Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular analysis of SCARECROW genes expressed in white lupin cluster roots

The Scarecrow (SCR) transcription factor plays a crucial role in root cell radial patterning and is required for maintenance of the quiescent centre and differentiation of the endodermis. In response to phosphorus (P) deficiency, white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) root surface area increases some 50-fold to 70-fold due to the development of cluster (proteoid) roots. Previously it was reported that SCR-like expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were expressed during early cluster root development. Here the cloning of two white lupin SCR genes, LaSCR1 and LaSCR2, is reported. The predicted amino acid sequences of both LaSCR gene products are highly similar to AtSCR and contain C-terminal conserved GRAS family domains. LaSCR1 and LaSCR2 transcript accumulation localized to the endodermis of both normal and cluster roots as shown by in situ hybridization and gene promoter::reporter staining. Transcript analysis as evaluated by quantitative real-time-PCR (qRT-PCR) and RNA gel hybridization indicated that the two LaSCR genes are expressed predominantly in roots. Expression of LaSCR genes was not directly responsive to the P status of the plant but was a function of cluster root development. Suppression of LaSCR1 in transformed roots of lupin and Medicago via RNAi (RNA interference) delivered through Agrobacterium rhizogenes resulted in decreased root numbers, reflecting the potential role of LaSCR1 in maintaining root growth in these species. The results suggest that the functional orthologues of AtSCR have been characterized.
Network topology adaptation and interference coordination for energy saving in heterogeneous networks

Interference coupling in heterogeneous networks introduces the inherent non-convexity to the network resource optimization problem, hindering the development of effective solutions. A new framework based on multi-pattern formulation has been proposed in this paper to study the energy efficient strategy for joint cell activation, user association and multicell multiuser channel allocation. One key feature of this interference pattern formulation is that the patterns remain fixed and independent of the optimization process. This creates a favorable opportunity for a linear programming formulation while still taking interference coupling into account. A tailored algorithm is developed to solve the formulated network energy saving problem in the dual domain by exploiting the problem structure, which gives a significant complexity saving compared to using standard solvers. Numerical results show a huge improvement in energy saving achieved by the proposed scheme.
An analysis of knowledge outsourcing at Eduware

Purpose – This paper introduces the notion of knowledge outsourcing (KO) where external knowledge providers (KP), rather than internal experts, are contracted to provide knowledge services. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of KO in knowledge management (KM) and the circumstances under which KO is most likely to be successful.Design/methodology/approach – Using the case study approach, the fieldwork is done at Eduware, an organization that develops and markets e‐learning courseware. Apart from conducting semi‐structured interviews with diverse stakeholders in the organization, archival data from Eduware are collected for triangulation purposes.Findings – On the basis of the case data, two distinct types of KO relationships have been identified in Eduware. Furthermore, the risks of KO included both product‐related and process‐related ones. Three conditions under which KO are most likely to be successful were: first, a lack of in‐house expertise; second, the availability of suitable external .
Event Recognition in Photo Collections with a Stopwatch HMM

The task of recognizing events in photo collections is central for automatically organizing images. It is also very challenging, because of the ambiguity of photos across different event classes and because many photos do not convey enough relevant information. Unfortunately, the field still lacks standard evaluation data sets to allow comparison of different approaches. In this paper, we introduce and release a novel data set of personal photo collections containing more than 61,000 images in 807 collections, annotated with 14 diverse social event classes. Casting collections as sequential data, we build upon recent and state-of-the-art work in event recognition in videos to propose a latent sub-event approach for event recognition in photo collections. However, photos in collections are sparsely sampled over time and come in bursts from which transpires the importance of specific moments for the photographers. Thus, we adapt a discriminative hidden Markov model to allow the transitions between states to be a function of the time gap between consecutive images, which we coin as Stopwatch Hidden Markov model (SHMM). In our experiments, we show that our proposed model outperforms approaches based only on feature pooling or a classical hidden Markov model. With an average accuracy of 56%, we also highlight the difficulty of the data set and the need for future advances in event recognition in photo collections.
Independent Component Analysis (ICA) based-clustering of temporal RNA-seq data

Gene expression time series (GETS) analysis aims to characterize sets of genes according to their longitudinal patterns of expression. Due to the large number of genes evaluated in GETS analysis, an useful strategy to summarize biological functional processes and regulatory mechanisms is through clustering of genes that present similar expression pattern over time. Traditional cluster methods usually ignore the challenges in GETS, such as the lack of data normality and small number of temporal observations. Independent Component Analysis (ICA) is a statistical procedure that uses a transformation to convert raw time series data into sets of values of independent variables, which can be used for cluster analysis to identify sets of genes with similar temporal expression patterns. ICA allows clustering small series of distribution-free data while accounting for the dependence between subsequent time-points. Using temporal simulated and real (four libraries of two pig breeds at 21, 40, 70 and 90 days of gestation) RNA-seq data set we present a methodology (ICAclust) that jointly considers independent components analysis (ICA) and a hierarchical method for clustering GETS. We compare ICAclust results with those obtained for K-means clustering. ICAclust presented, on average, an absolute gain of 5.15% over the best K-means scenario. Considering the worst scenario for K-means, the gain was of 84.85%, when compared with the best ICAclust result. For the real data set, genes were grouped into six distinct clusters with 89, 51, 153, 67, 40, and 58 genes each, respectively. In general, it can be observed that the 6 clusters presented very distinct expression patterns. Overall, the proposed two-step clustering method (ICAclust) performed well compared to K-means, a traditional method used for cluster analysis of temporal gene expression data. In ICAclust, genes with similar expression pattern over time were clustered together.
High-Dynamic-Range Texture Compression for Rendering Systems of Different Capacities

In this paper, we propose a novel approach for high-dynamic-range (HDR) texture compression (TC) suitable for rendering systems of different capacities. Based on the previously proposed DHTC scheme, we first work out an improved joint-channel compression framework, which is robust and flexible enough to provide compressed HDR textures at different bit rates. Then, two compressed HDR texture formats based on the proposed framework are developed. The 8 bpp format is of near lossless visual quality, improving upon known state-of-the-art algorithms. And, to our knowledge, the 4 bpp format is the first workable 4 bpp solution with good quality. We also show that HDR textures in the proposed 4 bpp and 8 bpp formats can compose a layered architecture in the texture consumption pipeline, to significantly save the memory bandwidth and storage in real-time rendering. In addition, the 8 bpp format can also be used to handle traditional low dynamic range (LDR) RGBA textures. Our scheme exhibits a practical solution for compressing HDR textures at different rates and LDR textures with alpha maps.
Mobility Decisions in Heterogeneous Wireless Access Networks

With the proliferation of heterogeneous wireless networks, intelligent systems are likely to be implemented in smart phones that help in making good decisions with regard to selection of appropriate networks and other infrastructure resources. We propose a client-driven multi-factor utility function based framework for making decisions by using different heuristics to maximize the utility. We conduct extensive simulation studies to evaluate these online heuristics against each other, and compare them with an offline utility maximization scheme. Our offline scheme uses a dynamic programming approach that runs on a decision graph to find the best sequence of choices. We also study the interplay between different network design parameters and our proposed schemes, and obtain some interesting results. Apart from our study of heuristics for making mobility decisions, our work also provides important insights with respect to network design parameters in the presence of intelligent client side decision making systems.
Making political science matter : debating knowledge, research, and method

ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Reframing the Debate Brian Caterino and Sanford F. SchramPart I: The Flyvbjerg Debate1. Return to Politics: Perestroika, Phronesis, and Post-Paradigmatic Political ScienceSanford F. Schram2. The Perestroikan Challenge to Social Science David D. Laitin3. A Perestroikan Straw Man Answers Back: David Laitin and Phronetic Political ScienceBent Flyvbjerg4. A Statistician Strikes Out: In Defense of Genuine Methodological DiversityPatrick Thaddeus Jackson5. Re? ections on Doing Phronetic Social Science: A Case StudyCorey S. Shdaimah and Roland W. StahlPart II: Phronesis Reconsidered6. Social Science in Society Theodore Schatzki7. Power and Interpretation Brian Caterino8. Contesting the Terrain: Flyvbjerg on Facts, Value, Knowledge, and PowerMary Hawkesworth9. The Bounds of Rationality Stewart Clegg10. Making Intuition Matter Leslie Paul ThielePart III: Making Political Science Matter11. Conundrums in the Practice of Pluralism Peregrine Schwartz-Shea12. Unearthing the Roots of Hard Science: A Program for Graduate StudentsGreg J. Kasza13. Political Science and Political Theory: The Heart of the MatterDavid Kettler14. Finding New Mainstreams: Perestroika, Phronesis, and Political Science in the United StatesTimothy W. LukeReferences About the Contributors Index
The characteristics of land cover and macroscopical ecology changes in the Source Region of Three Rivers in Qinghai-Tibet plateau during last 30 years

We obtained four phases of land cover spatial data sets by interpreting MSS images of middle and late 1970s and three phases of TM images of late 1980s, 2004 and 2008 based on field investigation in Three Rivers' Source Region. We analyzed the temporal and spatial characteristics of land cover and macro ecological changes in Three Rivers' Source Region in Qinghai-Tibet plateau since middle and late 1970s. Indicated by land cover condition index change rate and land cover change index, land cover and macroscopical ecological condition degenerated (7090 period Zc −0.63, LCCI −0.58)-obviously degenerated (9004 period, Zc −0.94, LCCI −1.76)-slightly meliorated (0408 period, Zc 0.06, LCCI 0.33). This course was jointly driven by climate change, grassland stocking pressure and implement of ecological construction project.
The Development of DRUM: A Software Tool for Video-assisted Usability Evaluation

The development is reported of a practical software tool which supports video-assisted observational evaluation of usability. The Diagnostic Recorder for Usability Measurement (DRUM) helps evaluators to organise and analyse user-based evaluations, and to deliver measures and diagnostic data. This paper reports DRUM's rationale, theoretical background, requirements capture and collaborative iterative development. It outlines DRUM's functionality and manner of use. DRUM runs on Apple® MacintoshTM, drives a range of video machines, and supports management of evaluation data, task analysis, video mark-up and logging (with find and replay of logged events), analysis of logged data and calculation of metrics.
Touch-induced visual illusion

Although vision is considered the dominant modality, recent studies demonstrate the influence of other modalities on visual perception. For example, in the sound-induced flash illusion, two auditory stimuli cause one visual flash to be perceived as two. We report an extension of the sound-induced flash illusion to the tactile–visual domain, yielding the touch-induced flash illusion. Observers reported seeing two flashes on the majority of trials when a single flash was presented concurrently with two task-irrelevant brief tactile stimuli. Somatosensory stimulation changed the sensitivity (d′) of detecting visual stimuli, which suggests that the observed effect is at least partly due to perceptual interactions. Together with other recent findings, these results challenge the notion that the processing of visual information is independent of activity in other modalities.
A New Paradigm for Multimedia Information Access Through the Integration of Content , Context and Common Knowledge

We present a new paradigm for multimedia information access, named the “Holistic” information access paradigm, and its underlying architecture, the 3C (Content, context, and common-background) knowledge integration architecture. The holistic information access approach is context-sensitive, concept-based, and proactive. “Context-sensitive” means that the approach incorporates the characteristics of the information seeker (or the audience) as well as his/her intended use for the sought information. Common (domain) knowledge documents are used for characterizing the seeker as well as the information task and represented using user-independent, role-based profiles. Concept-based means that the user interacts with the system through an ontology of concepts instead of a vocabulary of words/phrases. “Proactive” means that the approach incorporates retrieval and classification in advance, based on background domain knowledge documents designated by the information seeker. Content knowledge is obtained via audio-visual analyzers such as object detectors and feature extraction modules. Context knowledge is obtained via shallow and deep text mining methods. These three components are integrated via the XML-based standard knowledge representation scheme XML Topic Maps (XTM). We demonstrate the use of the approach in an automatic presentation generation system in the context of K-12 education.
Ultralow-voltage electrothermal MEMS based fiber-optic scanning probe for forward-viewing endoscopic OCT.

We report an ultralow-voltage, electrothermal (ET) micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) based probe for forward-viewing endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging. The fully assembled probe has a diameter of 5.5 mm and a length of 55 mm, including the imaging optics and a 40 mm long fiber-optic cantilever attached on a micro-platform of the bimorph ET MEMS actuator. The ET MEMS actuator provides a sufficient mechanical actuation force as well as a large vertical displacement, achieving up to a 3 mm optical scanning range with only a 3 VACp-p drive voltage with a 1.5 VDC offset. The imaging probe was integrated with a swept-source OCT system of a 100 kHz A-scan rate, and its performance was successfully demonstrated with cross-sectional imaging of biological tissues ex vivo and in vivo at a speed up to 200 frames per second.
Processing and Assessment of Spectrometric, Stereoscopic Imagery Collected Using a Lightweight UAV Spectral Camera for Precision Agriculture

Imaging using lightweight, unmanned airborne vehicles (UAVs) is one of the most rapidly developing fields in remote sensing technology. The new, tunable, Fabry-Perot interferometer-based (FPI) spectral camera, which weighs less than 700 g, makes it possible to collect spectrometric image blocks with stereoscopic overlaps using light-weight UAV platforms. This new technology is highly relevant, because it opens up new possibilities for measuring and monitoring the environment, which is becoming increasingly important for many environmental challenges. Our objectives were to investigate the processing and use of this new type of image data in precision agriculture. We developed the entire processing chain from raw images up to georeferenced reflectance images, digital surface models and biomass estimates. The processing integrates photogrammetric and quantitative remote sensing approaches. We carried out an empirical assessment using FPI spectral imagery collected at an agricultural wheat test site in the summer of 2012. Poor weather conditions during the campaign complicated the data processing, but this is one of the challenges that are faced in operational applications. The
An efficient audio fingerprint design for MP3 music

In this paper, we describe an efficient and robust MP3 fingerprinting system. Four kinds of MP3 features, i.e., MDCT, MFCC, MPEG-7, and chroma vectors are extracted from the compressed bitstream of the MP3 fragments. To efficiently search for an unknown MP3 fingerprint in the high dimensional feature space, an indexing scheme which is composed of the PCA technique and the QUC-tree structure is applied. Inverted lists of MP3 signatures are also constructed to solve the problem of subspace overlapping. Experiments are performed on the RWC music database to show the efficiency and robustness of the proposed MP3 fingerprinting system.
Binding of cholesterol by sulfhydryl-activated cytolysins

The binding of cholesterol by pneumolysin, alveolysin, and streptolysin O has been demonstrated. The properties of the cytolysin-cholesterol interaction parallel those of cytolysin-erythrocyte interaction in that the reaction is rapid, temperature independent, decreased at elevated pH, and shows the same specificity with respect to other related sterols. However, oxidized or p-hydroxymercuribenzoate-treated thoxin showed no decrease in cholesterol-binding activity, whereas the ability of cytolysin to bind to erythrocytes was modified by such treatment.
CORRELATED RATES OF MOLECULAR AND MORPHOLOGICAL EVOLUTION

Since Zuckerkandl and Pauling (1962, 1965) proposed the molecular clock, many studies seem to have supported their prediction that rates of molecular and morphological evolution generally will be decoupled. Most of these studies were aimed at taxa in which rates of morphological evolution were thought to vary greatly a priori. For the current survey eight diverse taxa were systematically chosen from published studies without regard to prior expectations about rates. Two approaches showed that rates of molecular and morphological evolution may usually be coupled. First, correlations in the total number of changes accumulated in terminal taxa suggest that some mechanism alters the rates of both morphological and molecular evolution in concert. Second, node‐density effects were removed statistically, and average corrected base‐to‐tip totals were compared among sister clades. Across all taxa 50 of 72 of these corrected contrasts support the hypothesis that rates of molecular and morphological evolution are correlated; this finding is highly significant by a binomial test. Furthermore, there were positive correlations between inferred molecular and morphological branch lengths in seven of eight cases, which is also significant. These branch length correlations are consistent with the rate correlations, and suggest that amounts of molecular and morphological evolution often are correlated also. This study supports the assumptions of several phylogenetic methods, and highlights a need for new inquiries into many aspects of both molecular and morphological evolution.
Initial Ocular Following in Humans Depends Critically on the Fourier Components of the Motion Stimulus

Abstract: Visual motion is sensed by low‐level (energy‐based) and high‐level (feature‐based) mechanisms. Our interest is in the motion detectors underlying the initial ocular following responses (OFR) that are elicited at ultrashort latencies by sudden motions of large images. OFR were elicited in humans by applying horizontal motion to vertical square‐wave gratings lacking the fundamental. In the frequency domain, a pure square wave is composed of the odd harmonics—first, third, fifth, seventh, etc.—such that the third, fifth, seventh, etc., have amplitudes that are one‐third, one‐fifth, one‐seventh, etc., that of the first, and the missing fundamental stimulus lacks the first harmonic. Motion consisted of successive quarter‐wavelength steps, so the features and 4n+1 harmonics (where n= integer) shifted forward, whereas the 4n−1 harmonics—including the strongest Fourier component (the third harmonic)—shifted backward (spatial aliasing). Thus, the net Fourier energy and the non‐Fourier features moved in opposite directions. Initial OFR, recorded with the search coil technique, had minimum latencies of 60 to 70 ms and were always in the direction of the third harmonic, for example, leftward steps resulted in rightward OFR. Thus, the earliest OFR were strongly dependent on the motion of the major Fourier component, consistent with mediation by oriented spatiotemporal visual filters as in the well‐known energy model of motion detection. Introducing interstimulus intervals of 10 to 100 ms (during which the screen was uniform gray) reversed the initial direction of tracking, consistent with extensive neurophysiological and psychophysical data suggesting that the visual input to the motion detectors has a biphasic temporal impulse response.
Molecular G o 2 Regulates Vesicular Glutamate Transporter Activity by Changing Its Chloride Dependence

Sandra Winter,1* Irene Brunk,1* Diego J. Walther,2 Markus Höltje,1 Meisheng Jiang,3 Jens-Uwe Peter,2 Shigeo Takamori,4 Reinhard Jahn,4 Lutz Birnbaumer,3 and Gudrun Ahnert-Hilger1 1AG Funktionelle Zellbiologie, Centrum für Anatomie, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, D-10115 Berlin, Germany, 2Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Genetik, D-14195 Berlin, Germany, 3National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, and 4Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie, D-37707 Göttingen, Germany