Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Entrepreneurship and self-employment for people with disabilities

Disability impacts a large number of people and affects a wide range of socioeconomic outcomes, including labour market participation. Towards supporting the active participation of people with disabilities in society and the economy, this paper aims to explore the role of disability entrepreneurship and self-employment. There is some international evidence that targeted inclusive entrepreneurship initiatives such as training and support programmes can be effective to assist disabled people to participate in self-employment activities. This study is the first to examine this phenomenon in Australia. We explore self-employment activity among disabled people, theoretical underpinnings, provide benefits and challenges of entrepreneurship for people with disabilities, and propose policy recommendations. Overall, this relatively unexplored issue of national priority requires additional empirical research, enabling policy, and decision makers to make informed decisions to enhance labour market participation through entrepreneurship and self-employment.
Superpixel-Based Disocclusion Filling in Depth Image Based Rendering

We present a new super pixel-based spatio-temporal disocclusion filling algorithm for view synthesis in Depth Image Based Rendering. When rendering new views from a single video-plus-depth sequence, background regions get exposed in the virtual view that are occluded in the video stream. To fill these regions we propose to use texture information that is found both in the current and in temporally neighboring frames. Instead of using a patch-based search for texture to fill the holes, we propose a new super pixel-based filling method that exploits the property of super pixels being more meaningful sub-entities of an image than simple square patches. We present experiments with both real and synthetic sequences to evaluate our proposed method.
Enhancement of the Structural Stability of Full-Length Clostridial Collagenase by Calcium Ions

ABSTRACT The clostridial collagenases G and H are multidomain proteins. For collagen digestion, the domain arrangement is likely to play an important role in collagen binding and hydrolysis. In this study, the full-length collagenase H protein from Clostridium histolyticum was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The N-terminal amino acid of the purified protein was Ala31. The expressed protein showed enzymatic activity against azocoll as a substrate. To investigate the role of Ca2+ in providing structural stability to the full-length collagenase H, biophysical measurements were conducted using the recombinant protein. Size exclusion chromatography revealed that the Ca2+ chelation by EGTA induced interdomain conformational changes. Dynamic light scattering measurements showed an increase in the percent polydispersity as the Ca2+ was chelated, suggesting an increase in protein flexibility. In addition to these conformational changes, differential scanning fluorimetry measurements revealed that the thermostability was decreased by Ca2+ chelation, in comparison with the thermal melting point (Tm ). The melting point changed from 54 to 49°C by the Ca2+ chelation, and it was restored to 54°C by the addition of excess Ca2+. These results indicated that the interdomain flexibility and the domain arrangement of full-length collagenase H are reversibly regulated by Ca2+.
Lectin‐binding sites in clear cell acanthoma

Lectin‐binding sites in clear cell acanthoma (CCA) were studied using an avidin‐biotin complex (ABC) with 9 lectins. Formaldehyde‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded sections of 7 CCA lesions were employed. Positive stainings, similar to those seen in normal epidermis, were observed on the cell surface in CCA with Ricinus communis agglutinin I (RCA‐I), Ricinus communis agglutinin II (RCA‐II), and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). Reduced reactivities were observed with Concanavalin A (ConA) and peanut agglutinin (PNA) in CCA. In some areas of CCA lesions, faint stainings were seen with Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEA‐I). Capability of staining with soybean agglutinin (SBA) was completely lost in the lesions. With Bandeiraea simplicifolia agglutinin II (BSA‐II), cytoplasmic stain was seen in a part of upper and spinous layers in CCA lesions. Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA) did not bind to either CCA or normal epidermis. These results indicate that the lectin‐binding sites of proliferating cells of CCA resemble those of epidermal keratinocytes and suggest that CCA is a tumor of epidermal origin.
Impact of central facial palsy and dysarthria on quality of life in patients with stroke: The KOSCO study.

BACKGROUND There are a few reports on the impact of central facial palsy and dysarthria on quality of life (QOL) in stroke patients. OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of central facial palsy on QOL compared with dysarthria during the chronic phase in patients with first-ever strokes. METHODS This study represents an interim analysis of the Korean Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation study. We selected data from patients with functional independence of 0 or 1 by the modified Rankin Scale at 6 months after stroke onset, who showed an impairment only in National Institute of Health Stroke Scale items 4 (facial palsy) or 10 (dysarthria). Assessments included the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) and the Geriatric depression scale-short form (GDS-SF). RESULTS Data from 149 patients were selected for this analysis from 3,929 patients who were followed up at 6 months. Thirty-nine and 110 patients were classified into the facial palsy and dysarthria groups, respectively. The groups did not differ significantly in baseline characteristics or functional assessments. EQ-5D was significantly lower in the facial palsy group than in the dysarthria group at 6 months after stroke (p = 0.036). GDS-SF was significantly higher in the facial palsy group than in the dysarthria group (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS The results of this study revealed that central facial palsy clearly has a more negative impact on QOL than dysarthria in chronic stroke patients with functional independence.
A multi-objective covariance matrix adaptation evolutionary strategy based on decomposition for analog circuit design

Sound localization has been utilized in many fields. For good performance, sound signal obtained from the microphone has to be well filtered and amplified. Although filtering and amplification can be implemented in digital, analog circuit is needed because of sampling aliasing problem and limitation of computational resources in real-time application. The analog circuit consists of several components. Because all of possible combinations cannot be investigated, evolutionary algorithm (EA) is chosen to find promising solution candidates. In the paper, we built a multi-objective covariance adaptation evolutionary strategy based on decomposition to obtain the component values. Through the experimental results, our proposed algorithm showed good performance.
Clinical and laboratory features of 103 patients from 42 Italian families with inherited thrombocytopenia derived from the monoallelic Ala156Val mutation of GPIbα (Bolzano mutation)

Background Bernard-Soulier syndrome is a very rare form of inherited thrombocytopenia that derives from mutations in GPIbα, GPIbβ, or GPIX and is typically inherited as a recessive disease. However, some years ago it was shown that the monoallelic c.515C>T transition in the GPIBA gene (Bolzano mutation) was responsible for macrothrombocytopenia in a few Italian patients. Design and Methods Over the past 10 years, we have searched for the Bolzano mutation in all subjects referred to our institutions because of an autosomal, dominant form of thrombocytopenia of unknown origin. Results We identified 42 new Italian families (103 cases) with a thrombocytopenia induced by monoallelic Bolzano mutation. Analyses of the geographic origin of affected pedigrees and haplotypes indicated that this mutation originated in southern Italy. Although the clinical expression was variable, patients with this mutation typically had a mild form of Bernard-Soulier syndrome with mild thrombocytopenia and bleeding tendency. The most indicative laboratory findings were enlarged platelets and reduced GPIb/IX/V platelet expression; in vitro platelet aggregation was normal in nearly all of the cases. Conclusions Our study indicates that monoallelic Bolzano mutation is the most frequent cause of inherited thrombocytopenia in Italy, affecting 20% of patients recruited at our institutions during the last 10 years. Because many people from southern Italy have emigrated during the last century, this mutation may have spread to other countries.
Teaching Cultural Heritage using Mobile Augmented Reality

The relationship between augmented reality, mobile learning, gamification and non-formal education methods provide a great potential. The AR-CIMUVE Augmented Reality for the Walled Cities of the Veneto is an original project in collaboration with Italia Nostra and other associations which deal with transmitting our cultural heritage and which teach primary and middle school children the cultural and historical importance of the Veneto’s and the surrounding territories’ walled cities. In this learning experience students will explore how our environment has developed across the ages using the mobile devices with the technical back-up of the AR App. This will allow them to see maps, examine data, 3D models and will enable them to judge and improve their skills. From a pedagogical and educational point of view the emphasis is on a constructivist social-cultural approach which helps students to become active citizens more aware of their historical identity.
Effects of exogenous xylanase on performance, nutrient digestibility and caecal thermal profiles of broilers given wheat-based diets

1. Five dietary treatments were used in a 49 d broiler trial to assess the effect of xylanase on performance, nutrient digestibility and thermal profiles of the caeca and head. Treatments included an industry-standard control diet and four further diets where xylanase was introduced with or without a metabolisable energy density dilution either from day one or the introduction was delayed until d 28. 2. The addition of xylanase with no associated energy dilution from day one resulted in the most consistent beneficial effects on performance, with significant improvements in weight gain compared with the industry-standard to d 28 and at d 49. Addition of xylanase from d 28 (with no energy dilution) was the second most successful strategy and resulted in a significant improvement in feed conversion ratio (FCR) from d 29 to 49 and overall. 3. Addition of xylanase improved ileal digestible energy values at d 28 by around 0.35 MJ/kg and ileal nitrogen digestibility coefficients by around 3%. On d 49 xylanase improved ileal digestible energy values by around 0.9 MJ/kg and ileal nitrogen digestibility coefficients by around 4.6%. 4. Thermal imaging of the head and caeca of three birds per replicate on d 49 revealed a significant increase in caecal surface temperature following xylanase addition with no effect on head temperature profile. These increases were particularly large (around 1.4ºC, or 3.9%) when xylanase was added from day one with no corresponding energy dilution in feed formulation. 5. It can be concluded that supplemental xylanase is effective in improving performance and nutrient digestibility in broilers given wheat-based diets. The correlation between the magnitude of this effect and the increased temperature in the caeca presents additional evidence that the hind-gut microflora may play an important, if yet unquantified, role in the outworking of these mechanisms.
Parallel processing cell score design of linear gap penalty smith-waterman algorithm

In this paper, the optimize computational processing element for linear smith-waterman algorithm cell score based on the parallel computational approach is introduced. Two bits optimized comparator block were used to compare the DNA sequence characters, while the computation block was used to complete computation towards reducing the numbers of components involved. The complete architecture is designed and developed in Altera Quartus II version 13.0 and targeted to Altera Cyclone IV EP4CE115 Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). In realizing the important of the logic functionality of the design, the modular design approach has been adapted to this design. The simulation over the module and complete architecture were used for validating the design against the expected result. Finally, the result obtained from the study indicates that the optimized computational processing element design for linear smith-waterman algorithm cell score based on the parallel computational approach is feasible to be implemented in the DNA sequence alignment as the processing element.
Biased MMSE soft-output detection based on Jacobi method in massive MIMO

Massive (or large-scale) multi-input multi-output (MIMO) is a promising means to improve the energy efficiency, spectral efficiency and throughput. However, the complexity of the detection increases exponentially with the scale of MIMO system. In this paper, we propose a biased minimum mean-square error (MMSE) detection based on the Jacobi iterative method (JIM) to reduce the complexity of the massive MIMO detector. The proposed biased MMSE detection can provide the post-equalized signal-to-interference-and-noise-ratio (SINR) without iterative processing. Besides, if the Gray-mapping is used, the computational complexity of the bit-wise LLR will be reduced significantly. The simulation shows that the proposed detection method can achieve a better performance/complexity trade-offs than the existing detection methods.
Shifting the Beveridge Curve: What Affects Labor Market Matching?

This paper explores conditions and policies that could affect the matching between labor demand and supply. We identify shifts in the Beveridge curves for 12 OECD countries between 2000Q1 and 2013Q4 using three complementary methodologies and analyze the short-run determinants of these shifts by means of limited-dependent variable models. We find that labor force growth as well as employment protection legislation reduce the likelihood of an outward shift in the Beveridge curve,. Our findings also show that the matching process is more difficult the higher the share of employees with intermediate levels of education in the labor force and when long-term unemployment is more pronounced. Policies which could facilitate labor market matching include active labor market policies, such as incentives for start-up and job sharing programs. Passive labor market policies, such as unemployment benefits, as well as labor taxation render matching signficantly more difficult.
Haplotype Evolution and Linkage Disequilibrium: A Simulation Study

We simulated the evolution of a three-site haplotype system, two restriction fragment length polymorphisms flanking one short tandem repeat polymorphism, under five different demographic scenarios, three with constant population size and two with population growth. The simulation was designed to observe the effects of population history, recombination fraction, and mutation rate on allele and haplotype frequencies, haplotype diversity, frequency of ancestral alleles, and linkage disequilibrium. The known ancestral haplotypes were often found at low frequencies and even became extinct after 5,000 generations, especially with small effective population sizes. The original linkage disequilibrium was eroded and even reversed.
Syringyl lignin biosynthesis is directly regulated by a secondary cell wall master switch

Lignin is a major component of plant secondary cell walls and is derived from p-hydroxyphenyl (H), guaiacyl (G), and syringyl (S) monolignols. Among higher plants, S lignin is generally considered to be restricted to angiosperms, which contain the S lignin-specific cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase, ferulic acid/coniferaldehyde/coniferyl alcohol 5-hydoxylase (F5H). The transcription factor MYB58 directly regulates expression of monolignol pathway genes except for F5H. Here we show that F5H expression is directly regulated by the secondary cell wall master switch NST1/SND1, which is known to regulate expression of MYB58. Deletion of NST1 expression in Medicago truncatula leads to a loss of S lignin associated with a more than 25-fold reduction of F5H expression but only around a 2-fold reduction in expression of other lignin pathway genes. A detailed phylogenetic analysis showed that gymnosperms lack both F5H and orthologs of NST1/SND1. We propose that both F5H and NST1 appeared at a similar time after the divergence of angiosperms and gymnosperms, with F5H possibly originating as a component of a defense mechanism that was recruited to cell wall biosynthesis through the evolution of NST1-binding elements in its promoter.
Performance analysis of orthogonal space-time block codes in spatially correlated MIMO Nakagami fading channels

Orthogonal space-time block coding (STBC) is an open-loop transmit diversity scheme that decouples the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel, thereby reducing the space-time decoding into a scalar detection process. This characteristic of STBC makes it a powerful tool, achieving full diversity over MIMO fading channels, and requiring little computational cost for both the encoding and decoding processes. In this paper, we exploit the single-input single-output equivalency of STBC in order to analyze its performance over nonselective Nakagami fading channels in the presence of spatial fading correlation. More specifically, we derive exact closed-form expressions for the outage probability and ergodic capacity of STBC, when the latter is employed over spatially correlated MIMO Nakagami fading channels. Moreover, we derive the exact symbol error probability of coherent M-PSK and M-QAM, when these modulation schemes are used along with STBC over such fading channels. The derived formulae are then used to assess the robustness of STBC to spatial correlation by considering general MIMO correlation models and analyzing their effects on the outage probability, ergodic capacity, and symbol error probability achieved by STBC.
Coordinated charging of plug-in electric vehicles in unbalanced three-phase residential networks with smart three-phase charger

The penetration levels of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) is expected to rapidly increase within the next few years due to global trend of energy saving and environmental protection. It is well-known that uncoordinated charging of PEVs in residential distribution feeders will have significant negative impacts on grid performances causing increased losses, poor voltage regulations, network congestion and overloading of distribution transformers. Furthermore, the forthcoming smart grids will be unbalanced due to non-uniform distributions of DGs such as rooftop PVs as well as PEVs in the three phases with unpredictable charging rates, times and durations. This paper explores the detrimental impacts of random PEV charging on the distribution transformer loading and bus voltage profiles of an unbalanced smart grid. A decentralized three-phase PEV charging strategy is introduced which is capable of switching vehicle charging between the three phases based on the network data provided by the smart meters. Simulation results will be generated and analyzed for an unbalanced three-phase 62 node residential network populated with PEV chargers using Matlab/Simulink software.
Differences in Genotypes of Helicobacter pylori from Different Human Populations

ABSTRACT DNA motifs at several informative loci in more than 500 strains ofHelicobacter pylori from five continents were studied by PCR and sequencing to gain insights into the evolution of this gastric pathogen. Five types of deletion, insertion, and substitution motifs were found at the right end of the H. pylori cagpathogenicity island. Of the three most common motifs, type I predominated in Spaniards, native Peruvians, and Guatemalan Ladinos (mixed Amerindian-European ancestry) and also in native Africans and U.S. residents; type II predominated among Japanese and Chinese; and type III predominated in Indians from Calcutta. Sequences in the cagA gene and in vacAm1 type alleles of the vacuolating cytotoxin gene (vacA) of strains from native Peruvians were also more like those from Spaniards than those from Asians. These indications of relatedness of Latin American and Spanish strains, despite the closer genetic relatedness of Amerindian and Asian people themselves, lead us to suggest that H. pylori may have been brought to the New World by European conquerors and colonists about 500 years ago. This thinking, in turn, suggests that H. pylori infection might have become widespread in people quite recently in human evolution.
Modeling, stability analysis and active stabilization of multiple DC-microgrid clusters

DC microgrids (MGs), as an alternative option, have attracted increasing interest in recent years due to many potential advantages as compare to the ac system. Stability of these systems can be an important issue under high penetration of load converters which behaves as constant power loads (CPLs), and more especially during interconnection with other MGs, creating dc MG clusters. This paper develops a small signal model for dc MGs from the control point of view, in order to study stability analysis and investigate effects of CPLs and line impedances between the MGs on stability of these systems. This model can be also used to synthesis and study dynamics of control loops in dc MGs and also dc MG clusters. An active stabilization method is proposed to be implemented as a dc active power filter (APF) inside the MGs in order to not only increase damping of dc MGs at the presence of CPLs but also to improve their stability while connecting to the other MGs. Simulation results are provided to evaluate the developed models and demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed active stabilization technique.
Emerging drugs for ocular hypertension

Introduction: Glaucoma is a prevalent ocular disease with characteristic optic disc and visual field changes. Globally, it is the second most common cause of visual disability, and the most common cause of irreversible and preventable blindness. Ocular hypertension (OH) occurs where intraocular pressure elevation occurs in the absence of glaucomatous disc and visual field changes. OH is a strong risk factor for glaucoma. Ocular hypotensive medications are the mainstay of glaucoma and OH treatment, and their use modifies the course of the disease by preventing onset and progression of damage. Areas covered: Prostaglandin analogs, β-blockers, α-agonists, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and parasympathomimetics are available in our glaucoma armamentarium and are reviewed. Novel agents have evolved as our understanding of the complex mechanisms involved in aqueous humor production and obstacles to aqueous outflow increases. Potential future candidates appear to act on enhancing trabecular meshwork outflow: the Rho-kinase inhibitors, ion-channel modulators and chelating agents. Further work is needed on other promising agents: serotonergics, melatonins, cannabinoids, adenosine agonists, components of the actomyosin system, nucleotide analogs and gene silencing. Methods to improve side effect profiles or efficacy of currently available therapies are also being developed. As glaucoma treatment adherence is poor, novel drug delivery methods might address this challenge. Expert opinion: Although there are good intraocular pressure-lowering medications available, novel mechanisms and drug delivery modes may provide more effective glaucoma control in future.