Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identifying Spatio-Temporal Landslide Hotspots on North Island, New Zealand, by Analyzing Historical and Recent Aerial Photography

Accurate mapping of landslides and the reliable identification of areas most affected by landslides are essential for advancing the understanding of landslide erosion processes. Remote sensing data provides a valuable source of information on the spatial distribution and location of landslides. In this paper we present an approach for identifying landslide-prone “hotspots” and their spatio-temporal variability by analyzing historical and recent aerial photography from five different dates, ranging from 1944 to 2011, for a study site near the town of Pahiatua, southeastern North Island, New Zealand. Landslide hotspots are identified from the distribution of semi-automatically detected landslides using object-based image analysis (OBIA), and compared to hotspots derived from manually mapped landslides. When comparing the overlapping areas of the semi-automatically and manually mapped landslides the accuracy values of the OBIA results range between 46% and 61% for the producer’s accuracy and between 44% and 77% for the user’s accuracy. When evaluating whether a manually digitized landslide polygon is only intersected to some extent by any semi-automatically mapped landslide, we observe that for the natural-color images the landslide detection rate is 83% for 2011 and 93% for 2005; for the panchromatic images the values are slightly lower (67% for 1997, 74% for 1979, and 72% for 1944). A comparison of the derived landslide hotspot maps shows that the distribution of the manually identified landslides and those mapped with OBIA is very similar for all periods; though the results also reveal that mapping landslide tails generally requires visual interpretation. Information on the spatio-temporal evolution of landslide hotspots can be useful for the development of location-specific, beneficial intervention measures and for assessing landscape dynamics.
Investigating Physician Order Entry in the Field: Lessons Learned in a Multi-Center Study

The progress of studies by this team of researchers concerning computerized physician order entry (POE), beginning with a mail survey and moving to qualitative multi-center studies, is reviewed, with emphases on lessons learned and future directions. While mail surveys were appropriate to answer initial research questions about diffusion of POE in the U.S., multiple qualitative methods became the methods of choice for answering more complex questions. Results of the latter include articulation of multiple perspectives on both positive and negative aspects of POE and a description of what may be important for successful implementation of POE in the future. The present economic environment of hospitals may be inhibiting widespread diffusion of POE, not only because of the direct cost, but also indirectly by affecting relations with practitioners. Analysis of successful past implementations can provide guidance when the time is right.
Synthesis of complex control structures from behavioral SystemC models

In this paper, we present the results of a set of experiments we conducted in order to evaluate the viability of behavioral synthesis, relying on the tools available at the moment in the EDA market. To accomplish this we modelled a complex PCI bus interface in SystemC using a behavioral style of description. Then we tried to synthesize it by means of the Synopsis CoCentric SystemC compiler tool. The problems arisen during synthesis, in particular those concerned with the cycle-accurate timing behavior of the synthesized circuit, were addressed. After analyzing them, possible solutions were proposed, where possible. Finally, a summary of the pros and cons of the behavioral synthesis in SystemC is presented.
Design of second order digital differentiator using Richardson extrapolation and fractional delay

In this paper, the design of second order differentiator is investigated. First, the backward difference formula in numerical differentiation is applied to derive the transfer function of second order differentiator. Then, the Richardson extrapolation is used to generate high-accuracy results while using low- order formulas. Next, conventional Lagrange FIR fractional delay filter is directly applied to implement the designed second order differentiator. Finally, several numerical examples are illustrated to demonstrate the effectiveness of this new design approach.
A Statistical-Measure-Based Adaptive Land Cover Classification Algorithm by Efficient Utilization of Polarimetric SAR Observables

The polarimetric information contained in polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images represents great potential for characterization of natural and urban surfaces. However, it is still challenging to identify different land cover classes with polarimetric data. Most of the classification algorithms presented earlier have used a fixed value of polarimetric indexes for segregation of a particular land cover type from other classes. However, the value of these polarimetric indexes may change accordingly with change in observation site, temporal acquisition, environmental conditions, and calibration differences among various systems. Thus, the value of polarimetric indexes for segregation of each land cover type has to be tuned in order to cope with these changes. Therefore, in this paper, a decision-tree-based adaptive land cover classification technique has been proposed for labeling of different clusters to their own classes. The proposed method uses spatial-statistics-based expressions (i.e., median “ M” and standard deviation “ S”) of best-selected polarimetric indexes on the basis of a separability index criterion for creating the decision boundary among various classes. In order to make the system adaptive in nature, unknown terms have been included in the expressions. Due to the dependence of a developed nonlinear relationship of overall classification accuracy (OA) on large number of unknowns, a genetic algorithm (GA) approach has been used, which provides optimum values of considered polarimetric indexes for automatic segregation of different classes. The proposed algorithm is successfully tested and validated on ALOS PALSAR quad-pol data.
Cyclohexane-1,3-diyl bis(N-phenylcarbamate)

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C20H22N2O4, comprises two crystallographically independent molecules (A and B) with slightly different geometries. The dihedral angle between the two terminal phenyl rings is 61.7 (1)° in molecule A and 29.6 (1)° in B. The cyclohexane rings adopt chair conformations. In the crystal packing, intermolecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds interconnect adjacent molecules into a ladder-like structure along the c axis incorporating R 2 2(20) ring motifs. The crystal packing is further stabilized by weak intermolecular C—H⋯π interactions.
Does Safety Training Reduce Work Injury in the United States

Using a cross-sectional model, this paper analyzes the relationships between occupational injury rates and worker safety training, workplace safety practices, and health-oriented employee benefits in the United States. We merged U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics establishment-level data on employee training, benefits, and rates of occupational injuries and illnesses with days away from work, obtaining a data set on 2,358 establishments, 62% of them with at least 250 employees. Weighted two-stage regression models were used to provide a rare look at the effect of training, benefit packages, and workplace practices on occupational injury rates. The results suggest that safety training increases the reporting of injuries and illnesses but also has real safety effects on days-away-from-work incidents, especially in smaller firms. While overexertion incidents were resistant to safety training, toxic exposure events were reduced in manufacturing establishments with a formal safety training program. Wellness programs and Employee Assistance Programs were associated with lower days-away-from-work injury and illness rates and costs in large firms where they are more common. Workplace innovations like total quality management significantly increased the reporting of days-away-from- work injuries and illnesses.
Response of the Fruit Fly Allergen 1 Activates the Innate Immune Major Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus

Holger Heine and Thomas RoederSuck, Arnd Petersen, Neal Silverman, Artur J. Ulmer, Christine Warmbold, Karin Uliczka, Fiorentina Rus, Rolandhttp://www.jimmunol.org/content/190/1/366doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1201347November 2012;J Immunol€2013; 190:366-371; Prepublished online 30MaterialSupplementary7.DC1. htmlhttp://www.jimmunol.org/content/suppl/2012/11/30/jimmunol.120134Referenceshttp://www.jimmunol.org/content/190/1/366.full#ref-list-1This article cites 34 articles, 11 of which you can access for free at: Subscriptionshttp://jimmunol.org/subscriptionsInformation about subscribing to The Journal of Immunology is online at: Permissionshttp://www.aai. org/ji/copyright.htmlSubmit copyright permission requests at: Email Alertshttp://jimmunol.org/cgi/alerts/etocReceive free email-alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up at:
Cloning of a Heavy-Metal-Binding Protein Derived from Activated-Sludge Microorganisms

ABSTRACT A gene of the heavy-metal-binding protein (HMBP) was newly isolated from a genetic DNA library of activated-sludge microorganisms. HMBP was produced by transformed Escherichia coli, and the copper-binding ability of HMBP was confirmed. HMBP derived from activated sludge could be available as heavy metal adsorbents in water and wastewater treatments.
Two-Bit Graphics

Ordinary bitmaps allow pixels to be black or white. We introduce a second bitmap, the "alpha" bitmap, which allows pixels to be transparent as well. The alpha bitmap makes it possible to have black-and-white images that are nonrectangular or that have holes in them. It also provides a richer set of operations for working with bitmaps. We present the mathematics for a two-bit compositing algebra, and suggest extensions for two-bit compositing, painting, and region filling. Each of these operations can be implemented with ordinary bitblts and presented on ordinary bitmap displays. We analyze the cost of each two-bit operation in terms of the number of bitblts it requires.
Nanomaterials for Tissue Engineering In Dentistry

The tissue engineering (TE) of dental oral tissue is facing significant changes in clinical treatments in dentistry. TE is based on a stem cell, signaling molecule, and scaffold triad that must be known and calibrated with attention to specific sectors in dentistry. This review article shows a summary of micro- and nanomorphological characteristics of dental tissues, of stem cells available in the oral region, of signaling molecules usable in TE, and of scaffolds available to guide partial or total reconstruction of hard, soft, periodontal, and bone tissues. Some scaffoldless techniques used in TE are also presented. Then actual and future roles of nanotechnologies about TE in dentistry are presented.
Categories and Subject Descriptors

The Philippines has implemented the K-12 educational system in 2013 and its impact will be felt by 2016. While the intention of this educational shift is good, its impact on higher education institutions (HEIs) is overlooked. Among those who will be affected are the computing education and its faculty members. Considering this pressing concern, the researcher is currently developing a study to determine the possible impacts of this educational shift on faculty’s tenure and financial stability. The concept of the paper and its research instrument will be presented to gather feedbacks from the audience.
Do animals generally flush early and avoid the rush? A meta-analysis

Optimal escape theory predicts that animals should balance the costs and benefits of flight. One cost of not fleeing is the ongoing cost of monitoring an approaching predator. We used a phylogenetic meta-analysis to test the general hypothesis that animals should initiate flight soon after they detect a predator—the ‘flush early and avoid the rush’ hypothesis. We found a large, significant overall relationship between the distance at which animals were approached or first detected a threat and the distance at which they fled. While these results are the first general test of the flush early and avoid the rush hypothesis, future work will be required to determine whether animals flush early to reduce ongoing attentional costs, or if they flush early as a form of risk reduction.
Kinetics of Cellobiohydrolase (Cel7A) Variants with Lowered Substrate Affinity

Background: To elucidate the rate-determining steps of cellobiohydrolase Cel7A from T. reesei, variants with lower substrate affinity were designed. Results: Mutant (W38A) had reduced substrate affinity but a 2-fold increase in the maximum quasi-steady-state rate. Conclusion: Dissociation of stalled TrCel7A is the rate-limiting step in the initial phase of hydrolysis. Significance: This work offers a new perspective for the design of faster cellulases. Cellobiohydrolases are exo-active glycosyl hydrolases that processively convert cellulose to soluble sugars, typically cellobiose. They effectively break down crystalline cellulose and make up a major component in industrial enzyme mixtures used for deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass. Identification of the rate-limiting step for cellobiohydrolases remains controversial, and recent reports have alternately suggested either association (on-rate) or dissociation (off-rate) as the overall bottleneck. Obviously, this uncertainty hampers both fundamental mechanistic understanding and rational design of enzymes with improved industrial applicability. To elucidate the role of on- and off-rates, respectively, on the overall kinetics, we have expressed a variant in which a tryptophan residue (Trp-38) in the middle of the active tunnel has been replaced with an alanine. This mutation weakens complex formation, and the population of substrate-bound W38A was only about half of the wild type. Nevertheless, the maximal, steady-state rate was twice as high for the variant enzyme. It is argued that these opposite effects on binding and activity can be reconciled if the rate-limiting step is after the catalysis (i.e. in the dissociation process).
Analysis of neural subtypes reveals selective mitochondrial dysfunction in dopaminergic neurons from parkin mutants

Studies of the familial Parkinson disease-related proteins PINK1 and Parkin have demonstrated that these factors promote the fragmentation and turnover of mitochondria following treatment of cultured cells with mitochondrial depolarizing agents. Whether PINK1 or Parkin influence mitochondrial quality control under normal physiological conditions in dopaminergic neurons, a principal cell type that degenerates in Parkinson disease, remains unclear. To address this matter, we developed a method to purify and characterize neural subtypes of interest from the adult Drosophila brain. Using this method, we find that dopaminergic neurons from Drosophila parkin mutants accumulate enlarged, depolarized mitochondria, and that genetic perturbations that promote mitochondrial fragmentation and turnover rescue the mitochondrial depolarization and neurodegenerative phenotypes of parkin mutants. In contrast, cholinergic neurons from parkin mutants accumulate enlarged depolarized mitochondria to a lesser extent than dopaminergic neurons, suggesting that a higher rate of mitochondrial damage, or a deficiency in alternative mechanisms to repair or eliminate damaged mitochondria explains the selective vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson disease. Our study validates key tenets of the model that PINK1 and Parkin promote the fragmentation and turnover of depolarized mitochondria in dopaminergic neurons. Moreover, our neural purification method provides a foundation to further explore the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease, and to address other neurobiological questions requiring the analysis of defined neural cell types.
High Quality Porous Anodic Alumina Membrane Growing on Micron Thickness Aluminum Film Sputtered on Silicon Substrate

The porous anode alumina (PAA) films on silicon substrate with good physicochemical properties have hopeful for the nano-scale devices. The various factors which influence the preparation of high performance PAA film based on silicon were systematically studied, the DC magnetron sputtering technology was used to deposit aluminum and the two-step anodic oxidation method to growth PAA membrane. The results demonstrated that about 2 μm aluminum film deposited on the p-type silicon substrate, in advance deposited 50 nm Ti film on the Si substrate, can get high quality Si-based PAA membrane with good adhesivity, stable structure and consistent pore shape and diameter.
Damping Robot’s Head Movements Affects Human-Robot Interaction

A new research platform has been developed to study human-robot interaction and communication. In this setup, a humanoid robot is used as a proxy between two humans involved in dyadic interactions. An experimenter is bound with a humanoid robot. He can control in real-time and sensor free the eye and face/head movements performed by a humanoid robot with his own movements. The experimenter can perceive the scene as if he was the robot. Manipulations can be applied in real-time to any movement leaving the rest of the dynamics untouched. For instance, we have started investigating the effect of damping head movements during dyadic interaction. Preliminary results show that naive subjects’ head nods increase when attenuation was applied on the robot’s head movements.
Hierarchical modeling using automated sub-clustering for sound event recognition

The automatic recognition of sound events allows for novel applications in areas such as security, mobile and multimedia. In this work we present a hierarchical hidden Markov model for sound event detection that automatically clusters the inherent structure of the events into sub-events. We evaluate our approach on an IEEE audio challenge dataset consisting of office sound events and provide a systematic comparison of the various building blocks of our approach to demonstrate the effectiveness of incorporating certain dependencies in the model. The hierarchical hidden Markov model achieves an average frame-based F-measure recognition performance of 45.5% on a test dataset that was used to evaluate challenge submissions. We also show how the hierarchical model can be used as a meta-classifier, although in the particular application this did not lead to an increase in performance on the test dataset.
THE ECONOMIC ROLE AND IMPACT OF WORKERS ’ COMPENSATION APRIL 8 , 1998

1. Workers' compensation is insurance, the value of which is recognized by both employer and employee as an important part of total compensation. Gainful employment inevitably involves some risk of injury. Workers take this risk into account in their labor market decisions: evidence supports the view that riskier jobs have higher pay and fringe benefits. Workers' compensation is insurance against the costs of injury and forms part of the overall compensation received by employees. Because it is mandated by statute, Workers' compensation is often thought of as a benefit that is added to an independently determined wage rate. In fact, the B.C. statute explicitly prohibits employers from reducing wages to reflect increases in WCB assessments. This prohibition is, however, very difficult to enforce. Evidence from a number of jurisdictions shows that wages adjusted to take account of the value of the Workers' compensation package provided. When minimum wage laws effectively prohibit the wage from adjusting, evidence from the US shows that increased Workers' compensation benefits leads to increased unemployment. 2. An important feature of the workers' compensation plan is that participation is compulsory. We consider the arguments for and against compulsory participation and conclude that voluntary participation has sufficient benefits to make it worthy of consideration. It is possible that many of the concerns brought to the attention of the Royal Commission would be alleviated if employers could opt out of Workers' compensation. For instance, those who feel that assessment rates are excessive could be invited to purchase insurance elsewhere. Employees who are dissatisfied with the manner in which WCB administers the program could obtain alternative coverage from an insurer that they deem more suitable. Most importantly, potential competition from other sources would help insure high levels of efficiency and customer service. The primary support for compulsion is based on a belief that there is a social cost of the decision to opt out of insurance that is not reflected in the private costs faced by employers and workers. For example, it may be socially costly to regulate private insurance or to resolve disputes that would result between employers and employees. Alternatively, the insurance market may simply not develop due to " adverse selection " where the behavior of high risk employers drives out low risk employers. Garvey and Giammarino ii A second argument in favor of compulsion is that employers would simply stop providing insurance and that this would …
Genome-wide specificity profiles of CRISPR-Cas Cpf1 nucleases in human cells

CRISPR-Cas Cpf1 nucleases have recently been described as an alternative genome-editing platform, yet their activities and genome-wide specificities remain largely undefined. Here we show that two Cpf1 nucleases function robustly in human cells with on-target efficiencies comparable to those of the widely used Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9). We also demonstrate that four to six bases at the 39 end of the short CRISPR RNA (crRNA) used to program Cpf1 are insensitive to single base mismatches but that many of the other bases within the crRNA targeting region are highly sensitive to single or double substitutions. Consistent with these results, GUIDE-seq and targeted deep sequencing analyses of two Cpf1 nucleases revealed no detectable off-target cleavage for over half of 20 different crRNAs we examined. Our results suggest that the two Cpf1 nucleases we characterized generally possess high specificities in human cells, a finding that should encourage broader use of these genome editing enzymes.
FlaA1, a New Bifunctional UDP-GlcNAc C6Dehydratase/ C4 Reductase from Helicobacter pylori *

FlaA1 is a small soluble protein of unknown function in Helicobacter pylori. It has homologues that are essential for the virulence of numerous medically relevant bacteria. FlaA1 was overexpressed as a histidine-tagged protein and purified to homogeneity by nickel chelation and cation exchange chromatography. Spectrophotometric assays, capillary electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry analyses showed that FlaA1 is a novel bifunctional C6 dehydratase/C4 reductase specific for UDP-GlcNAc. It converts UDP-GlcNAc into a UDP-4-keto-6-methyl-GlcNAc intermediate, which is stereospecifically reduced into UDP-QuiNAc. Substrate conversions as high as 80% were obtained at equilibrium. The K m andV max for UDP-GlcNAc were 159 μmand 65 pmol/min, respectively. No exogenous cofactor was required to obtain full activity of FlaA1. Additional NADH was only used with poor efficiency for the reduction step. The biochemical characterization of FlaA1 is important for the elucidation of biosynthetic pathways that lead to the formation of 2,6-deoxysugars in medically relevant bacteria. It establishes unambiguously the first step of the pathway and provides the means of preparing the substrate UDP-QuiNAc, which is necessary for the study of downstream enzymes.