Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design and Control of a Ferromagnetic Coded Micro-Carrier Biochip Sensor for Multiplex Detection of Antibodies

This paper describes a method for producing a novel type of ferromagnetic coded micro-carrier. The ferromagnetic coded micro-carriers are about 200 μm in length, 200 μm in width and 50 μm in thickness, and contain eight code elements with two distinguishable codes (hollow and solid), allowing for 28 unique codes. The code shapes include rectangle, circle, etc. Differently shaped coded micro-carriers could carry different antigens for detection of its complementary antibody. These many shapes of coded micro-carriers would be used simultaneously allowing us to make multiple detections for different antibodies at the same time. A molding process is applied for fabrication of the ferromagnetically coded micro-carriers where Fe material (Fe powder mixed with binder) is shaped in many tiny molds to produce the coded shapes used for identification of the bio-molecules. Magnetic force is used to control the movement and location of the ferromagnetic coded micro-carriers to prevent the loss during the hybridization process. The results of image process and analysis system testing are satisfactory. The results of our micro-carrier detection system for two sets of R and B color analysis are proportional to those obtained from ELISA antibody detection.
Trehalose-6-Phosphate: Connecting Plant Metabolism and Development

Beyond their metabolic roles, sugars can also act as messengers in signal transduction. Trehalose, a sugar found in many species of plants and animals, is a non-reducing disaccharide composed of two glucose moieties. Its synthesis in plants is a two-step process, involving the production of trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) catalyzed by trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) and its consecutive dephosphorylation to trehalose, catalyzed by trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP). T6P has recently emerged as an important signaling metabolite, regulating carbon assimilation and sugar status in plants. In addition, T6P has also been demonstrated to play an essential role in plant development. This review recapitulates the recent advances we have made in understanding the role of T6P in coordinating diverse metabolic and developmental processes.
Phylogenetic relationship of psychoactive fungi based on the rRNA gene for a large subunit and their identification using the TaqMan assay.

"Magic mushrooms" (MMs) are psychoactive fungi containing the and Psychotropics Control Law in Japan. Because there are many kinds of MMs and they are often sold even as dry powders in local markets, it is very difficult to identify the original species of the MMs by morphological observation. Therefore, we investigated the rRNA gene for a large subunit (LSU) of several MMs to classify them by a genetic approach. In this paper, we described the phylogeny of species of MMs based on the partial sequence (about 970 bp) of the LSU and the rapid identification of MMs using the TaqMan PCR assay.
Investing in Equity Mutual Funds by * · Lubo · s P ¶ astor and

We construct optimal portfolios of equity funds by combining historical returns on funds and passive indexes with prior views about asset pricing and skill. By including both benchmark and nonbenchmark indexes, we distinguish pricing-model inaccuracy from managerial skill. Even modest con ̄dence in a pricing model helps construct portfolios with high Sharpe ratios. Investing in active mutual funds can be optimal even for investors who believe active managers cannot outperform passive indexes. Optimal portfolios exclude hot-hand funds even for investors who believe momentum is priced. Our large universe of funds o®ers no close substitutes for the Fama-French and momentum benchmarks. JEL Classi ̄cations: G11, G12, C11
Optimal sail angle computation for an autonomous sailboat robot

A method to compute the optimal sail angle for an autonomous sailboat is proposed, which allows for maximizing the longitudinal velocity while maintaining safe sailing conditions by limiting the roll angle. A simplified 4-DOF dynamic model of the sailboat is used to obtain the roll dynamics and longitudinal sail force. From these expressions, we derive a cost function which depends on the thrust force. The cost needs to be minimized under stability constraint in roll motion while the system is subject to a bound on the roll angle. Numerical simulations, using a full nonlinear dynamic model of the sailboat, show the improved performance of the proposed method, compared to traditional solutions that can be found in the literature.
Basic components of a face-to-face interaction with a conversational agent: mutual attention and deixis

We present a series of experiments that involve a face-to-face interaction between an embodied conversational agent (ECA) and a human interlocutor. The main challenge is to provide the interlocutor with implicit and explicit signs of mutual interest and attention and of the awareness of environmental conditions in which the interaction takes place. A video realistic talking head with independent head and eye movements was used as a talking agent interacting with a user during a simple card game offering different levels of help and guidance. We analyzed the user performance and how the quality of assistance given by the embodied conversational agent was perceived. The experiment showed that users can profit from its presence and its facial deictic cues.
Flow-decoupled normalized reprojection error for visual odometry

In this paper, we present an iterative two-stage scheme for precise and robust frame-to-frame feature-based ego-motion estimation using stereo cameras. We analyze the characteristics of the optical flows and reprojection errors that are independently induced by each of the decoupled six degrees of freedom motion. As we will show, the different characteristics of these induced optical flows lead to a reprojection error that depends on the coordinates of the features. When using a proper normalization of the reprojection error, this coordinate-dependency can be almost completely removed for decoupled motions. Furthermore, we present a way to use these results for automotive application where rotation and forward motion are coupled. This is done by compensating for the flow that is induced by the rotation, which decouples the translation flow from the overall flow. The resulting method generalizes the ROCC approach [4], where a robust outlier criterion was introduced and proved to increase robustness and quality for large forward translation motions. Therewith the proposed method generalizes ROCC to almost all possible automotive motions. The performance of the method is evaluated on Kitti benchmark and currently2 reaches the best translation error of all camera-based methods.
Using FoxNet for TCP/IP networking in ML/OS

FoxNet is a highly modular TCP/IP stack and networking framework written in Standard ML (SML), an advanced high-level language with static type checking, polymorphic types, type inference, higher-order first-class functions, and an advanced module system. MLJOS is an operating system being developed in the Express project by extending the SML/NJ implementation of SML to run on bare hardware. MU/OS also employs the Flux OS Toolkit, a set of self-contained C libraries that implement operating system services. My experience was that SML's advanced features worked as advertised: the module system, garbage collection, static typing, first-class functions and the other features were of tremendous utility in the task of porting FoxNet over to MUGOS. However, SML has some serious shortcomings. SMUNJ is crippled by an outdated, inadequate development environment. Further, while FoxNet has many advantages over traditional TCP/IP implementations, it is too complex, the code is poorly documented, and the papers that describe FoxNet are outdated. OS Kit, on the other hand, although implemented in C, a language inferior to SML, is a well built, easy to use system. The lesson is that advanced languages features, while certainly important, are not sufficient to implement an elegant, robust, easy to understand system. They must be complemented by a good programming environment, solid system design, and thorough documentation. Thesis Supervisor: Olin Shivers Title: Research Scientist
Locally optimal decomposition for autonomous obstacle avoidance with the Tunnel-MILP algorithm

The Tunnel-MILP algorithm is a three stage path planning method for 2-D environments that relies on the identification of a sequence of convex polygons to form an obstacle free tunnel through which to plan a dynamically feasible path. This work investigates two aspects of the algorithm. First, a greedy cut method is proposed for improved decomposition of the environment, resulting in fewer regions than existing algorithms. Second, the effect of the decomposition on the resulting solution is investigated, and conditions are presented to demonstrate that the resulting tunnel cannot be improved to yield a better solution. This ensures that the tunnel provided does not adversely affect the resulting dynamically feasible trajectory, and guarantees local optimality of the solution.
Acquiring Subject-verb Agreement in French: Evidence for Abstract Knowledge from Comprehension

Knowledge from Comprehension * Geraldine Legendre, Thierry Nazzi, Isabelle Barriere, Jennifer Culbertson, Monica Lopez-Gonzalez, Louise Goyet and Erin Zaroukian 1 Johns Hopkins University, 2 LPP, CNRS/Universite Paris 5, and 3 Yeled V'Yalda Research Institute, NY
Induction of Heterosubtypic Cross-Protection against Influenza by a Whole Inactivated Virus Vaccine: The Role of Viral Membrane Fusion Activity

Background The inability of seasonal influenza vaccines to effectively protect against infection with antigenically drifted viruses or newly emerging pandemic viruses underlines the need for development of cross-reactive influenza vaccines that induce immunity against a variety of virus subtypes. Therefore, potential cross-protective vaccines, e.g., whole inactivated virus (WIV) vaccine, that can target conserved internal antigens such as the nucleoprotein (NP) and/or matrix protein (M1) need to be explored. Methodology/Principal Findings In the current study we show that a WIV vaccine, through induction of cross-protective cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), protects mice from heterosubtypic infection. This protection was abrogated after depletion of CD8+ cells in vaccinated mice, indicating that CTLs were the primary mediators of protection. Previously, we have shown that different procedures used for virus inactivation influence optimal activation of CTLs by WIV, most likely by affecting the membrane fusion properties of the virus. Specifically, inactivation with formalin (FA) severely compromises fusion activity of the virus, while inactivation with β-propiolactone (BPL) preserves fusion activity. Here, we demonstrate that vaccination of mice with BPL-inactivated H5N1 WIV vaccine induces solid protection from lethal heterosubtypic H1N1 challenge. By contrast, vaccination with FA-inactivated WIV, while preventing death after lethal challenge, failed to protect against development of disease and severe body weight loss. Vaccination with BPL-inactivated WIV, compared to FA-inactivated WIV, induced higher levels of specific CD8+ T cells in blood, spleen and lungs, and a higher production of granzyme B in the lungs upon H1N1 virus challenge. Conclusion/Significance The results underline the potential use of WIV as a cross-protective influenza vaccine candidate. However, careful choice of the virus inactivation procedure is important to retain membrane fusion activity and full immunogenicity of the vaccine.
Security analysis and solutions for deploying IP telephony in the critical infrastructure

Voice over IP (VoIP) is being adopted to replace the traditional circuit switched infrastructure for telephony services. This trend has an enormous impact on the critical infrastructure sectors which will progressively become more dependent in part or as a whole on VoIP services. Phone communications and its security is a relevant concern for most critical infrastructure sector organizations today. With passage of time this concern will morph into a new set of challenges and opportunities brought forward by the deployment of VoIP in these organizations. This study attempts to outline the potential security issues faced by the critical infrastructure sectors as they transform their traditional phone systems into VoIP systems. Security analysis is provided to understand the impact of VoIP security challenges in the new convergent network paradigm. Some recommendations are made on how to address many issues of VoIP security along the process of adopting IP telephony into critical infrastructure.
Aspectual classification of mandarin Chinese verbs : a perspective of scale structure

Previous studies of the lexical aspect of verbs following Vendler (1967) cannot account for verbs of degree achievements (Dowty 1979, Hay et al. 1999, among others). Building on recent studies on “scale structure” (Hay et al. 1999, Rappaport Hovav & Levin 2010, among others). We introduce a new aspectual feature [±scale] into the traditional Vendler system in order to more comprehensively account for a wider range of verbs. By analyzing verbs/verbal compounds from Mandarin Chinese and following the scalar approach, we propose six aspectual classes that are needed not only to adequately accommodate degree achievements, but also to provide a fuller account of all the verbs. This scalar approach can be applied to the aspectual classification of natural languages in general.
Actinomycin D Inhibits Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Minus-Strand Transfer in In Vitro and Endogenous Reverse Transcriptase Assays

ABSTRACT In this report we demonstrate that human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) minus-strand transfer, assayed in vitro and in endogenous reactions, is greatly inhibited by actinomycin D. Previously we showed that HIV-1 nucleocapsid (NC) protein (a nucleic acid chaperone catalyzing nucleic acid rearrangements which lead to more thermodynamically stable conformations) dramatically stimulates HIV-1 minus-strand transfer by preventing TAR-dependent self-priming from minus-strand strong-stop DNA [(−) SSDNA]. Despite this potent activity, the addition of NC to in vitro reactions with actinomycin D results in only a modest increase in the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) for the drug. PCR analysis of HIV-1 endogenous reactions indicates that minus-strand transfer is inhibited by the drug with an IC50 similar to that observed when NC is present in the in vitro system. Taken together, these results demonstrate that NC cannot overcome the inhibitory effect of actinomycin D on minus-strand transfer. Other experiments reveal that at actinomycin D concentrations which severely curtail minus-strand transfer, neither the synthesis of (−) SSDNA nor RNase H degradation of donor RNA is affected; however, the annealing of (−) SSDNA to acceptor RNA is significantly reduced. Thus, inhibition of the annealing reaction is responsible for actinomycin D-mediated inhibition of strand transfer. Since NC (but not reverse transcriptase) is required for efficient annealing, we conclude that actinomycin D inhibits minus-strand transfer by blocking the nucleic acid chaperone activity of NC. Our findings also suggest that actinomycin D, already approved for treatment of certain tumors, might be useful in combination therapy for AIDS.
Evaluating the legitimacy of platform governance: A review of research and a shared research agenda

This article provides an overview of the key values that we argue should underpin an index of the legitimacy of the governance of online intermediaries. The aim is ultimately to allow scholars to rank the policies and practices of intermediaries against core human rights values and principles of legitimate governance in a way that enables comparison across different intermediaries and over time. This work builds on the efforts of a broad range of researchers already working to systematically investigate the governance of social media platforms and telecommunications intermediaries. In this article, we present our review and analysis of the work that has been carried out to date, using the digital constitutionalism literature to identify opportunities for further research and collaboration.
A gene necessary for normal male courtship, yellow, acts downstream of fruitless in the Drosophila melanogaster larval brain.

The fruitless (fru) gene is a member of the Drosophila melanogaster somatic sex determination genetic pathway. Although it has been hypothesized that the primary function of fru is to regulate a genetic hierarchy specifying development of adult male courtship behavior, genes acting downstream of fru have not yet been identified. Here we demonstrate that the yellow (y) gene is genetically downstream of fru in the 3(rd)-instar larval brain. Yellow protein is present at elevated levels in neuroblasts, which also show expression of male-specific FRU proteins, compared to control neuroblasts without FRU. A location for y downstream of fru in a genetic pathway was experimentally demonstrated by analysis of fru mutants lacking transcription of zinc-finger DNA binding domains, and of animals with temporal, spatial, or sexual mis-expression of male-specific FRU. A subset of fru and y mutants is known to reduce levels of a specific behavioral component of the male courtship ritual, wing extension, and FRU and Yellow were detected in the general region of the brain whose maleness is necessary for development of that behavior. We therefore hypothesized that ectopic expression of Yellow in the 3(rd)-instar brain, in a y null background, would rescue low levels of wing extension and male competitive mating success, and this was found to be the case. Overall, these data suggest that y is a downstream member of the fru branch of the D. melanogaster sex determination hierarchy, where it plays a currently unknown role in the development of adult male wing extension during courtship.
Optimized strategies for coordinated spectrum sensing in Cognitive Radio Networks

In Cognitive Radio Networks, coordinated spectrum sensing is a novel technique that the cognitive terminals are assigned to sense different channels in the same sensing slots in order to obtain the occupancy status of all the channels in every sensing period. In this paper the coordinated spectrum sensing strategies are discussed, the functional architecture is put forward, a Kuhn-Munkres based, alongside with a greedy based algorithm for coordinated sensing strategies arrangement is proposed. Simulation results show that the algorithms can significantly improve the overall sensing performance compared with a basic greedy based algorithm.
Instantons and holomorphic couplings in intersecting D-brane models

We clarify certain aspects and discuss extensions of the recently introduced string D-instanton calculus (hep-th/0609191). The one-loop determinants are related to one-loop open string threshold corrections in intersecting D6-brane models. Utilising a non-renormalisation theorem for the holomorphic Wilsonian gauge kinetic functions, we derive a number of constraints for the moduli dependence of the matter field Kahler potentials of intersecting D6-brane models on the torus. Moreover, we compute string one-loop corrections to the Fayet-Iliopoulos terms on the D6-branes finding that they are proportional to the gauge threshold corrections. Employing these results, we discuss the issue of holomorphy for E2-instanton corrections to the superpotential. Eventually, we discuss E2-instanton corrections to the gauge kinetic functions and the FI-terms.
Simulation tools for damping in high frequency resonators

This paper presents the development of HiQLab, a simulation tool to compute the effect of damping in high frequency resonators. Existing simulation tools allow designers to compute resonant frequencies but few tools provide estimates of damping, which is crucial in evaluating the performance of such devices. In the current code, two damping mechanisms: thermoelastic damping and anchor loss, have been implemented. Thermoelastic damping results from irreversible heat flow due to mechanically-driven temperature gradients, while anchor loss occurs when high-frequency mechanical waves radiate away from the resonator and into the substrate. Our finite-element simulation tool discretizes PDE models of both phenomena, and evaluates the quality factor (Q), a measure of damping in the system, with specialized eigencomputations and model reduction techniques. The core functions of the tool are written in C++ for performance. Interfaces are in Lua and MATLAB, which give users access to powerful visualization and pre- and postprocessing capabilities
Advancing the Knowledgebase in Sport-Related Research: The Case for Systematic Research Reviews

This article examines the role that systematic reviews can play in better understanding the status of knowledge in sport-related disciplines. The rationale for and procedures used in conducting various types of reviews will be discussed. Advantages and disadvantages of each approach will be presented and examples of reviews from the contemporary sport-related literature are provided throughout the article. 78 © Kent State University 1 Fitzgerald and Lyberger: Advancing the Knowledge Base Published by Digital Commons @ Kent State University Libraries, 2013 Fitzgerald & Lyberger The need for and importance of primary research studies is undoubtedly obvious to most sport-related researchers. That is, there is a need to empirically investigate informal observations that are made of social phenomena in the discipline. However, the need for and understanding of systematic research reviews and syntheses is often less clear. Although published discussions detailing both the rationale for and importance of systematic reviews date back almost 40 years (see, for example, Chalmers, Hedges, & Cooper, 2002; Cook, 1992; Cooper & Hedges, 1994; Glass, 1976; Grant & Booth, 2009; Hedges & Olkin, 1986), many researchers unfamiliar with these discussions do not fully understand the value of systematic reviews as they relate to advancing the scholarship and knowledgebase in a discipline. As noted by Light (1984): The need for research synthesis can only be realized when one understands that in order for the gains of scholarship to be cumulative, there must be a link between the past and future research. Often the need for a new study is not as great as the need for the assimilation of already existing studies. Thus the latter is a prerequisite for the former. (pp. 2-3) The need for systematic research review and synthesis is even more clearly understood in light of common limitations related to single, primary research studies. The overwhelming majority of primary research studies typically lack high degrees of external validity, or generalizability, stemming from the study of specific subjects within specific contexts and settings and following a specific set of procedures (Cook, 1992; Wood, 2000). Furthermore, many primary research studies investigating the same topic, and even considering the same set of research questions, often report findings that are not consistent across the set of studies (Light, 1984; Weed, 2005). Lastly, and perhaps most significantly, these limitations tend to be further exacerbated by an important statistical limitation that appears to be inherent in many primary research studies---a lack of statistical power due to insufficient samples size (Wood, 2000).