Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arsenic Hyperaccumulation in Gametophytes of Pteris vittata. A New Model System for Analysis of Arsenic Hyperaccumulation1

The sporophyte of the fern Pteris vittata is known to hyperaccumulate arsenic (As) in its fronds to >1% of its dry weight. Hyperaccumulation of As by plants has been identified as a valuable trait for the development of a practical phytoremediation processes for removal of this potentially toxic trace element from the environment. However, because the sporophyte of P. vittata is a slow growing perennial plant, with a large genome and no developed genetics tools, it is not ideal for investigations into the basic mechanisms underlying As hyperaccumulation in plants. However, like other homosporous ferns, P. vittata produces and releases abundant haploid spores from the parent sporophyte plant which upon germination develop as free-living, autotrophic haploid gametophyte consisting of a small (<1 mm) single-layered sheet of cells. Its small size, rapid growth rate, ease of culture, and haploid genome make the gametophyte a potentially ideal system for the application of both forward and reverse genetics for the study of As hyperaccumulation. Here we report that gametophytes of P. vittata hyperaccumulate As in a similar manner to that previously observed in the sporophyte. Gametophytes are able to grow normally in medium containing 20 mm arsenate and accumulate >2.5% of their dry weight as As. This contrasts with gametophytes of the related nonaccumulating fern Ceratopteris richardii, which die at even low (0.1 mm) As concentrations. Interestingly, gametophytes of the related As accumulator Pityrogramma calomelanos appear to tolerate and accumulate As to intermediate levels compared to P. vittata and C. richardii. Analysis of gametophyte populations from 40 different P. vittata sporophyte plants collected at different sites in Florida also revealed the existence of natural variability in As tolerance but not accumulation. Such observations should open the door to the application of new and powerful genetic tools for the dissection of the molecular mechanisms involved in As hyperaccumulation in P. vittata using gametophytes as an easily manipulated model system.
Hierarchical Optimization Strategies for Deployment of Mobile Robots

In this paper, we integrate model predictive control (MPC) and mixed integer linear programming (MILP) into a hierarchical framework suitable for solving optimization problems involving robotic networks. A critical issue in MPC/MILP applications is that the underlying optimization problem must be solved on-line. This creates a time constraint which is hard to meet when the number of robots and the number of obstacles increase. To alleviate this difficulty, we develop strategies that significantly improve the efficienc y of a hierarchical, decentralized optimization scheme. As an application is considered a case of target assignment problem in urban-like environments. Numerical simulations verify the scalability of the algorithm to the number of robots and complexity of the environment.
A multi objective FLND problem under uncertain environment using robust optimization: A heuristic approach and case study

In this paper, a robust multi objective mixed integer linear programming model is proposed for a robust facility location network design problem, which takes uncertain parameters (including demand and transfer costs) into the account. The proposed model simultaneously minimizes the total operating costs and maximizes the total coverage. Moreover, an investment budget constraint is raised on facility location and link construction. Therefore, this model determines the optimal locations of new facilities, link roads that should be constructed and also demand nodes covered by these facilities and link roads. Then, the proposed model is robust by suitable approaches. An efficient multi objective approach, based on Lp-metrics- is proposed and tested for several test problems. A practical case study, based on an integrated distribution system, is presented in detail to illustrate the application of the proposed mathematical model. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is done to provide an insight into the behavior of the proposed model in response to changes of key parameters of the problem.
Internet use and political participation: Engaging citizenship norms through online activities

ABSTRACT Research on the relationship between Internet use and political participation has identified numerous effects that result from various online activities, though the mechanisms of influence often remain unclear. In response, we develop a theory of Internet effects and citizenship norms, wherein specific uses of the Internet influence political participation by fostering dutiful or actualizing norms of citizenship. Using a longitudinal research design comprised of five nationally representative, postelection surveys (2002–2010), we find that people who engage in dutiful uses are more likely to participate in the dutiful act of voting than those who engage in actualizing uses; these findings are most prevalent among those aged 18–30. These results suggest that online activities, which reflect specific norms of citizenship, often predict corresponding forms of political participation.
On Uncertainty, Ambiguity, and Complexity in Project Management

This article develops a model of a project as a payoff function that depends on the state of the world and the choice of a sequence of actions. A causal mapping, which may be incompletely known by the project team, represents the impact of possible actions on the states of the world. An underlying probability space represents available information about the state of the world. Interactions among actions and states of the world determine the complexity of the payoff function. Activities are endogenous, in that they are the result of a policy that maximizes the expected project payoff.A key concept is theadequacy of the available information about states of the world and action effects. We express uncertainty, ambiguity, and complexity in terms of information adequacy. We identify three fundamental project management strategies: instructionism, learning, and selectionism. We show that classic project management methods emphasize adequate information and instructionism, and demonstrate how modern methods fit into the three fundamental strategies. The appropriate strategy is contingent on the type of uncertainty present and the complexity of the project payoff function. Our model establishes a rigorous language that allows the project manager to judge the adequacy of the available project information at the outset, choose an appropriate combination of strategies, and set a supporting project infrastructure--that is, systems for planning, coordination and incentives, and monitoring.
Safe and automated state transfer for secure and reliable live update

Traditional live update systems offer little or no automated support for state transfer between two different program versions with changes in the program state. In this paper, we report our efforts to build a safe and automated state transfer framework for C programs that requires a minimal number of program state annotations and handles common structural state changes with no programmer assistance. To handle more complex state transformations, the framework includes a number of extension mechanisms designed to minimize the overall programming effort. Our experience with real-world programs suggests that our framework can handle all the standard C idioms and support safe and automated state transfer for complex state changes. We believe our approach is effective in several update scenarios and significantly raises the bar on the security and reliability of live update.
Relationship of Purpose in Life and Autonomy on Depression in College Students

: The purpose of this project was to explore the relationship between purpose of life, autonomy, and depression among college students. It was hypothesized that purpose of life and autonomy scores would predict depression scoresA convenience sample of 46 undergraduate students enrolled in online courses participated in the study. The majority of participants were female (87.2%) between the ages of 18 to 25 years of age (70.2%). Course instructors provided students with a link to an anonymous, online survey developed by the investigator. The survey consisted of demographic items (e.g., gender, age); two subscales from the Scales of Psychological Well-being (Ryff, 1989), the Autonomy scale and Purpose of Life scale; and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) (Beck, Ward, Mendelson, Mock, & Erbaugh, 1961). Purpose of Life and Autonomy scores did not predict Depression scores, thus the hypothesis was not statistically supported. Autonomy and Purpose of Life, however, were found to have a positive correlation with each other ( r = .49, p < .01). Although the hypothesis was not supported, it is possible that the size of the study’s sample may have been too small to detect the true relationship among these constructs.
Quantitative diffusion tensor imaging in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Revisited

Voxel‐based analyses (VBA) are increasingly being used to detect white matter abnormalities with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in different types of pathologies. However, the validity, specificity, and sensitivity of statistical inferences of group differences to a large extent depend on the quality of the spatial normalization of the DTI images. Using high‐dimensional nonrigid coregistration techniques that are able to align both the spatial and orientational diffusion information and incorporate appropriate templates that contain this complete DT information may improve this quality. Alternatively, a hybrid technique such as tract‐based spatial statistics (TBSS) may improve the reliability of the statistical results by generating voxel‐wise statistics without the need for perfect image alignment and spatial smoothing. In this study, we have used (1) a coregistration algorithm that was optimized for coregistration of DTI data and (2) a population‐based DTI atlas to reanalyze our previously published VBA, which compared the fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity maps of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with those of healthy controls. Additionally, we performed a complementary TBSS analysis to improve our understanding and interpretation of the VBA results. We demonstrate that, as the overall variance of the diffusion properties is lowered after normalizing the DTI data with such recently developed techniques (VBA using our own optimized high‐dimensional nonrigid coregistration and TBSS), more reliable voxel‐wise statistical results can be obtained than had previously been possible, with our VBA and TBSS yielding very similar results. This study provides support for the view of ALS as a multisystem disease, in which the entire frontotemporal lobe is implicated. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Feature-Based Visual Sentiment Analysis of Text Document Streams

This article describes automatic methods and interactive visualizations that are tightly coupled with the goal to enable users to detect interesting portions of text document streams. In this scenario the interestingness is derived from the sentiment, temporal density, and context coherence that comments about features for different targets (e.g., persons, institutions, product attributes, topics, etc.) have. Contributions are made at different stages of the visual analytics pipeline, including novel ways to visualize salient temporal accumulations for further exploration. Moreover, based on the visualization, an automatic algorithm aims to detect and preselect interesting time interval patterns for different features in order to guide analysts. The main target group for the suggested methods are business analysts who want to explore time-stamped customer feedback to detect critical issues. Finally, application case studies on two different datasets and scenarios are conducted and an extensive evaluation is provided for the presented intelligent visual interface for feature-based sentiment exploration over time.
A Model-Driven Method for the Development of Web Applications User Interaction Layer

In the context of Web applications, the interaction between the user and the system is critical. However, the emphasis of software process is usually on the functionality, whereas the user interaction layer is often considered of minor relevance. This paper presents an approach aimed at the specification of the layer that captures the interaction of the user with the system, through the derivation of analysis abstract models into design models. These models shall then be used as input to source code generation, in the implementation discipline, using a tool integrated to an IDE.
CamSwarm: Instantaneous Smartphone Camera Arrays for Collaborative Photography

Camera arrays (CamArrays) are widely used in commercial filming projects for achieving special visual effects such as bullet time effect, but are very expensive to set up. We propose CamSwarm, a low-cost and lightweight alternative to professional CamArrays for consumer applications. It allows the construction of a collaborative photography platform from multiple mobile devices anywhere and anytime, enabling new capturing and editing experiences that a single camera cannot provide. Our system allows easy team formation; uses real-time visualization and feedback to guide camera positioning; provides a mechanism for synchronized capturing; and finally allows the user to efficiently browse and edit the captured imagery. Our user study suggests that CamSwarm is easy to use; the provided real-time guidance is helpful; and the full system achieves high quality results promising for non-professional use. A demo video is provided at this https URL
Antimicrobial activities of different bioceramic root canal sealers on various bacterial species

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of new bioceramic root canal sealers Smartpaste Bio, MTA Fillapex and AH plus. Materials and Methods: The antimicrobial activity of sealers was tested by agar diffusion method on the surface of agar plates of Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and Escherichia coli. The sealers were placed into the prepared well on the agar plates. The diameters of the inhibition zones were measured after incubation for 24, 48, 72 hours. The data were analyzed statistically by ANOVA and Duncan’s tests at 5% significance level. Results: All tested sealers had antimicrobial effect against to test microorganisms. Smartpaste Bio had the biggest inhibition zone and the lowest had by MTA Fillapex and there was statistically difference between Smartpaste Bio and MTA Fillapex (p<0.05). The mean of inhibition zones was decreased in order 24, 48, 72 h time intervals for each group. There was statistically significant difference between 24 and 72 h mean of inhibition zone measurements (p<0.05). Conclusion: In comparison, all tested substance exhibited antimicrobial effect on standard strains however Smartpaste Bio had the biggest inhibition zone measurement than the other groups.
A voice-controlled automatic telephone switchboard and directory information system

In this paper, we present the Philips automatic telephone switchboard and directory information system PADIS. PADIS understands natural-language requests in fluently spoken German. The system offers telephone, fax, and room numbers, email addresses, private phone numbers, and direct call completion. A setup with a 500-entry database is currently in a field test in our research laboratory and has shown a success rate of 90%. This paper describes the system architecture and its components, and presents experiences as well as results from the field test.
Do benthic diatom assemblages reflect abiotic typology: a case study of Croatian streams and rivers

Abstract Benthic diatoms are widely used in Europe and worldwide to access ecological status of running waters. One of key goals of Water Framework Directive is to classify rivers and streams using biological quality elements and type specific reference conditions. According to system B which incorporates additional abiotic descriptors, there are 24 water types in Croatia. For biological analyses 92 rivers and streams with 140 sampling points were chosen and sampled for benthic diatoms and water chemistry simultaneously. Self organizing map (SOM) analysis was used to define biotypes from species composition and abundance of benthic diatoms. Grouping of samples in SOM resulted in 10 distinctive groups. Based on their geographical position and site characteristics, groups represent sites with similar properties (as waterbed, catchment size, altitude, size of stream) belonging to different ecoregions in Croatia. Analysis of variance revealed statistically significant differences (p<0.05) among SOM groups concerning ammonia, nitrates and total phosphorus. Indicator species analysis (IndVal) singled out species that were significantly characteristic (p<0.05) for SOM and abiotic types. Compared to abiotic groups, in which 7 out of 24 have no indicator species, all SOM groups have one or several characteristic diatom species, thus indicating diatom assemblages as valuable site descriptors. Canonical analysis of principal coordinates analysis also indicated that SOM grouping of samples is statistically reliable. Grouping of similar sites, although placed into different abiotic types, makes SOM groups with its corresponding representative species an easy tool for water quality assessment and description of reference assemblage.
OMPPM: online multiple palindrome pattern matching

MOTIVATION A palindrome is a string that reads the same forward and backward. Finding palindromic substructures is important in DNA, RNA or protein sequence analysis. We say that two strings of the same length are pal-equivalent if, for each possible centre, they have the same length of the maximal palindrome. Given a text T of length n and a pattern P of length m, we study the palindrome pattern matching problem that finds all indices i such that P and [Formula: see text] are pal-equivalent. RESULTS We first solve the online palindrome pattern matching problem in O(m(2)) preprocessing time and O(mn) query time using O(m(2)) space. We then extend the problem for multiple patterns and solve the online multiple palindrome pattern matching problem in [Formula: see text] preprocessing time and [Formula: see text] query time using [Formula: see text] space, where M is the sum of all pattern lengths, mk is the longest pattern length and c is the number of pattern occurrences. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The source code for all algorithms is freely available at http://toc.yonsei. ac.kr/OMPPM CONTACT: kimhwee@cs.yonsei. ac.kr SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Object Location and Track in Image Sequences by Means of Neural Networks

Object location and track in image sequences is an important task in computer vision, which has many applications. Major challenges of object track have been, and continued to be, improvement of its accuracy and real-time performance. In this paper, a novel BPneural-network-based object location approach is proposed, in which a threshold for the object-matching quality is used for determining whether the object is present in a given frame. To simplify the network structure, a directional wavelet transform (DWT) is used for extracting image features, which can reduce the size of the input patterns. In order to further improve the computation speed of the method, the information on the position of the target object in the previous frames is used for predicting the position of the target object in the current †* This work was supported by Hori Information Science Promotion Foundation. *† Corresponding Author. Email: zhshi@ieee.org. International Journal of Computational Science 1992-6669 (Print) 1992-6677 (Online) www.gip. hk/ijcs © 2008 Global Information Publisher (H.K) Co., Ltd. 2008, Vol. 2, No. 2, 274-285. International Journal of Computational Science GLOBAL INFORMATION PUBLISHER 274 frame. Experiments indicate that the proposed method is more accurate in target detection and more computationally efficient than conventional methods.
The Complexity of Boundedness for Guarded Logics

Given a formula phi(x, X) positive in X, the bounded ness problem asks whether the fix point induced by phi is reached within some uniform bound independent of the structure (i.e. Whether the fix point is spurious, and can in fact be captured by a finite unfolding of the formula). In this paper, we study the bounded ness problem when phi is in the guarded fragment or guarded negation fragment of first-order logic, or the fix point extensions of these logics. It is known that guarded logics have many desirable computational and model theoretic properties, including in some cases decidable bounded ness. We prove that bounded ness for the guarded negation fragment is decidable in elementary time, and, making use of an unpublished result of Colcombet, even 2EXPTIME-complete. Our proof extends the connection between guarded logics and automata, reducing bounded ness for guarded logics to a question about cost automata on trees, a type of automaton with counters that assigns a natural number to each input rather than just a boolean.
Fish Oil Supplementation Modulates Immune Function in Healthy Infants 1

(n-3) PUFA influence immune function in adults and may also affect immune maturation during development. This randomized trial is, to our knowledge, the first to investigate whether fish oil supplementation in late infancy modifies immune responses. The study was a 2 3 2 intervention in 64 healthy Danish infants, who received cow’s milk or infant formula alone or with fish oil (FO) (3.4 6 1.1 mL/d) from 9 to 12 mo of age. Before and after the intervention, fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membranes, plasma IgE, C-reactive protein, and soluble IL-2 receptor concentrations were measured. TNF-a, INF-g, and IL-10 concentrations in whole-blood cultures, stimulated for 22 h with LPS1phytohemaglutinin (PHA) or Lactobacillus paracasei, were also determined. IgA was measured in feces when infants were 10 mo of age. FO supplementation effectively raised erythrocyte (n-3) PUFA (P , 0.001), increased L. paracasei-induced INF-g (P1⁄4 0.05) and tended to reduce LPS1PHA-induced IL-10 (P 1⁄4 0.08). The FO intervention did not affect any of the other analyzed immune variables. The erythrocyte content of eicosapentanoic acid was negatively associated with LPS1PHAinduced IL-10 (r 1⁄4 20.38, P 1⁄4 0.02). Feeding milk rather than formula did not affect cytokine production, but plasma soluble IL-2 receptor concentration was greater in the formula group than in the cow’s milk group (P 1⁄4 0.03). Since the capacity to produce INF-g has been proposed as a maturation marker for the immune system in early life, this study suggests a faster immune maturation with FO supplementation with no apparent reduction in immune activation. The implications for later health need further investigation. J. Nutr. 137: 1031–1036, 2007.