Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Special Neuraminidase Stalk-Motif Responsible for Increased Virulence and Pathogenesis of H5N1 Influenza A Virus

The variation of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus results in gradually increased virulence in poultry, and human cases continue to accumulate. The neuraminidase (NA) stalk region of influenza virus varies considerably and may associate with its virulence. The NA stalk region of all N1 subtype influenza A viruses can be divided into six different stalk-motifs, H5N1/2004-like (NA-wt), WSN-like, H5N1/97-like, PR/8-like, H7N1/99-like and H5N1/96-like. The NA-wt is a special NA stalk-motif which was first observed in H5N1 influenza virus in 2000, with a 20-amino acid deletion in the 49th to 68th positions of the stalk region. Here we show that there is a gradual increase of the special NA stalk-motif in H5N1 isolates from 2000 to 2007, and notably, the special stalk-motif is observed in all 173 H5N1 human isolates from 2004 to 2007. The recombinant H5N1 virus with the special stalk-motif possesses the highest virulence and pathogenicity in chicken and mice, while the recombinant viruses with the other stalk-motifs display attenuated phenotype. This indicates that the special stalk-motif has contributed to the high virulence and pathogenicity of H5N1 isolates since 2000. The gradually increasing emergence of the special NA stalk-motif in H5N1 isolates, especially in human isolates, deserves attention by all.
GPS/DR Error Estimation for Autonomous Vehicle Localization

Autonomous vehicles require highly reliable navigation capabilities. For example, a lane-following method cannot be applied in an intersection without lanes, and since typical lane detection is performed using a straight-line model, errors can occur when the lateral distance is estimated in curved sections due to a model mismatch. Therefore, this paper proposes a localization method that uses GPS/DR error estimation based on a lane detection method with curved lane models, stop line detection, and curve matching in order to improve the performance during waypoint following procedures. The advantage of using the proposed method is that position information can be provided for autonomous driving through intersections, in sections with sharp curves, and in curved sections following a straight section. The proposed method was applied in autonomous vehicles at an experimental site to evaluate its performance, and the results indicate that the positioning achieved accuracy at the sub-meter level.
Packet-level attestation (PLA): A framework for in-network sensor data reliability

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) show enormous potential for collection and analysis of physical data in real-time. Many papers have proposed methods for improving the network reliability of WSNs. However, real WSN deployments show that sensor data-faults are very common. Several server-side data reliability techniques have been proposed to detect these faults and impute missing or erroneous data. Typically, these techniques reduce the lifetime of the network due to redundant data transmission, increase latency, and are computation and storage intensive. Herein, we propose Packet-Level Attestation (PLA), a novel framework for sensor data reliability assessment. It exploits the spatial correlation of data sensed at nearby sensors. The method does not incur additional transmission of control message between source and sink; instead, a verifier node sends a validation certificate as part of the regular data packet. PLA was implemented in TinyOS on TelosB motes and its performances was assessed. Simulations were performed to determine its scalability. It incurs only an overhead of 1.45% in terms of packets transmitted. Fault detection precision of the framework varied from 100% to 99.48%. Comparisons with existing methods for data reliability analysis showed a significant reduction in data transmission, prolonging the network lifetime.
Constructing Web Service Flows with Reusable Aspects

Although there can be some value in accessing a single Web service, the greater value is derived from assembling Web services into more powerful composite Web services. Web service flows are composite Web services based on process. The Web service flows specified by current specifications are static that can not dynamically adapt themselves to often changing business environment and have the problem of code scattering and tangling relating to crosscutting concerns that cut across the process boundaries. In this paper, we apply AOP concept to support the dynamic adaptation of Web service flows. We give our approach for describing aspect as extension to BPEL, considering how to reuse the definition of an advice that maybe has different type at different pointcuts. And we present an approach for verifying the correctness of the web service flows weaved with aspects before they are deployed.
ESyPred 3 D : Prediction of proteins 3 D structures

Motivation: Homology or comparative modeling is currently the most accurate method to predict the threedimensional structure of proteins. It generally consists in four steps: (1) databanks searching to identify the structural homolog, (2) target–template alignment, (3) model building and optimization, and (4) model evaluation. The target–template alignment step is generally accepted as the most critical step in homology modeling. Results: We present here ESyPred3D, a new automated homology modeling program. The method gets benefit of the increased alignment performances of a new alignment strategy. Alignments are obtained by combining, weighting and screening the results of several multiple alignment programs. The final three-dimensional structure is build using the modeling package MODELLER. ESyPred3D was tested on 13 targets in the CASP4 experiment (Critical Assessment of Techniques for Proteins Structural Prediction). Our alignment strategy obtains better results compared to PSI-BLAST alignments and ESyPred3D alignments are among the most accurate compared to those of participants having used the same template. Availability: ESyPred3D is available through its web site at http://www.fundp.ac.be/urbm/bioinfo/esypred/. Contact: christophe.lambert@fundp.ac.be; http://www. fundp.ac.be/∼lambertc
Spinal and supraspinal adaptations associated with balance training and their functional relevance

Traditionally, balance training has been used to rehabilitate ankle injuries and postural deficits. Prospective studies have shown preventive effects with respect to ankle and knee joint injuries. Presently, balance training is not only applied for rehabilitation and prevention but also for improving motor performance, especially muscle power. The recent application of noninvasive electrophysiological and brain imaging techniques revealed insights into the central control of posture and the adaptations induced by balance training. This information is important for our understanding of the basic control and adaptation mechanisms and to conceptualize appropriate training programmes for athletes, elderly people and patients. The present review presents neurophysiological adaptations induced by balance training and their influence on motor behaviour. It emphasizes the plasticity of the sensorimotor system, particularly the spinal and supraspinal structures. The relevance of balance training is highlighted with respect to athletic performance, postural control within elderly people as well as injury prevention and rehabilitation.
Anxiety and Intergroup Bias: Terror Management or Coalitional Psychology?

Contemplation of death increases support of ingroup ideologies, a result explained by proponents of terror management theory (TMT) as an attempt to buffer existential anxiety. While TMT claims that only death-salient stimuli yield such effects, an evolutionary perspective suggests that increased intergroup bias may occur in response to a wide variety of situations that, in ancestral environments, posed adaptive problems for which marshaling social support was a reliably adaptive response. Four experiments from two cultures produced results consistent with this latter perspective but contrary to TMT. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated that, among UCLA undergraduates, participants asked to contemplate aversive scenarios unrelated to death displayed increased support of ingroup ideology. Studies 3 and 4 replicated elements of these results, exploring the moderating effects of self-esteem and collectivism on intergroup bias in two Costa Rican samples. These results indicate that worldview defense effects occur even when death is not salient.
Development of a Framework for the Online Portaion of a Hybrid Engineering Course

The paper describes the development of a research-based framework that can be used to design the online component of a hybrid engineering course. This framework was tested in an undergraduate course entitled Construction Equipment and Heavy Construction Methods. The multimedia design decisions are grounded on evidence-based findings from cognitive theories and experimental evaluation studies. Instructional design decisions are matched with course objectives and supportive findings from the literature review. The online component is designed as a series of interactive modules that teach students how to solve engineering problems with definitive answers. Each module is a stand-alone unit that can be used as preparation for the onsite portion of the class, after the student has completed reading the related chapter in the text book. The modules are used to prepare students for solving open-ended questions in a face to face part of the course. Also, the module can serve as a study guide for review purposes. In the modules, students view the video demonstrations of how to solve problems and then practice problem solving step by step with verification (correct/incorrect) and explanatory program feedback presented for each step. The pilot development of the modules with six participants was conducted, and a plan for the refinement of the modules design was laid out. The educational design research methodology was used, which not only targets the problem of designing an online component for this specific course, but at the same time seeks new knowledge that can inform the work of others facing similar problems. The lessons learned from this experience and the future directions that the authors intend to take are presented in this paper.
Beliefs, Values and Attitudes of Portuguese Population and their Relationship with Human and Social Capital

Studying economic values and beliefs and their relationship with attitudes and behavior has been common in most social sciences throughout the world, at least since the 1960s. However, Portugal remained very much outside this research program and, contrary to the majority of European countries or the United States, it still lacks a coherent an integrative research on economic values, beliefs and behaviors. On the other hand, the existing data (European and World Value Surveys, Eurobarometer or the Portuguese Statistics Institute) only offers a partial view of the individual’s relationship with the economic system, namely consumer confidence or general ideas of trust. The studies already developed on this subject are normally restricted to the association of economic values and beliefs with socio-demographic characteristics, failing to include both the analysis of behaviors and the impact all these variables may have on economic performance indicators. The current study is intended as a first step towards a deeper comprehension of these phenomena.
Collective Learning in Global Diffusion: Spreading Quality Standards in a Developing Country Cluster

This research analyzes how foreign organizational practices diffuse among indigenous enterprises in a developing economy. It highlights the collective knowledge-building process as central for understanding diffusion. Based on a longitudinal case study of a cluster of dairy producers in Nicaragua, a representative low-income country, it looks at cross-border diffusion in conditions that differ significantly from advanced economies. The current literature that highlights institutional pressures driving global spread of practices has limits for capturing a significant dynamic caused by increased integration of markets and production. By focusing on production organization and practices in a late developing context, this paper explains the intertwined process of spreading new standards and changing existing local practices by elaborating the relationship among building collective capabilities, learning, and standards diffusion. This study enriches current views on institutional effects and adds to the practice-based literature, as well as to the work on developing economy firms in organizational research.
Want Freedom, Will Travel: Emigrant Self-Selection According to Institutional Quality

We investigate emigrant self-selection according to institutional quality using up to 3566 observations on bilateral migration flows from 77 countries over the 1990–2000 period. We relate these flows to differences in political and economic institutions. We improve and expand upon previous studies by (i) examining decade-long migration flows that (ii) include flows not only to OECD countries but also to non-OECD countries, also (iii) utilizing an estimation method that takes into account the information in zero value migration flows and (iv) examining not only total migration flows but also college-educated and non-college-educated subsamples separately. We find that economic freedoms are a significant pull factor for potential migrants. Once economic freedoms are controlled for, measures of political institutions do not always enter significantly into our estimations. Results are similar for college- and non-college-educated subsamples. Improvements in legal systems and property rights appear to be the strongest pull factor for potential migrants.
Performance Analysis of Human Action Recognition System between Static k-Means and Non-Static k-Means

: In this paper, the human actions are classified in skeleton data from Kinect sensor based on joint distance features. To raise the accuracy rate of postures analysis, the proposed system uses the static k-means algorithm that it takes the static initial K centroids at the first estimates instead of using the non-static (traditional) k-means that it takes the randomized starting centroids at all time. Further, to improve the performance and accuracy, artificial neural network (ANN) is applied to label the classes of the human poses and discrete Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is also used to correctly recognize the human actions based on the sequence of known poses. Experiments with two different datasets (public dataset UTKinect and New dataset) show that the proposed approach produces good performance results and accuracy rate from the action class models.
A Major Secreted Elastase Is Essential for Pathogenicity of Aeromonas hydrophila

ABSTRACT Aeromonas hydrophila is an opportunistic pathogen and the leading cause of fatal hemorrhagic septicemia in rainbow trout. A gene encoding an elastolytic activity, ahyB, was cloned from Aeromonas hydrophila AG2 into pUC18 and expressed inEscherichia coli and in the nonproteolytic speciesAeromonas salmonicida subsp. masoucida. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the ahyB gene revealed an open reading frame of 1,764 nucleotides with coding capacity for a 588-amino-acid protein with a molecular weight of 62,728. The first 13 N-terminal amino acids of the purified protease completely match those deduced from DNA sequence starting at AAG (Lys-184). This finding indicated that AhyB is synthesized as a preproprotein with a 19-amino-acid signal peptide, a 164-amino-acid N-terminal propeptide, and a 405-amino-acid intermediate which is further processed into a mature protease and a C-terminal propeptide. The protease hydrolyzed casein and elastin and showed a high sequence similarity to other metalloproteases, especially with the mature form of thePseudomonas aeruginosa elastase (52% identity),Helicobacter pylori zinc metalloprotease (61% identity), or proteases from several species of Vibrio (52 to 53% identity). The gene ahyB was insertionally inactivated, and the construct was used to create an isogenic ahyB mutant ofA. hydrophila. These first reports of a defined mutation in an extracellular protease of A. hydrophila demonstrate an important role in pathogenesis.
Survey of Pedagogical Knowledge and Satisfaction Index among Teachers at Sekolah Rendah Islam Ibnu ‘Abbas

The aim of this study was to look at the understanding of pedagogical knowledge, job satisfaction among primary school teachers of Sekolah Rendah Islam Ibnu Abbas Kuantan. To achieve this, the perception and practice of pedagogical knowledge of teachers were identified. A total of 19 teachers at the school were involved as respondents in this study. Data were collected through a questionnaire consisting of 41 items of Likert scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The result of this study shows that teachers have the knowledge, skills and application of good pedagogical knowledge. Nevertheless, for the method or approach during teaching and learning, teachers still did not planned carefully before teaching and learning takes place. Teachers show lack of clarification of objectives as well as perform demonstration to the students when it was required. In terms of jobs satisfaction, number of teachers mentioned they were concerns of the support from the employer, especially financial support, and basic amenities. Thus, it is expected that the findings of this study can be used as a process to carry out improvements to the school and the administration in maintaining the quality and reputation of all parties.
Wound Healing of KTP and Argon Laser Lesions in the Canine Nasal Cavity

The potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) and argon lasers are increasingly used in nasal and sinus surgery. Histologic effects of these lasers on living nasal tissue have not been investigated. Sixteen dogs underwent laser nasal surgery (eight for each laser). Flexible fiberoptic quartz fibers were used with both lasers to deliver the laser energy to the tissue. The dogs were allowed to heal and then underwent biopsy at 3, 7, 21, and 90 days postoperatively. The argon and KTP lasers had similar tissue effects. Histologically, a thin rim of coagulation necrosis and acute inflammation were seen at 3 days postoperatively. By 7 days, fibroblasts and granulation tissue were observed. At 21 days, fibroblast proliferation and re-epithelialization with respiratory epithelium were the predominant findings. Finally, at 90 days postoperatively, respiratory epithelium and submucosal structures were found overlying a plug of scar filling the defect in the septal cartilage. This healing was consistent through a wide range of energy densities. These lasers are easily used with sinus endoscopes and the operating microscope to allow access to difficult areas. These factors and the wound-healing characteristics noted in this study would seem to make them suited for use in rhinologic surgery.
Distributed Ontological Encoding Through Symbol Recirculation

In this work, we investigated an existing technique that obtains distributed representations of hierarchical semantic networks via symbol recirculation [6]. We are interested in symbol recirculation as a viable method for incorporating hierarchical knowledge into existing machine learning methods. In this paper, we will discuss our reimplementation of the symbol recirculation algorithm and analyze its behavior, learning capacity and robustness using a real life ontology such as WordNet.
Databases and ontologies PDZBase : a protein – protein interaction database for PDZ-domains

Summary: PDZBase is a database that aims to contain all known PDZ-domain-mediated protein–protein interactions. Currently, PDZBase contains approximately 300 such interactions, which have been manually extracted from >200 articles. The database can be queried through both sequence motif and keyword-based searches, and the sequences of interacting proteins can be visually inspected through alignments (for the comparison of several interactions), or as residuebased diagrams including schematic secondary structure information (for individual complexes). Availability: http://icb.med.cornell.edu/services/pdz/start. Contact: pdzbase@med.cornell.edu.
Word order variation and comprehensiveness of centre embedding ( evidence from Ukrainian )

(evidence from Ukrainian) Bogdan Babych Finding appropriate models and representation formalisms for word order variation is often essential for the development of accurate parsers, especially for languages with a large degree of such variation, like most of the Slavic languages. In this paper we examine different word order types, in particular – the direct and unconfigurational word order (that have computational complexity of context-free languages), and the unprojective word order (which is computationally more complex and is used mainly in spontaneous speech and poetry, but is also present in 17-century baroque-style chronicles). A representation framework based on isomorphic transformations of constituent system trees is proposed for different word order types. Further this framework is used for an analysis of comprehensiveness of centre-embedded constructs. It is suggested that up to 3 (or sometimes 4) levels of centre embedding can be still comprehensible, which agrees with V.Yngve's depth hypothesis. Examples of incomprehensible sentences with 1 and 2 levels of centre embedding of subordinate clauses (of the type "*The rat the cat the dog chased bit ate the cheese") – are shown to have incoherent morphological features in their phrase structure. Comprehensiveness of such sentences is distorted by the incoherence in feature structures, but it is not directly related to the number of levels of centre embedding in them.
The Impact of Consumer Knowledge/Familiarity with Private Label Brands (PLBs) and Store Image on Perceptions and Preferences toward PLBs and Patronage Intentions: Case of Midscale Department Store PLBs

This study examines the impact of consumer knowledge and familiarity with private label brands (PLBs) on perceptions and preferences toward PLBs and patronage intentions; in addition, it examines the incremental effects of a department store image over consumer knowledge and familiarity with perceptions, preferences, and patronage intentions. This study focused on midscale department store PLBs of apparel products and middle age consumers between the ages of 30 and 50 who are the main consumer group of private label brands of apparel products. A structured questionnaire was developed and data were collected from a convenience sample of 257 female consumers between the ages of 35 and 54, living in the Southeastern United States. A factor analysis identified the dimensions of department store image constructs; in addition, a hierarchical regression and multiple regression analyses examined the hypotheses. Consumer knowledge and familiarity with PLBs at department stores is recognized as a major determinant to shape consumer perceptions of and preferences for the PLBs as well as patronage intentions. The present study reveals the significant incremental effect of a store image on consumer preferences, perceptions, and patronage intentions beyond that explained by consumer knowledge and familiarity about PLBs. The study reveals that, among four store image constructs, the store atmosphere and store service factors had significant positive effects on consumer perceptions of PLBs. Store service and atmospheric aspects also affect consumer patronage intentions toward PLBs. The price factor shows a significant and positive influence on the preference consumers have for PLBs, but not on perceptions and patronage intentions. This study has practical implications for department store executives and managers on how to allocate resources in order to increase positive consumer perceptions toward PLBs, preferences over other brands, and patronage intentions of PLBs at a store as well as how to create effective store environments to promote PLBs.