Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SEES: Concept and design of a smart environment explorer stick

Visually Impaired Person or People (VIP) need to improve both orientation and mobility capabilities in order to be able to walk autonomously and safely using a white stick (cane). However, the feedback provided by an enhanced white stick (smart stick) does not integrate assistance to orientation and walking functions. This paper proposes to fill this gap and outlines the SEES (Smart Environment Explorer Stick) an enhanced white cane which assists the VIP's navigation. The active multi-sensor context-awareness concept is adopted to be implemented in the SEES to help the VIP to move safely and easily in any places (indoor or outdoor). The first prototype of SEES (hardware and software) is presented in this paper.
A Molecular Marker for Thymocyte-Positive Selection: Selection of CD4 Single-Positive Thymocytes with Shorter TCRB CDR3 During T Cell Development1

The generation of the naive T cell repertoire is a direct result of maturation and selection events in the thymus. Although maturation events are judged predominantly on the expression of surface markers, molecular markers, more intimately involved in the selection process, can be informative. We have identified a molecular marker for selection in later stages of maturation in humans. Thymocytes are selected for the expression of TCR β-chains with shorter CDR3 at the double-positive to single-positive (SP) transition. Here we extend these studies to the mouse and show that the selection phenotype is not related to α-chain pairing but is a function of the MHC haplotype. Interestingly, the selection is much more apparent in CD4 SP thymocytes than in CD8 SP cells. This is in contrast to human thymocytes, where the selection is equally apparent in both lineages. The involvement of MHC in the process argues that this is a positive selection stage. The difference in the extent of this selection between the two SP lineages may indicate a class difference in the nature of the TCR-MHC interaction, the role of coreceptors in the selection process, or both.
Social norms, gender identity, and high-earning wives’ housework behavior in Japan: An identity economics framework

ABSTRACT This article takes an identity economics perspective to examine the housework behavior of Japanese wives of couples where both spouses work full-time, based on panel data from the Japanese Panel Survey of Consumers in 2000–2008. First, we show that Japanese wives are reluctant to reduce their housework time even when they out-earn their husbands. Second, there is no negative linear relationship between wives’ absolute income and the time they allocate to unpaid work. Last, we find no evidence that low-earning wives reduce their time spent on housework more rapidly than high-earning wives in Japan.
The SJTU 4K video sequence dataset

This short paper presents a set of 15 new 4K resolution ultra-high definition (UHD) video sequences for catering the requirement of active UHD video quality assessment algorithms in coming years, as well as help to fully evaluate coding efficiency of latest HEVC (High Efficient Video Coding). The details of processing procedures and sequences characteristics are illustrated.
The Jacob Zuma Rape Trial: Power and African National Congress (ANC) Masculinities

ly, the motivation for such action was clearly in the interest of preventing gender violence through highlighting the impact of archaic elements of the law. The organisations, through their intervention, were aiming to remedy certain deficiencies, which they correctly identified in the mode of prosecution and its failure to rebut the basis of Zuma’s defence. One cannot object to that. In fact, if it had been possible to strengthen the prosecution, to provide it with the type of skills and understandings that 14 Events surrounding the current trial of the Israeli president for rape and other forms of sexual abuse suggest a sense of entitlement amongst senior military men and others.
SIX: Proposing an Alternative Skewness Index

This paper studies the dynamics of risk-neutral skewness in the S&P 500 index (SPX) market. We use a state-preference pricing approach to develop a forwardlooking market symmetric index (SIX). SIX, as an ex ante risk-neutral measure, estimates how negatively skewed the SPX market return distribution is in the next 30 days. Using SPX options data from 1996 to 2013, we conduct a horse race between SIX and the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) SKEW index. We study the contemporaneous relationship between the daily change of risk-neutral volatility and skewness of the index return and find a negative relationship between the risk-neutral volatility and skewness, where the former is modelled by VIX and the latter by SIX. The opposite is found between VIX and SKEW. We investigate the predictability of these ex ante skewness measures on the one-day ahead SPX market returns. We show that only the daily change of SIX adds significant explanatory power on the one-day ahead return. The same is not found with SKEW. Furthermore, we find that SIX is a biased but ecient forecast of future physical skewness, while there is no statistically significant relationship for SKEW. Our results suggest that SIX is an important indicator of institutional anxiety regarding stock market uncertainty, and is a useful complement to the existing VIX index.
Optimal Corner Frequency in High-Pass Filtering of Strong Ground Motions and Its Effect on Seismic Intensity

ABSTRACT In this paper, an analytical scheme for the selection of the corner frequency of high-pass filters is proposed based on the minimization of the variations of three characteristic frequencies, which correlate with the energy content of the seismic waves at low frequencies. This goal is achieved via the evaluation of the degree of their sensitivity to the selection of the cut-off frequency based on criteria defined in terms of time integrals of the squared ground motions. The observations of the present study highlight the necessity of the consideration of the impact of high-pass filtering uncertainty in seismic analyses, and the possibilit y of the future use of theoretical models in the systematic processing of recorded ground motions.
Fault-effect analysis on system-level hardware modeling using virtual prototypes

Safety-critical systems-on-chip currently undergo extensive fault-effect analyses. To meet the safety requirements of ISO 26262, most frequently fault-injection campaigns are per- formed. Due to the exponentially growing fault-verification space, faster simulation possibilities than enabled by register transfer (RT) and gate-level (GL) models are under investigation. Fault injection on virtual prototypes (VPs) is one measure to speed up simulation. However, VPs require the injection of complex abstract faults to observe the same effects of, for example, single- bit fault injection into GL models. As a consequence, VPs often suffer from injection of incorrect faults (i.e., faults whose effects cannot be reproduced on the RT or gate levels). Therefore, we developed an efficient approach to verify or falsify failures detected with VP fault simulation. As a result, incorrect faults are discovered early in the development phase helping to improve the design of accurate safety mechanisms. Moreover, the exclusion of incorrect faults from fault-effect analyses further improves the accuracy and efficiency of fault-injection campaigns. The benefit of the presented method has been validated using a medium-size controller design.
Parental Education and Children’s Educational Access Over Time: Evidence from Six African Countries

This paper analyses the gap in educational access according to parental education over 10 year period using evidence from the Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) in six African countries (Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia). Each country contains two DHS datasets, separated by at least a decade. The study uses the model of “zones of exclusion” developed by the Consortium for Research on Educational Access, Transitions and Equity to operationalised educational access for children. Parental education is defined according to years of schooling. To investigate narrowing or widening in the gap in educational access according to parental education a probit model is used to estimate the likelihood that 15 to 19 years old children move out of the zones of exclusion and reach meaningful access. Three cohorts of parents and two cohorts of children are identified from our datasets. We estimated the slope of the relationship between parental education and children‟s educational access for all combinations of parent-children cohorts. Our results show a widening of the gap in Kenya, narrowing of the gap in Malawi and Uganda, and to a lesser extent in Nigeria and Zambia. In Tanzania there have been no changes in the gradient. Our methodology enables us to identify whether these changes are the result of the institutional educational system experienced by mothers, their children or a combination of these.
Does harboring hostility hurt? Associations between hostility and pulmonary function in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in (Young) Adults (CARDIA) study.

OBJECTIVE To examine the cross-sectional association between hostility and pulmonary function (PF) and its consistency across race/ethnicity-gender groups. DESIGN Data were from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in (Young) Adults (CARDIA) cohort study (N=4,629). Participants were recruited from 4 metropolitan areas in the United States, ages 18-30 years at baseline in 1985-1986, approximately balanced across race/ethnicity (Black, White) and gender. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Main outcome measures were percent predicted values for forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). RESULTS In full-sample multiple linear regression analyses, each 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in hostility was associated with a 0.66% decrease in FEV-sub-1 (p=.0002) and a 0.60% decrease in FVC (p=.0006). This inverse association of hostility with PF remained after controlling for age, height, current socioeconomic status (SES), participant smoking status, and asthma and is more consistent than that of smoking and PF. In stratified analyses, each 1 SD increase in hostility predicted statistically significant reductions in PF for Black women, White women, and Black men. For White men, hostility showed no statistically significant relation with PF, although the pattern relating hostility to PF was similar to the pattern in the other three groups. Further, both of the post hoc three-way interaction terms for hostility, race/ethnicity, and gender predicting FEV-sub-1 and FVC were nonsignificant. CONCLUSION PF was inversely associated with hostility across race/ethnicity and gender, independent of age, height, current SES, smoking, and asthma. On the basis of these cross-sectional findings, the authors hypothesize that higher hostility will predict a more rapid decline in PF.
A szövetkezeti vertikális integráció fejlődése az élelmiszer-gazdaságban [Development of vertical integration by cooperatives in the agri-food economy]

A szerző előszor a vertikalis koordinacio kulonboző valtozatait veszi sorra, majd pedig - elsősorban a tranzakcios koltsegek elmeletenek segitsegevel - elemzi az elelmiszer-gazdasagi szovetkezetek előnyeit, illetve kiemelkedő jelentőseget a vertikalis integracio szempontjabol. A masodik reszben pedig a hagyomanyos (piaci ellensulyozo erő tipusu) modellt hasonlitja ossze a szuletőben levő uj (vallalkozoi) szovetkezeti modellel, megvizsgalva, hogy milyen okok vezettek utobbi megjelenesere. A tanulmany vegen a szerző roviden kiter a szovetkezeti integracio magyarorszagi eselyeinek elemzesere.
Sarah : AN INFORMATION EXPLORATION AND VISUALIZATION INTERFACE FOR DIRECT MANIPULATION OF DATABASES

INTRODUCTION Generally, information exploration of databases is performed using query languages. Most query languages, such as Structured Query Language (SQL), are based on relational algebra or calculus. While relational algebra and calculus provide a powerful means to formulate and specify queries, their usage is an extremely tedious and complex task for computer users, especially for naive users. In addition, query languages are redundant in the sense that the same query may be expressed in many different ways. In fact, empirical research indicates a wide variation in response times in the implementation of different query languages. This research argues that providing a graphical visualization of the databases, queries, and search results empower users with the complex task of information exploration [1]. To provide graphical visualization, a new widget called dynamic slider (a multiple attributes presentation slider) is introduced. The dynamic slider enables the user to present multiple value ranges rather than a single or anchored value to minimum or maximum points.
The changing status of disease caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi in Victorian open forests, woodlands and heathlands

Permanent quadrats in open forest, woodland and heathland of the Grampians, the Brisbane Ranges and Wilson’s Promontory infested by Phytophthora cinnamomi have been studied and compared with nearby disease-free quadrats over a period of 20 to 30 years. Recent results from the infested quadrats have demonstrated both a decline in the mean percentage isolations of the pathogen from 100 to values between 16 to 43 % and a decline in its distribution, measured as the percentage of quadrats from which positive isolations were obtained, ranging from 100 to values between 40 and 50 % for each region. Co-incident with these declines in pathogen populations and distribution, regeneration of susceptible species and their continued survival have been recorded from the infested quadrats, even in the presence of the pathogen. Certain species have not regenerated, perhaps due to lack of available seed on the site. In some areas a small resurgence of disease has occurred from the incidence of new infections spread by zoospores in conducive conditions associated with unseasonal warm wet periods in the summer of 1995196.
Calibration, positioning and tracking in a refractive and reflective scene

We propose a framework for calibration, positioning and tracking in a scene viewed by multiple cameras, through a flat refractive surface and one or several flat reflective walls. Refractions are explicitly modeled by Snell's law and reflections are handled using virtual points. A novel bundle adjustment framework is introduced for solving the nonlinear equations of refractions and the linear equations of reflections, which in addition enables optimization for calibration and positioning. The numerical accuracy of the solutions is investigated on synthetic data, and the influence of noise in image points for several settings of refractive and reflective planes is presented. The performance of the framework is evaluated on real data and confirms the validity of the physical model. Examples of how to use the framework to back-project image coordinates, forward-project scene points and estimate the refractive and reflective planes are presented. Lastly, an application of the system on real data from a biological experiment on small aquatic organisms is presented.
Age-Related Changes in Upper Airway Anatomy Via Ultrasonography in Pediatric Patients

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Purpose Ultrasonography is a portable, noninvasive tool that may be used to evaluate the upper airway. The purpose of our study was to present a systematic approach to identify salient features of the pediatric airway and determine whether ultrasonography can identify anatomical changes that occur with growth and development. Methods We present a prospective, observational trial where patients included were between 1 day and 10 years of age presenting for elective surgery who had no known history of unfavorable airway pathology. We sequentially obtained 5 ultrasound views under anesthesia: (1) sagittal sternal notch view of the trachea, (2) sagittal longitudinal view of trachea (LT), (3) axial view at the level of the vocal cords (AVC), (4) axial view at the level of the cricoid membrane (AC), and (5) sagittal longitudinal submental space view (SM). A broadband linear array transducer was used to identify airway structures and perform measurements. Results Eighty-four percent of enrolled patients underwent airway imaging and were analyzed using multiple regression and Spearman correlation (ρ). In view 1, tracheal diameter via sagittal sternal notch view was immeasurable because of air disturbance. In the LT view, the distance from the skin to the cricothyroid membrane (LT1) did not statistically increase with age in days (P = 0.06); however, the distance from the cricoid to thyroid cartilage (LT2) did correlate to age (P < 0.001; 99% confidence interval [CI], 1.8 × 10−5, 7.7 × 10−5; ρ = 0.77, P = 0.001). We found a statistically significant relationship between age and the distance between the anterior and posterior commissures (AVC2; P < 0.001; 99% CI, 1.0 × 10–4, 1.7 × 10–4; ρ = 0.80, P < 0.001), the distance from the skin to the posterior commissure (AVC3; P < 0.001; 99% CI, 9.6 × 10−5, 2.0 × 10–4; ρ = 0.73, P < 0.001), the distance to the cricoid cartilage (AC; P < 0.001; 99% CI, 2.0 × 10−5, 7.7 × 10−5; ρ = 0.66, P < 0.001), and the distance from the tongue base to the soft palate (SM2; P < 0.001; 9% CI, 1.8 × 10–4, 3.9 × 10–4; ρ = 0.85, P < 0.001). There were no significant relationships between age and AVC1 (P = 0.16) and SM1 (P = 0.44). Conclusions Airway ultrasound is a feasible tool to evaluate the pediatric airway in children younger than 10 years; however, the detection of age-related changes of certain structures is limited to select measurements.
Frequent allelic loss and homozygous deletion in chromosome band 8p23 in oral cancer

Frequent loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 8p in a variety of human malignancies, including head and neck cancers, has suggested the presence of a tumor suppressor gene (or genes) associated with the pathogenesis of these cancers. To test the role of genetic alterations at 8p23 in oral carcinogenesis, we studied 51 squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck and 29 oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines for allelic loss using 7 microsatellite markers spanning approximately 5 cM of chromosome band 8p23. Twenty‐three of 51 tumors (45%) and 23 of 29 cell lines (79%) showed allelic loss at 1 or more loci. Three cell lines showed homozygous deletion of loci within a 3 cM region defined by the markers D8S1781 and D8S262. Our results suggest that a tumor suppressor gene (or genes) is located in 8p23 and is associated with the development and/or progression of oral carcinomas. Int. J. Cancer 80:25–31, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Piezoelectric periodically polled resonators for nonlinear-optical conversion of laser radiation

Dependence of the nonlinear-optical periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal temperature on laser power in the course of laser frequency conversion was measured using its piezoelectric resonances. Concept of the equivalent temperature of the crystal heated by laser radiation was used for precise measurement of PPLN temperature tuning curves.
Label-free molecular profiling for identification of biomarkers in carcinogenesis using multimodal multiphoton imaging.

Background Label-free molecular profiling, imaging, and analysis are of particular interest in cancer biology for detecting subtle biochemical changes during cancer progression and potentially during cancer treatment. Multimodal, multiphoton imaging that combines diverse molecular contrasts derived from different physical mechanisms can improve our understanding of the tumor microenvironment. Methods A label-free optical molecular profiling technique has been developed based on penta-modal multiphoton imaging to investigate mammary tumor progression in a pre-clinical rat model. Pulses from a coherent supercontinuum were tailored for two-photon (2PF) and three-photon fluorescence (3PF), second (SHG) and third harmonic generation (THG), and hyperspectral coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS)-based imaging. A graphic multiphoton molecular profiling model was constructed to intuitively combine the co-registered quantitative, chemical, functional, and structural tissue information, enabling longitudinal in situ biomolecular analysis. Results Over a 9-week period of tumor progression, and even before the formation of solid tumor, we observed lipid-protein transitions, microenvironmental reorganization, and a shift from FAD to NAD(P)H fluorescence, which reflects the reprogramming of cellular metabolism in carcinogenesis. Conclusions Multimodal multiphoton imaging reveals and interrelates diverse carcinogenic signatures, identifying biomarkers that could serve as early molecular indicators for breast cancer diagnosis. This quantitative multimodal imaging methodology for molecular profiling of associated cancer biomarkers may have a broader impact in fundamental cancer research and future clinical applications.
Kinetics of tRNA Folding Monitored by Aminoacylation

We describe a strategy for tracking Mg2+‐initiated folding of 32P‐labeled tRNA molecules to their native structures based on capacity for aminoacylation by the cognate aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetase enzyme. The approach directly links folding to function, paralleling a common strategy used to study the folding of catalytic RNAs. Incubation of unfolded tRNA with magnesium ions, followed by addition of tRNA synthetase and further incubation, yields a rapid burst of aminoacyl‐tRNA formation corresponding to the prefolded tRNA fraction. A subsequent slower increase in product formation monitors continued folding in the presence of enzyme. Further analysis reveals the presence of a parallel fraction of tRNA that folds more rapidly than the majority of the population. Application of the approach to study the influence of post‐transcriptional modifications in folding of E. coli tRNA1 Gln reveals that the modified bases increase the folding rate but do not affect either the equilibrium between properly folded and misfolded states or the apparent folding pathway. This assay allows the use of 32P‐labeled tRNA in integrated studies combining folding, post‐transcriptional processing and aminoacylation reactions. The assay also allows tracking folding of mitochondrial tRNAs, the native structures of many of which are poorly characterized.
Molecular Basis for the Susceptibility of Fibrin-bound Thrombin to Inactivation by Heparin Cofactor II in the Presence of Dermatan Sulfate but Not Heparin*

Although fibrin-bound thrombin is resistant to inactivation by heparin·antithrombin and heparin·heparin cofactor II complexes, indirect studies in plasma systems suggest that the dermatan sulfate·heparin cofactor II complex can inhibit fibrin-bound thrombin. Herein we demonstrate that fibrin monomer produces a 240-fold decrease in the heparin-catalyzed rate of thrombin inhibition by heparin cofactor II but reduces the dermatan sulfate-catalyzed rate only 3-fold. The protection of fibrin-bound thrombin from inhibition by heparin·heparin cofactor II reflects heparin-mediated bridging of thrombin to fibrin that results in the formation of a ternary heparin·thrombin·fibrin complex. This complex, formed as a result of three binary interactions (thrombin·fibrin, thrombin·heparin, and heparin·fibrin), limits accessibility of heparin-catalyzed inhibitors to thrombin and induces conformational changes at the active site of the enzyme. In contrast, dermatan sulfate binds to thrombin but does not bind to fibrin. Although a ternary dermatan sulfate· thrombin·fibrin complex forms, without dermatan sulfate-mediated bridging of thrombin to fibrin, only two binary interactions exist (thrombin·fibrin and thrombin· dermatan sulfate). Consequently, thrombin remains susceptible to inactivation by heparin cofactor II. This study explains why fibrin-bound thrombin is susceptible to inactivation by heparin cofactor II in the presence of dermatan sulfate but not heparin.