Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GHS-R1a constitutive activity and its physiological relevance

Abundant evidences have shown that ghrelin, by its binding to GHS-R1a, plays an important role for fundamental physiological functions. Increasing attention is given to the GHS-R1a unusually high constitutive activity and its contribution to downstream signaling and physiological processes. Here, we review recent lines of evidences showing that the interaction between ligand-binding pocket TM domains and the ECL2 could be partially responsible for this high constitutive activity. Interestingly, GHSR-1a constitutive activity activates in turn the downstream PLC, PKC, and CRE signaling pathways and this activation is reversed by the inverse agonist [D-Arg1, D-Phe5, D-Trp7,9, Leu11]-substance P (MSP). Noteworthy, GHSR-1a exhibits a C-terminal-dependent constitutive internalization. Non-sense GHS-R1a mutation (Ala204Glu), first discovered in Moroccan patients, supports the role of GHSR-1a constitutive activity in physiological impairments. Ala204Glu-point mutation, altering exclusively the GHSR-1a constitutive activity, was associated with familial short stature syndrome. Altogether, these findings suggest that GHS-R1a constitutive activity could contribute to GH secretion or body weight regulation. Consequently, future research on basic and clinical applications of GHS-R1a inverse agonists will be challenging and potentially rewarding.
Optimal Taxation with Persistent Shocks: A First Order Approach

In this paper I study dynamic optimal taxation in a private information economy with continuum of individual productivity shocks that are persistent over time. I show that the optimum can be implemented in a competitive equilibrium by a simple tax system where taxes on wealth and income depend on current wealth and income and last period wealth and income. I formulate the problem recursively and develop a first order approach in the spirit of Mirrlees (1971) to simplify it. The main advantage of the first order approach lies in the fact that it allows us to reduce the state space of the dynamic program dramatically. This allows numerical implementation of the problem. I solve quantitatively for the optimal capital income taxes in a simplified economy with persistent taste shocks. I find that when the shocks have autocorrelation of 0.75, the intertemporal wedge, is significantly increased, as compared to the i.i. d. shock case.
Data Mining-Based Decision System Framework for Local Pickup and Delivery Problem

The Local Pickup and Delivery Problem (LPDP) has drawn much attention during recent years. In the literature, optimization models and algorithms have been developed to address this problem. However, for some real world applications, the large-scale and dynamic nature of the problem causes some difficulties in getting good solutions within an acceptable time through standard optimization approaches. On the other hand, actual dispatching solutions made by field experts in transportation companies contain embedded useful dispatching rules. This paper presents a general Data Mining-Based Decision System (DMBDS) framework to mimic current dispatch processes and generate solutions for LPDPs by learning from historical data. An application in the intermodal freight industry is presented, where the DMBDS provides good solutions which are comparable to the real solutions provided by expert dispatchers, with respect to a set of key performance indicators.
Sulfur isotopic measurements from a West Antarctic ice core: implications for sulfate source and transport

Abstract Measurements of δ34S covering the years 1935–76 and including the 1963 Agung (Indonesia) eruption were made on a West Antarctic firn core, RIDSA (78.73˚ S, 116.33˚ W; 1740ma.s.l.), and results are used to unravel potential source functions in the sulfur cycle over West Antarctica. The δ34S values of SO42– range from 3.1‰ to 9.9‰. These values are lower than those reported for central Antarctica, from near South Pole station, of 9.3–18.1‰ (Patris and others, 2000). While the Agung period is isotopically distinct at South Pole, it is not in the RIDSA dataset, suggesting differences in the source associations for the sulfur cycle between these two regions. Given the relatively large input of marine aerosols at RIDSA (determined from Na+ data and the seasonal SO42– cycle), there is likely a large marine biogenic SO42– influence. The δ34S values indicate, however, that this marine biogenic SO42–, with a well-established δ34S of 18‰, is mixing with SO42– that has extremely negative δ34S values to produce the measured isotope values in the RIDSA core. We suggest that the transport and deposition of stratospheric SO42– in West Antarctica, combined with local volcanic input, accounts for the observed variance in δ34S values.
On-Line Handwritten Character Recognition with 3D Accelerometer

We present a pen-style hardware and analysis software for the recognition of handwritten characters. The hardware has a 3-dimensional acceleration sensor, an amplifier, a microcontroller with AD converter and communication port, and does not need any touching screen. The algorithm software includes signal preprocessing, feature extraction, and classifier. Both hidden Markov model (HMM) and dynamic time warping (DTW) algorithms are implemented. For the experiments with 10 Arabic numerals the hardware and software system shows very high recognition rates, i.e., 100% and 90.8% for the writer-dependent and writer-independent cases, respectively. Although the database is quite small, it clearly demonstrates the usefulness of the acceleration-based handwritten character recognition system without touching screen or pad
Faculty Associations Confront Accountability Governance in Ontario Universities

Much literature focusing on the academy is concerned with the spread of neo-liberalism into the university sector. We argue that universities in Canada are operating in an era of “accountability governance,” with ideologies, discourses, and practices centred on quality, accountability, and efficiency. We explore the interplay between accountability governance as a regime of power and the work of faculty associations, especially as they strive to preserve faculty members’ professional autonomy and control over their academic work. Using in-depth qualitative interviews with executive members of several Ontario university faculty associations, we explore themes of neo-liberalization and corporatization of the university, shrinking faculty budgets, program reviews, and strategic mandates. While opportunities for action and resistance for faculty unions arise, particularly at the level of senate, more militancy and radicalism are not favoured by many members, as political action is often seen as “unprofessional. ”
Classifying visuomotor workload in a driving simulator using subject specific spatial brain patterns

A passive Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is a system that responds to the spontaneously produced brain activity of its user and could be used to develop interactive task support. A human-machine system that could benefit from brain-based task support is the driver-car interaction system. To investigate the feasibility of such a system to detect changes in visuomotor workload, 34 drivers were exposed to several levels of driving demand in a driving simulator. Driving demand was manipulated by varying driving speed and by asking the drivers to comply to individually set lane keeping performance targets. Differences in the individual driver's workload levels were classified by applying the Common Spatial Pattern (CSP) and Fisher's linear discriminant analysis to frequency filtered electroencephalogram (EEG) data during an off line classification study. Several frequency ranges, EEG cap configurations, and condition pairs were explored. It was found that classifications were most accurate when based on high frequencies, larger electrode sets, and the frontal electrodes. Depending on these factors, classification accuracies across participants reached about 95% on average. The association between high accuracies and high frequencies suggests that part of the underlying information did not originate directly from neuronal activity. Nonetheless, average classification accuracies up to 75–80% were obtained from the lower EEG ranges that are likely to reflect neuronal activity. For a system designer, this implies that a passive BCI system may use several frequency ranges for workload classifications.
Mapping functionally related regions of brain with functional connectivity MR imaging.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In subjects who are performing no prescribed cognitive task, functional connectivity mapped with MR imaging (fcMRI) shows regions with synchronous fluctuations of cerebral blood flow. When specific tasks are performed, functional MR imaging (fMRI) can map locations in which regional cerebral blood flow increases synchronously with the performance of the task. We tested the hypothesis that fcMRI maps, based on the synchrony of low-frequency blood flow fluctuations, identify brain regions that show activation on fMRI maps of sensorimotor, visual, language, and auditory tasks. METHODS In four volunteers, task-activation fMRI and functional connectivity (resting-state) fcMRI data were acquired. A small region of interest (in an area that showed maximal task activation) was chosen, and the correlation coefficient of the corresponding resting-state signal with the signal of all other voxels in the resting data set was calculated. The correlation coefficient was decomposed into frequency components and its distribution determined for each fcMRI map. The fcMRI maps were compared with the fMRI maps. RESULTS For each task, fcMRI maps based on one to four seed voxel(s) produced clusters of voxels in regions of eloquent cortex. For each fMRI map a closely corresponding fcMRI map was obtained. The frequencies that predominated in the cross-correlation coefficients for the functionally related regions were below 0.1 Hz. CONCLUSION Functionally related brain regions can be identified by means of their synchronous slow fluctuations in signal intensity. Such blood flow synchrony can be detected in sensorimotor areas, expressive and receptive language regions, and the visual cortex by fcMRI. Regions identified by the slow synchronous fluctuations are similar to those activated by motor, language, or visual tasks.
MIT Roofnet: Construction of a Production Quality Ad-Hoc Network

This extended abstract describes our experiences from constructing the MIT Roofnet, an experimental rooftop wireless network. The ultimate goal of Roofnet is to build an ad-hoc network infrastructure capable of providing pervasive highspeed network access. Currently, the network currently consists of more than 35 nodes spread over two square kilometers of Cambridge, MA. The network is self-configuring, robust in the face of varying link conditions, and automatically finds high throughput paths in the system. The main focus of this paper is on lessons we’ve learned about building and deploying this kind of system, though we will touch on some research results as well.
Drivers and barriers to digital television adoption in Portugal: the perspectives of the TV viewers and other main stakeholders

To understand what are the most significant factors for digital TV adoption by the Portuguese population in the switchover context is the main goal of the research project here presented. In April 26, 2012, the analogue terrestrial television switchoff is planned to occur in Portugal, according to the schedule published by the national telecommunication regulator Anacom. Digital terrestrial TV was launched in the country in April 2009, making Portugal one of the countries with a more ambitious schedule – or risky, depending on the perspective for the full transition from analogue to digital terrestrial television. In this paper we will start by presenting the research project’s objectives, theoretical framework and research design. Next, we will present first results of the project focused on the barriers and drivers to digital TV adoption from two of the empirical studies which integrate it, namely, the quantitative inquiry administered to a representative sample of the Portuguese population and interviews with main stakeholders in the area of digital TV in Portugal. The perspectives of the television viewers are compared with other main stakeholders in this process. The paper will be concluded with a brief discussion of these results and a brief enumeration of next steps for the project.
Influenza virus assays based on virus‐inducible reporter cell lines

Background Virus‐inducible reporter genes have been used as the basis of virus detection and quantitation assays for a number of viruses. A strategy for influenza A virus‐induction of a reporter gene was recently described. In this report, we describe the extension of this strategy to influenza B virus, the generation of stable cell lines with influenza A and B virus‐inducible reporter genes, and the use of these cells in various clinically relevant viral assays. Each of the cell lines described herein constitutively express an RNA transcript that contains a reporter gene coding region flanked by viral 5′‐ and 3′‐untranslated regions (UTR) and therefore mimics an influenza virus genomic segment. Upon infection of the cells with influenza virus the virus‐inducible reporter gene segment (VIRGS) is replicated and transcribed by the viral polymerase complex resulting in reporter gene expression.
A perceptually and physiologically motivated voice source model

Many glottal source models have been proposed, but none has been systematically validated perceptually. Our previous work showed that model fitting of the negative peak of the flow derivative is the most important predictor of perceptual similarity to the target voice. In this study, a new voice source model is proposed to capture perceptually-important source shape aspects. This new model, along with four other source models, was fitted to 40 voice sources (20 male) obtained by inverse filtering and analysis-by-synthesis (AbS) of samples of natural normal and pathologic phonation. We generated synthetic copies of the voices using each modeled source pulse, with all other synthesis parameters held constant, and then conducted a visual sort-and-rate task in which listeners assessed the extent of perceived similarity between the target voice samples and each copy. Results showed that the proposed model provided a more accurate fit and a better perceptual match to the target than did the other models.
Low power sequential circuit design using priority encoding and clock gating

This paper presents a state assignment technique called priority encoding, which uses multi-code assignment plus clock gating to reduce power dissipation in sequential circuits. The basic idea is to assign multiple codes to states so as to enable more effective clock gating in the sequential circuit. Practical design examples are studied and simulated by PSPICE. Experimental results demonstrate that the priority encoding technique can result in sizable power saving.
Emotion recognition and processing style in children with an intellectual disability

Research aims: People with an intellectual disability generally have poorer emotion recognition than their typically developing peers, but there is limited research on how processing style might influence this. Our study aimed to explore this. Methods: Children with (n = 45) and without (n = 57) an intellectual disability completed an emotion recognition naming task and a processing style task. A path mediation model was used to evaluate whether having an intellectual disability predicted poorer emotion recognition and whether this was mediated by a more local processing style. Results: We found that, while children with an intellectual disability were significantly less accurate at emotion recognition, having a local processing preference was not a significant factor in this. Conclusion: The results of the present study may be helpful for nurses who are involved in developing, delivering and evaluating interventions to improve the emotion recognition of people with an intellectual disability.
HelF, a putative RNA helicase acts as a nuclear suppressor of RNAi but not antisense mediated gene silencing

We have identified a putative RNA helicase from Dictyostelium that is closely related to drh-1, the ‘dicer-related-helicase’ from Caenorhabditis elegans and that also has significant similarity to proteins from vertebrates and plants. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged HelF protein was localized in speckles in the nucleus. Disruption of the helF gene resulted in a mutant morphology in late development. When transformed with RNAi constructs, HelF− cells displayed enhanced RNA interference on four tested genes. One gene that could not be knocked-down in the wild-type background was efficiently silenced in the mutant. Furthermore, the efficiency of silencing in the wild-type was dramatically improved when helF was disrupted in a secondary transformation. Silencing efficiency depended on transcription levels of hairpin RNA and the threshold was dramatically reduced in HelF− cells. However, the amount of siRNA did not depend on hairpin transcription. HelF is thus a natural nuclear suppressor of RNA interference. In contrast, no improvement of gene silencing was observed when mutant cells were challenged with corresponding antisense constructs. This indicates that RNAi and antisense have distinct requirements even though they may share parts of their pathways.
Mobility Control for Machine-to-Machine LTE Systems

In this paper, we propose an efficient mobility control algorithm in the downlink multi-cell orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) system for co-channel interference reduction. Our scheme divides each cell into several areas. The mobile nodes in each area find their own optimal position according to their present location. Both the signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) and the capacity for each node are increased by the proposed mobility control algorithm. Simulation results say that, even when the frequency reuse factor (FRF) is equal to 1, the average capacity is improved after applying the mobility control algorithm, compared to existing partial frequency reuse (PFR) scheme.
To quit or not to quit: Understanding turnover intention from the perspective of ethical climate

Purpose To deepen our understanding about the development of turnover intention, the purpose of this paper is to develop a model that explains how ethical climate influences turnover intention based on the ethical climate theory and social identity theory. Design/methodology/approach The hypotheses of this study were statistically tested using a survey of working professionals from Taiwan’s high-tech industry. Of the 400 questionnaires distributed to the working professionals from five large high-tech firms in a well-known science park in Northern Taiwan, 352 usable questionnaires were returned for a questionnaire response rate of 88 percent. Findings The test results of this study first show that all three dimensions of ethical climate (i.e. instrumental, benevolent, and principled) are indirectly related to turnover intention via the mediation of firm attractiveness. Moreover, instrumental and benevolent climate directly relate to turnover intention, whereas benevolent climate negatively moderates the relationship between principled climate and firm attractiveness. Originality/value This study finds that benevolent climate plays a dual role as an antecedent and a moderator in the formation of turnover intention, complementing prior studies that merely concentrate on the single role of benevolent climate as either an antecedent or a moderator. The effect of principled climate on organizational identification complements the theoretical discussion by Victor and Cullen (1987) about deontology in which an ethical workplace climate (such as legitimacy) drives employees to invest in identity attachments to the organization and influences their future career decision (e.g. turnover).
Open pre-schools at integrated health services—A program theory

Introduction Family centres in Sweden are integrated services that reach all prospective parents and parents with children up to their sixth year, because of the co-location of the health service with the social service and the open pre-school. The personnel on the multi-professional site work together to meet the needs of the target group. The article explores a program theory focused on the open pre-schools at family centres. Method A multi-case design is used and the sample consists of open pre-schools at six family centres. The hypothesis is based on previous research and evaluation data. It guides the data collection which is collected and analysed stepwise. Both parents and personnel are interviewed individually and in groups at each centre. Findings The hypothesis was expanded to a program theory. The compliance of the professionals was the most significant element that explained why the open access service facilitated positive parenting. The professionals act in a compliant manner to meet the needs of the children and parents as well as in creating good conditions for social networking and learning amongst the parents. Conclusion The compliance of the professionals in this program theory of open pre-schools at family centres can be a standard in integrated and open access services, whereas the organisation form can vary. The best way of increasing the number of integrative services is to support and encourage professionals that prefer to work in a compliant manner.
SDN-based multi-class QoS-guaranteed inter-data center traffic management

When allocating network bandwidth to multiple classes of applications in inter-data center communication, coordination always yields a better utilization of the backbone network. Yet, it often comes at a prohibitively heavy computational and communication cost, making it thus far not a practically viable approach. SDN helped in bridging the communication cost gap by enabling centralized control, and SDN has been recently applied in such inter-DC traffic management. However, the computational cost is still an issue as the efficient and fast response of the centralized traffic engineering algorithm has become crucial to the practicality of such SDN-based approach. In this paper, we present MCTEQ, a utility-optimization-based joint-bandwidth allocation for inter-DC communication with multiple traffic classes, that handles priorities between traffic classes in a soft manner and explicitly considers the delay requirement of Interactive flows. MCTEQ being NP-hard, we apply approximation techniques to lean on the mature and efficient LP solver and obtain fast and accurate approximations. We demonstrate via experiments with Google's inter-DC backbone topology that MCTEQ achieves about 160 Gbps higher network utilization than the existing SWAN solution, yet runs 2.5 times faster. In particular, MCTEQ guarantees that the allocated bandwidth for Interactive flows strictly meets their end-to-end delay requirements.