels

In this paper, we consider a broadcast channel in spectrum-sharing networks, where the base station schedules licensed primary users (PUs) and cognitive secondary users (SUs) simultaneously. Based on such a framework, we present a transmission strategy in the light of dirty paper coding. In order to promise the PUs' quality of service (QoS) in the broadcasting, the base station chooses codewords for the users by taking into account that the codewords pertaining to SUs can be pre-subtracted from those pertaining to PUs as if there were no interference from the secondary's data to the primary's data. For the purpose of performance evaluation, by taking capacity behavior and bit error rate (BER) as metrics, we study the achievable data rate regions for both types of users with the introduced design, and analyze the BER performance in corresponding systems implemented with hierarchical modulation. Numerical results substantiate that with flexible management of the spectrum resources, our proposed scheme provides more communication opportunities for SUs while maintaining PUs' QoS at an acceptable level.
Stability and Hopf Bifurcation in a HIV-1 System with Multitime Delays

In this paper, we propose a mathematical model for HIV-1 infection with three time delays. The model examines a viral-therapy for controlling infections by using an engineered virus to selectively eliminate infected cells. In our model, three time delays represent the latent period of pathogen virus, pathogen virus production period and recombinant (genetically modified) virus production period, respectively. Detailed theoretical analysis have demonstrated that the values of three delays can affect the stability of equilibrium solutions, can also lead to Hopf bifurcation and oscillated solutions of the system. Moreover, we give the conditions for the existence of stable positive equilibrium solution and Hopf bifurcation. Further, the properties of Hopf bifurcation are discussed. These theoretical results indicate that the delays play an important role in determining the dynamic behavior quantitatively. Therefore, it is a fact that delays are very important, which should not be missed in controlling HIV-1 infections.
Effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on platelet count in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND There is a debate in the recent literature about the effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on platelet count in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). In order to clarify this controversial issue, we performed a systematic review with meta-analysis of the available literature. METHODS The meta-analytic comparison was focused on the difference in the platelet count increase between the experimental arm (H. pylori-infected patients who responded to eradication therapy) and each control arm (H. pylori-infected patients who failed to respond to eradication therapy; H. pylori-infected patients who did not receive eradication therapy and H. pylori-negative patients) and was expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD). Moreover, in order to explain the heterogeneity, a meta-regression model was fitted with arm-level covariates. RESULTS Data involving 788 ITP patients were collected from 17 articles (16 studies with a prospective cohort design and 1 randomized trial). There was a statistically significant difference in the increase in platelet count in patients in whom eradication was successful compared with control groups [WMD, 40.77x10(9)/L (95% CI, 20.92-60.63) compared with untreated patients; 52.16 (95% CI, 34.26-70.05) compared with patients who failed eradication and 46.35 (95% CI, 27.79-64.91) compared with H. pylori-negative patients]. Moreover, in the meta-regression model, the success of H. pylori eradication was highly significant as an explanatory variable for platelet count increase. CONCLUSIONS Our analysis shows a strict correlation between H. pylori eradication and increase in platelet count. However, due to intrinsic limits in the design of the studies analysed, further evidence from randomized clinical trials is required to confirm the effect of eradication treatment on platelet count.
A Fuzzy Complementary Criterion for structure learning of a neuro-fuzzy classifier

In this paper, the use of a Fuzzy Complementary Criterion (FuzCoC) for structure learning of a neuro-fuzzy classifier arranged in layers is proposed. The FuzCoC has been recently proposed as an effective criterion for feature selection. Simulation results in a large number of benchmark problems revealed the capability of this method in selecting small subsets of powerful and complementary features even in high dimensional feature sets. In this paper, the FuzCoC method is used not only to reduce the dimensions of the original feature space, but also to identify complementary generic fuzzy neuron classifiers (FNCs) arranged in layers. The chosen generic classifiers are then combined using a decision fusion operator to construct a descendant FNC at the next layer with enhanced classification capabilities. The proposed structure learning algorithm is a modified version of the Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH) algorithm which incorporates the FuzCoC method simultaneous as a pre-feature selection method and as a method to identify complementary generic classifiers to be combined in the next layer. Simulation results demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed method in building accurate neuro-fuzzy classifiers with reduced computational demands.
Information Technology Skills and Labor Market Outcomes for Workers

Job erosion is a major concern globally, especially given the COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment and low wages remain pressing societal challenges in the wake of increased automation, more so for traditionally disadvantaged groups in the labor market, such as women, minorities, and the elderly. However, workers who possess relevant information technology (IT) skills may have an edge in an increasingly digital economy. In this study, we examine the role of IT skills in labor market outcomes for workers, using a household IT use survey from an emerging economy that captures detailed, individual-level data on IT skills, which are also integrated with data on workers’ wages, occupations, and industries between 2007 and 2015. The results indicate that basic IT skills increase individuals’ employment probability, which is driven by both higher labor force participation and a higher probability of transitioning from unemployment to employment, after accounting for the decision to participate in the workforce. Advanced IT skills do not provide a significant incremental effect on employment probability on top of basic IT skills. However, having advanced IT skills helps workers to earn higher wages while incrementally increasing the probability that they are employed in higher-paid jobs. Interestingly, the effect of basic IT skills on employment is significantly larger for the female and older workforce that typically has a higher preference for flexible work options. These results emphasize the importance of providing necessary IT access and offering basic IT training to traditionally disadvantaged groups to close the IT skills gap and the digital divide. We offer implications for the future of work, education, and public policy for designing IT training policies for workers, students, and organizations to stimulate employment with higher wages, particularly in developing economies and for traditionally disadvantaged segments of the workforce, such as women and the elderly, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.