Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fatty acid profile of different species of algae of the Cystoseira genus: a nutraceutical perspective

The fatty acid (FA) composition of six macroalgae from the Cystoseira genus, namely Cystoseira compressa, Cystoseira humilis, Cystoseira tamariscifolia, Cystoseira nodicaulis, Cystoseira baccata and Cystoseira barbata, was determined. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) corresponded to 29–46% of the total FA detected. C. compressa, C. tamariscifolia and C. nodicaulis stood out for their low PUFA/saturated fatty acid, low n-6 PUFA/n-3 PUFA ratios as well as favourable unsaturation, atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indices, suggesting a high nutritional value with potential applications in the nutraceutical industry.
Generalized Linear Models for Insurance Data

This is the only book actuaries need to understand generalized linear models (GLMs) for insurance applications. GLMs are used in the insurance industry to support critical decisions. Until now, no text has introduced GLMs in this context or addressed the problems specific to insurance data. Using insurance data sets, this practical, rigorous book treats GLMs, covers all standard exponential family distributions, extends the methodology to correlated data structures, and discusses recent developments which go beyond the GLM. The issues in the book are specific to insurance data, such as model selection in the presence of large data sets and the handling of varying exposure times. Exercises and data-based practicals help readers to consolidate their skills, with solutions and data sets given on the companion website. Although the book is package-independent, SAS code and output examples feature in an appendix and on the website. In addition, R code and output for all the examples are provided on the website.
A new washable low-cost garment for everyday fall detection

In this paper, a new garment for automatic fall detection and alert is presented for the first time. It includes a washable pullover with integrated acceleration sensors, evaluation and control electronics. The system measures the accelerations at the torso and on the arms in three directions in space. The fall detection is based on recognizing, by means of the sensors, the posture and abnormal acceleration magnitudes usually associated to a fall. The alarm as well as the movement information is sent via a wireless radio link. A fall will be detected within the pullover's electronics. The fall detection system was tested on ten volunteers. The daily life movements are also stored on a memory card. The latter can be read in on a PC. Thanks to an optimized production process, the system can be affordably reproduced in low volume productions and can be adjusted for any usage. The power supply of the system is realized with rechargeable batteries.
Role of c-Met/Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3k)/Akt Signaling in Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF)-mediated Lamellipodia Formation, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Generation, and Motility of Lung Endothelial Cells*

Background: Lamellipodia structures provide a platform for the spatio-temporal localization of key components necessary for cell migration. Results: HGF activates c-Met/PI3k/Akt signaling axis, which is essential for the recruitment of actin, cortactin, p47phox, and Rac1and ROS production in lamellipodia. Conclusion: HGF-induced spatio-temporal localization of cytoskeletal proteins and NADPH oxidase components regulate lamellipodial ROS and cell migration. Significance: This study identifies a novel role for lamellipodial ROS in cell motility. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) mediated signaling promotes cell proliferation and migration in a variety of cell types and plays a key role in tumorigenesis. As cell migration is important to angiogenesis, we characterized HGF-mediated effects on the formation of lamellipodia, a pre-requisite for migration using human lung microvascular endothelial cells (HLMVECs). HGF, in a dose-dependent manner, induced c-Met phosphorylation (Tyr-1234/1235, Tyr-1349, Ser-985, Tyr-1003, and Tyr-1313), activation of PI3k (phospho-Yp85) and Akt (phospho-Thr-308 and phospho-Ser-473) and potentiated lamellipodia formation and HLMVEC migration. Inhibition of c-Met kinase by SU11274 significantly attenuated c-Met, PI3k, and Akt phosphorylation, suppressed lamellipodia formation and endothelial cell migration. LY294002, an inhibitor of PI3k, abolished HGF-induced PI3k (Tyr-458), and Akt (Thr-308 and Ser-473) phosphorylation and suppressed lamellipodia formation. Furthermore, HGF stimulated p47phox/Cortactin/Rac1 translocation to lamellipodia and ROS generation. Moreover, inhibition of c-Met/PI3k/Akt signaling axis and NADPH oxidase attenuated HGF- induced lamellipodia formation, ROS generation and cell migration. Ex vivo experiments with mouse aortic rings revealed a role for c-Met signaling in HGF-induced sprouting and lamellipodia formation. Taken together, these data provide evidence in support of a significant role for HGF-induced c-Met/PI3k/Akt signaling and NADPH oxidase activation in lamellipodia formation and motility of lung endothelial cells.
Extraction of Implied Default Probabilitiesand Expected Recovery Values from a Combinationof Bond Prices and CDS Spreads

This article proposes an intuitively simple technique of inferring a term structure of implied default probabilities and a term structure of expected recovery values from a combination of market bond prices and credit default swap spreads. Credit risk for longer maturities can not only be characterized by higher implied default probabilities but also be associated with downward revisions in the expected recovery value. Allowing for a non-flat recovery value term structure along with varying implied default probabilities across different periods can be a useful relaxation of the restriction of a constant recovery rate that is typical to the existing studies on credit risk modeling. We demonstrate that a term structure of recovery values can be separately identified along with the term structure of implied default probabilities through the information contained in the term structure of bond prices and the term structure of credit default swaps with corresponding maturities. Solutions to a set of numerical examples are provided that can be replicated independently. The combination of implied default probabilities and expected recovery values provides a set of valuable tools to value a range of credit claims for which historical default and recovery rates are not readily available.
The amino‐terminal region of an imported mitochondrial precursor polypeptide can direct cytoplasmic dihydrofolate reductase into the mitochondrial matrix.

Subunit IV of yeast cytochrome c oxidase is encoded by a nuclear gene, synthesized in the cytosol as a precursor with a transient amino‐terminal extension of 25 amino acids, and imported into the mitochondria. By gene fusion, we have attached the amino‐terminal 53 amino acids of the subunit IV precursor to the amino terminus of the mouse cytosolic enzyme dihydrofolate reductase. When the resulting fusion protein was synthesized in a transcription‐translation system and then incubated with energized yeast mitochondria, it was imported into the mitochondrial matrix space and processed to a shorter form by the chelator‐sensitive matrix protease. No evidence was obtained that the fusion protein became stuck across one of the two mitochondrial membranes. Thus, a non‐mitochondrial protein can be transported into the mitochondrial matrix if it is fitted with a mitochondrial targeting sequence.
The Rubber Hand Illusion in a Patient with Hand Disownership

A 78-year-old patient with a right hemispheric sensorimotor ischemic stroke suffered from problems in ownership of her left arm (somatoparaphrenia). After recovering from motor weakness, however, body ownership problems remained present. To assess whether disturbed feelings of ownership coincided with an enhanced or diminished susceptibility for gaining ownership over a foreign hand, we applied the ‘Rubber Hand Illusion’ (RHI) to the ipsi- and contralesional hand. The RHI was significantly stronger for the contralesional left arm than for the right arm. In addition, solely visual exposure to the left rubber hand was sufficient to elicit strong feelings of ownership over the rubber hand. These findings suggest that disturbances in the feeling of body ownership allow a foreign hand to be incorporated more easily.
PHD filter for multi-target tracking by variational Bayesian approximation

In this paper, we address the problem of multi-target tracking with unknown measurement noise variance parameters by the probability hypothesis density (PHD) filter. Based on the concept of conjugate prior distributions for noise statistics, the inverse-Gamma distributions are employed to describe the dynamics of the noise variance parameters and a novel implementation to the PHD recursion is developed by representing the predicted and the posterior intensities as mixtures of Gaussian-inverse-Gamma terms. As the target state and the noise variance parameters are coupled in the likelihood functions, the variational Bayesian approximation approach is applied so that the posterior is derived in the same form as the prior and the resulting algorithm is recursive. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed filter.
The debt of heroism : an initial test of the legacy attained by social transaction (last) model

Rhetoric surrounding heroes suggests their contributions create a sense of indebtedness and that they deserve to be awarded a legacy for such contributions. Utilizing a novel theoretical framework, coined the legacy attainment by social transaction (LAST) model, these claims are submitted to empirical scrutiny. The question concerning heroes’ potential to elicit indebtedness and efforts to clear such debt are explored via three studies. Study 1 examines whether heroic contributions that are unrepaid result in greater tolerance of a transgression. Study 2 examines whether thinking about a hero and being led to feel indebted to them prompts repayment via a legacy, and whether such indebtedness has negative consequences for self-esteem and negative affect. Finally, Study 3 examines whether heroic contributions that are unrepaid promote a greater recall of information pertaining to the hero, potentially facilitating their legacy.
Gender difference in flow-induced dilation and regulation of shear stress : role of estrogen and nitric oxide

Huang, An, Dong Sun, Akos Koller, and Gabor Kaley. Gender difference in flow-induced dilation and regulation of shear stress: role of estrogen and nitric oxide. Am. J. Physiol. 275 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 44): R1571– R1577, 1998. —Previous studies show that agonist-induced, nitric oxide (NO)-mediated arteriolar dilations are greater in female than in male rats. Thus we hypothesized that flowdependent arteriolar dilation, which is in part mediated by NO, is also greater in females than in males. Gracilis muscle arterioles from 12-wk-old female and male Wistar rats were isolated, cannulated, and pressurized. At 80 mmHg of perfusion pressure, the active diameter and passive diameter (PD) of arterioles of female and male rats were 58.3 6 3.4 and 53.2 6 2.6 μm as well as 103.6 6 4.0 and 115.3 6 4.8 μm, respectively. Dilations to step increases in perfusate flow from 0 to 25 μl/min were significantly greater in arterioles of female rats and ovariectomized rats with estrogen replacement (OVE) than in male and ovariectomized female (OV) rats (98.6 6 0.6 and 97.4 6 1.1% vs. 72.6 6 3.3 and 72.5 6 3.6% of PD at 25 μl/min). Calculation of wall shear stress (WSS) revealed that the maintained WSS was significantly lower in arterioles of female than in those of male rats (,20 vs. ,35 dyn/cm2). After indomethacin pretreatment, Nv-nitroL-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 1024 M) eliminated flowdependent dilation in arterioles of male and OV rats but only attenuated (by ,50%) the responses in arterioles of female and OVE rats. In vessels of these latter two groups of rats, the remaining flow-induced dilation was completely eliminated by administration of 1025 M Hb or 1023 M L-NAME. The greater flow/shear stress-induced dilation of arterioles of female rats indicates a gender difference in the regulation of WSS, which is likely to be due to the greater release of NO in female vessels requiring the chronic presence of estrogen. These findings suggest an important role for estrogen in the regulation of peripheral resistance in females.
Influence of perinatal risk factors on the involution of the irido-pupillary membrane

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of common perinatal risk factors on the disappearance of the anterior vascular capsule of the lens (AVCL). Direct ophthalmologic examinations were performed on 75 neonates (27 to 35 weeks gestational age) in the first 24 hours after birth, using the degree of involution of the AVCL to estimate gestational age in high risk pregnancy. Our results show that the gradual disappearance of the AVCL is not influenced by perinatal risk factors, such as maternal preeclampsia, prenatal administration of steroids, neonatal infection and low birth weight, confirming the clinical value of this test in the assessment of gestational age in high risk babies.
FPGA Design for Timing Yield Under Process Variations

Yield loss due to timing failures results in diminished returns for field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and is aggravated under increased process variations in scaled technologies. The uncertainty in the critical delay of a circuit under process variations exists because the delay of each logic element in the circuit is no longer deterministic. Traditionally, FPGAs have been designed to manage process variations through speed binning, which works well for inter-die variations, but not for intra-die variations resulting in reduced timing yield for FPGAs. FPGAs present a unique challenge because of their programmability and unknown end user application. In this paper, a novel architecture and computer-aided design co-design technique is proposed to improve the timing yield. Experimental results indicate that the use of proposed design technique can achieve timing yield improvement of up to 68%.
Speech-Language Outcomes of Hemispherectomy in Children and Young Adults

Children and young adults who had undergone right or left hemispherectomy for intractable seizures after a period of normal language acquisition were compared with respect to scores on speech and language tests. The majority of the subjects had full scale IQs in the borderline to mentally retarded range. Language scores were computed in relation to estimated mental age, not chronological age. On this basis, the left hemispherectomized children were more likely to show syntactic comprehension and rapid-rate auditory processing deficits than the right hemispherectomized. The two groups were similar to one another and to normal children in speech production. The findings are discussed in relation to developmental language disorders.
The Definitive Abundance of Interstellar Oxygen

Using the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope, we have obtained high signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio echelle observations of the weak interstellar O I λ1356 absorption toward the stars γ Cas, ϵ Per, δ Ori, ϵ Ori, 15 Mon, τ CMa, and γ Ara. In combination with previous GHRS measurements in six other sight lines (ζ Per, ξ Per, λ Ori, < Ori, κ Ori, and ζ Oph), these new observations yield a mean interstellar gas-phase oxygen abundance (per 106 H atoms) of 106 O/H = 319 ± 14. The largest deviation from the mean is less than 18%, and there are no statistically significant variations in the measured O abundances from sight line to sight line and no evidence of density-dependent oxygen depletion from the gas phase. Assuming various mixtures of silicates and oxides, the abundance of interstellar oxygen tied up in dust grains is unlikely to surpass 106 O/H ≈ 180. Consequently, the GHRS observations imply that the total abundance of interstellar oxygen (gas plus grains) is homogeneous in the vicinity of the Sun and about two-thirds of the solar value of 106 O/H = 741 ± 130. This oxygen deficit is consistent with that observed in nearby B stars and similar to that recently found for interstellar krypton with GHRS. Possible explanations for this deficit include: (1) early solar system enrichment by a local supernova, (2) a recent infall of metal-poor gas in the local Milky Way, or (3) an outward diffusion of the Sun from a smaller Galactocentric distance.
The pH of the digestive vacuole of Plasmodium falciparum is not associated with chloroquine resistance

Chloroquine resistance in the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, arises from decreased accumulation of the drug in the `digestive vacuole' of the parasite, an acidic compartment in which chloroquine exerts its primary toxic effect. It has been proposed that changes in the pH of the digestive vacuole might underlie the decreased accumulation of chloroquine by chloroquine-resistant parasites. In this study we have investigated the digestive vacuole pH of a chloroquine-sensitive and a chloroquine-resistant strain of P. falciparum, using a range of dextran-linked pH-sensitive fluorescent dyes. The estimated digestive vacuole pH varied with the concentration and pKa of the dye, ranging from ∼3.7-6.5. However, at low dye concentrations the estimated digestive vacuole pH of both the chloroquine-resistant and chloroquine-sensitive strains converged in the range 4.5-4.9. The results suggest that there is no significant difference in digestive vacuole pH of chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant parasites, and that digestive vacuole pH does not play a primary role in chloroquine resistance.
Drp1 Mediates Caspase-Independent Type III Cell Death in Normal and Leukemic Cells

ABSTRACT Ligation of CD47 triggers caspase-independent programmed cell death (PCD) in normal and leukemic cells. Here, we characterize the morphological and biochemical features of this type of death and show that it displays the hallmarks of type III PCD. A molecular and biochemical approach has led us to identify a key mediator of this type of death, dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1). CD47 ligation induces Drp1 translocation from cytosol to mitochondria, a process controlled by chymotrypsin-like serine proteases. Once in mitochondria, Drp1 provokes an impairment of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, which results in dissipation of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, reactive oxygen species generation, and a drop in ATP levels. Surprisingly, neither the activation of the most representative proapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family, such as Bax or Bak, nor the release of apoptogenic proteins AIF (apoptosis-inducing factor), cytochrome c, endonuclease G (EndoG), Omi/HtrA2, or Smac/DIABLO from mitochondria to cytosol is observed. Responsiveness of cells to CD47 ligation increases following Drp1 overexpression, while Drp1 downregulation confers resistance to CD47-mediated death. Importantly, in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells, mRNA levels of Drp1 strongly correlate with death sensitivity. Thus, this previously unknown mechanism controlling caspase-independent type III PCD may provide the basis for novel therapeutic approaches to overcome apoptotic avoidance in malignant cells.
Vision-Based Outdoor Navigation Using Mobile Robots

Navigation is a broad topic that has been receiving considerable attention from the mobile robotics community. The ability to move safely in the environment is a fundamental capability for most applications. Most previous work on this subject is focused on obstacle avoidance and path planning in indoor environments using range sensors such as lasers and sonars. This paper addresses the problem of vision-based outdoor navigation. More specifically, we evaluate segmentation algorithms and combine different computer vision techniques to extract environmental information in order to autonomously conduct a mobile robot in a navigable path. As a validation to the proposed techniques, we present results obtained from field experiments.
Elements of Reason: Coping with Trade-Offs: Psychological Constraints and Political Implications

A thoughtful reader of the psychological literature on judgment and choice might easily walk away with the impression that people are flat-out incapable of reasoning their way through value trade-offs (Kahneman, Slovic, and Tversky 1982). Trade-offs are just too cognitively complex, emotionally stressful, and socially awkward for people to manage them effectively, to avoid entanglement in Tverskian paradoxes, such as intransitivities within choice tasks and preference reversals across choice tasks. But what looks impossible from certain psychological points of view looks utterly unproblematic from a microeconomic perspective. Of course, people can engage in trade-off reasoning. They do it all the time – every time they stroll down the aisle of the supermarket or cast a vote or opt in or out of a marriage (Becker 1981). We expect competent, self-supporting citizens of free market societies to know that they can't always get what they want and to make appropriate adjustments. Trade-off reasoning should be so pervasive and so well rehearsed as to be virtually automatic for the vast majority of the non-institutionalized population. We could just leave it there in a post-positivist spirit of live-and-let-live pluralism. The disciplinary divergence provides just another illustration of how competing theoretical discourses construct reality in their own image. This “resolution” is, however, less than helpful to political scientists who borrow from cognitive psychology or microeconomics in crafting theories of political reasoning. The theoretical choice reduces to a matter of taste, in effect, an unconditional surrender to solipsism.
High-Assurance Avionics Multi-Domain RFID Processing System

Distributed processing of RFID information enables new RFID applications where tags, readers and processing systems belong to different administrative domains and where multiple RFDD applications are realized using a common reader and processing infrastructure. A novel distributed RFID processing architecture supporting various future eEnabled airplane applications based on RFID technology is described. In a particularly challenging application environment, RFID readers are installed on-board airplanes and connected dynamically by wireless communication with various ground system at airports and during maintenance. The airplane RFDD reader infrastructure has to be dynamically integrated with different ground systems. The security requirements caused by this temporal integration within different administrative domains and corresponding solution approaches are described.