Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physical and Functional Interaction of Rabphilin-3A with α-Actinin*

Rabphilin-3A is a downstream target molecule of Rab3A small GTP-binding protein and implicated in Ca2+-dependent neurotransmitter release. Here we have isolated a rabphilin-3A-interacting molecule from a human brain cDNA library by the yeast two-hybrid method and identified it to be α-actinin, known to cross-link actin filaments into a bundle. α-Actinin interacts with the N-terminal region of rabphilin-3A, with which GTP-Rab3A interacts, and this interaction stimulates the activity of α-actinin to cross-link actin filaments into a bundle. The interaction of rabphilin-3A with α-actinin is inhibited by guanosine 5′-(3-O-thio)triphosphate-Rab3A. These results suggest that the Rab3A-rabphilin-3A system regulates the α-actinin-regulated reorganization of actin filaments. It has been shown that reorganization of actin filaments is also involved in Ca2+-dependent exocytosis. Therefore, rabphilin-3A may serve as a linker for Rab3A and cytoskeleton.
Modeling Key Drivers of E-Learning Satisfaction among Student Teachers

This study explored the key drivers of student teachers' e-learning satisfaction. Three hundred and eighty-seven participants completed a survey questionnaire measuring their self-reported responses to six constructs (tutor quality, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, course delivery, facilitating conditions, and course satisfaction). Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling. The results of this study showed that, apart from facilitating conditions, all constructs were significant predictors of e-learning satisfaction. However, facilitating conditions was found to be a significant mediator of perceived ease of use and satisfaction. Some implications for e-learning and teacher education were discussed.
Reproductive interference explains persistence of aggression between species

Interspecific territoriality occurs when individuals of different species fight over space, and may arise spontaneously when populations of closely related territorial species first come into contact. But defence of space is costly, and unless the benefits of excluding heterospecifics exceed the costs, natural selection should favour divergence in competitor recognition until the species no longer interact aggressively. Ordinarily males of different species do not compete for mates, but when males cannot distinguish females of sympatric species, females may effectively become a shared resource. We model how reproductive interference caused by undiscriminating males can prevent interspecific divergence, or even cause convergence, in traits used to recognize competitors. We then test the model in a genus of visually orienting insects and show that, as predicted by the model, differences between species pairs in the level of reproductive interference, which is causally related to species differences in female coloration, are strongly predictive of the current level of interspecific aggression. Interspecific reproductive interference is very common and we discuss how it may account for the persistence of interspecific aggression in many taxonomic groups.
VCCN: Virtual content-centric networking for realizing group-based communication

Data-centric networking has recently been getting increased attention. A representative design of data-centric networking is CCN (Content-Centric Networking), which routes packets within a network based on their content identifiers. CCN is basically designed to be open because ease of data reuse is one of the greatest advantages of data-centric networking. However, being used for real-world networking, completely open data-centric networking is not sufficient. It is required to realize closed communication within a group of users. In this paper, we propose Virtual Content-Centric Networking (VCCN), which realizes closed communication within a group of users with CCN router virtualization. This paper presents four building blocks of VCCN: extension of the content identifier, CCN router virtualization, packet transport between virtualized CCN routers, and Social Network Services cooperative user/group identification. Moreover, we implemented VCCN's basic features by extending the CCNx software and performed a preliminary performance evaluation of our VCCN implementation.
The Effects of Chronic Exercise on Attentional Networks

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that chronic physical exercise improves attentional control in young healthy participants. To do this, we compared the performance of physically active and passive participants in the Attentional Network Task, which allows for the assessment of the executive, orienting and alerting networks. The results showed a selective positive effect of exercise on the executive network. These results extend the evidence gathered in children, older adults and certain clinical populations suggesting that exercise can also improve attentional control in healthy young adults.
Database Repairing and Consistent Query Answering

Integrity constraints are semantic conditions that a database should satisfy in order to be an appropriate model of external reality. In practice, and for many reasons, a database may not satisfy those integrity constraints, and for that reason it is said to be inconsistent. However, and most likely, a large portion of the database is still semantically correct, in a sense that has to be made precise. After having provided a formal characterization of consistent data in an inconsistent database, the natural problem emerges of extracting that semantically correct data, as query answers. The consistent data in an inconsistent database is usually characterized as the data that persists across all the database instances that are consistent and minimally differ from the inconsistent instance. Those are the so-called repairs of the database. In particular, the consistent answers to a query posed to the inconsistent database are those answers that can be simultaneously obtained from all the database repairs. As expected, the notion of repair requires an adequate notion of distance that allows for the comparison of databases with respect to how much they differ from the inconsistent instance. On this basis, the minimality condition on repairs can be properly formulated. In this monograph we present and discuss these fundamental concepts, different repair semantics, algorithms for computing consistent answers to queries, and also complexity-theoretic results related to the computation of repairs and doing consistent query answering. Table of Contents: Introduction / The Notions of Repair and Consistent Answer / Tractable CQA and Query Rewriting / Logically Specifying Repairs / Decision Problems in CQA: Complexity and Algorithms / Repairs and Data Cleaning
Gibberellin-responsive elements in the promoter of a barley high-pI alpha-amylase gene.

Deletion analysis has previously shown that the major gibberellic acid (GA)- and abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive elements in the promoter of a high-pI alpha-amylase gene of barley are located downstream of -174 (Jacobsen and Close, 1991). We have used transient expression assays in barley aleurone protoplasts to identify sequences between -174 and +53 that confer GA and ABA responsiveness on expression of a beta-glucuronidase reporter gene. Using alpha-amylase promoter fragments and synthetic oligonucleotides fused to minimal promoters, we have shown that the hormone-responsive region is located between -174 and -108. A single copy of this region fused to a minimal alpha-amylase promoter (-41) conferred both GA- and ABA-responsive expression on the reporter gene comparable to the positive control, Am(-174)IGN. Multiple copies of this region were able to activate even greater levels of expression. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to determine the functional importance of the conserved motifs (-169pyrimidine box, -143TAACAAA box, and -124TATCCAC box) and nonconserved intervening sequences within the region between -174 and -108. Our results showed that both the TAACAAA and TATCCAC boxes play an important role in GA-regulated expression. We propose that the TAACAAA box is a gibberellin response element, that the TATCCAC box acts cooperatively with the TAACAAA box to give a high level of GA-regulated expression, and that together these motifs form important components of a gibberellin response complex in high-pI alpha-amylase genes. The TAACAAA box also appears to be the site of action of ABA. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
β‐Cells are not uniform after all—Novel insights into molecular heterogeneity of insulin‐secreting cells

While the β‐cells of the endocrine pancreas are defined as cells with high levels of insulin production and tight stimulus‐secretion coupling, the existence of functional heterogeneity among them has been known for decades. Recent advances in molecular technologies, in particular single‐cell profiling on both the protein and messenger RNA level, have uncovered that β‐cells exist in several antigenically and molecularly definable states. Using antibodies to cell surface markers or multidimensional clustering of β‐cells using more than 20 protein markers by mass cytometry, 4 distinct groups of β‐cells could be differentiated. However, whether these states represent permanent cell lineages or are readily interconvertible from one group to another remains to be determined. Nevertheless, future analysis of the pathogenesis of type 1 and type 2 diabetes will certainly benefit from a growing appreciation of β‐cell heterogeneity. Here, we aim to summarize concisely the recent advances in the field and their possible impact on our understanding of β‐cell physiology and pathophysiology.
Dramatic Social Change in Russia and Mongolia

Two studies assess people's reactions in the midst of dramatic social change. The studies examine consequences of social change in Russia and Mongolia after the dismantlement of the Soviet Union. They focus on the impact of social changes that are numerous, negative, and rapid. Specifically, an integration of relative deprivation and social identity theories is proposed. According to hypotheses, it is found that the more people perceive social change as numerous and negative, the more they experience social collective relative deprivation. In addition, the more people perceive social change as rapid and negative, the more they express temporal collective relative deprivation. Both types of collective relative deprivation are linked to collective esteem: Whereas the path from temporal collective relative deprivation is negative in both studies, the valence of path from social collective relative deprivation to collective esteem depends on perceived in-group status of the cultural group.
Location hierarchical access control scheme based on attribute encryption

To solve the problems of location sharing in social network, such as location information management is too loose, access permissions are not clear, it is unable to access the location information hierarchically and soon on, we construct a new algorithm based on attribute encryption and design a location hierarchical access control scheme based on it. First, we design a flexible attribute encryption strategy to make different users to obtain their own decryption key corresponding to their permission during system initialization and user registration. Then, encrypt the location information with hierarchical attribute encryption before sharing so that we can provide “precise”, “more accurate”, “fuzzy” and “private” four modes to manage it. And users' permissions of decryption is backward compatible, where users with higher permissions can access the location information inferior to their permissions. In our scheme, we encrypt the symmetric key with attribute encryption algorithm and encrypt file data with the symmetric encryption, which ensure a high efficiency operation. Finally, we analyze the efficiency and the security of our scheme.
Propagation of Surface Waves on a Buried Coaxial Cable with Periodic Slots

Consider a coaxial cable with a periodic array of slots in the outer conductor. The cable is buried at a fixed depth below the surface of the earth as one component of an intruder detection system. In this paper, we use an eccentric cylindrical model of the air-earth interface to develop the theory for surface-wave propagation on the buried cable. Numerical results are included for the phase velocity and attenuation constant as functions of the various parameters.
Q Technique and Questionnaires

Q methodology is based upon small numbers of cases, but small-sample analyses can be useful in the prior structuring of questionnaires for administration to large samples. An illustration is provided of a study of reaction to the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, which produced four Q factors that were initially characterized both in terms of the subjectivity involved as well as their connections to demographic variables. Statements that distinguished the factors were then placed in a questionnaire that was administered by telephone to a randomly selected sample of 81 students. Indices of factor membership were calculated in terms of the questionnaire responses to the distinguishing statements, and the connection of these factor categories to other variables were then determined through conventional hypothesis testing. The survey results reaffirm the limitation of Q methodology in reaching dependable conclusions about proportions and trait associations that require larger numbers of observations, but they also showed Q’s authority in the subjective domain as well as its utility in improving the functional utility of questionnaires.
Incremental learning on a budget and a quick calculation method using a tree-search algorithm

In this study, a lightweight kernel regression algorithm for embedded systems is proposed. In our previous study, we proposed an online learning method with a limited number of kernels based on a kernel regression model known as a limited general regression neural network (LGRNN). The LGRNN behavior is similar to that of k-nearest neighbors except for its continual interpolation between learned samples. The output of kernel regression to an input is dominant for the closest kernel output. This is in contrast to the output of kernel perceptrons, which is determined by the combination of several nested kernels. This means that the output of a kernel regression model can be lightly weighted by omitting calculations for the other kernels. Therefore, we have to find the closest kernel and its neighbors to the current input vector quickly. To realize this, we introduce a tree-search-based calculation method for LGRNN. In the LGRNN learning method, the kernels are clustered into k groups and organized as tree-structured data for the tree-search algorithm.
SparkDict: A fast dictionary learning algorithm

For the always increasing amount of data new tools are needed to effectively harvest important information out of them. One of the core fields for data mining is Dictionary Learning, the search for a sparse representation of given data, which is widely used in signal processing and machine learning. In this paper we present a new algorithm in this field that is based on random projections of the data. In particular, we show that our proposition needs a lot less training samples and is a lot faster to achieve the same dictionary accuracy as state of the art algorithms, especially in the medium to high sparsity regions. As the spark, the minimum number of linear dependent columns of a matrix, plays an important role in the design of our contribution, we coined our contribution SparkDict.
Mars hand lens imager: Lens mechanical design

In 2011 NASA will launch the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) as part of its Mars Exploration Program to learn more about the red planet's environment and geological history. To fulfill that goal, the MSL rover, built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), is outfitted with the most extensive array of scientific instruments ever landed on the Martian surface. The Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), mounted on the end of the rover's robotic arm, is one of the primary science cameras for MSL. This camera affords many improvements over those used on previous Mars missions, particularly the ability to focus throughout a wide spatial range. A novel mechanism uses one motor to actuate an internal lens group, enabling focus capability, and manipulate a protective dust cover. This mechanism is designed to operate in the severe thermal environment of the MSL mission (−120° C to +40° C) and to survive for one Martian year with 3x margin (about 2000 Earth days) using non-standard materials and techniques in order to meet mass and optical requirements. Several issues involving lubrication and wear were encountered in developing this instrument; each solved through sound engineering and/or system level redesign. The qualification model passed full level life testing at temperatures throughout the operating range with negligible reduction in performance. Alliance Spacesystems, LLC supplied the flight model mechanism to Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) where it was integrated with electronics and in turn delivered to JPL in October 2008.
A Comparative Study of Learning Motivation among Engineering Students in South East Asia and Beyond

ngineers are vital to any prospering society and the effective and adequate training of the next generation of engineers is therefore crucial. Essential to the success of engineering education is the learning motivation among the students. Learning and motivation are highly complex facets of human behavior. People do learn from their experiences, while their willingness to learn is affected by a set of determinants. Motivation is believed to be an enabler for learning and academic success. Therefore, the aim of every learning oriented entity is to explore the factors that enable and motivate individuals to learn. Motivation in learning is described as the desire to use the knowledge and skills mastered in associated learning activities. It constitutes a central force when going through process of learning activities. Recent research primarily focuses on the need for achievement, which interacts with other variables to influence performance, and examined its relationship with work behaviour. Meanwhile, cognitive ability is found to moderate the relationship between need for achievement and performance.Personal goals are important in determining performance. The mediating roles of self-efficacies of students towards academic achievements have been proved.Research focusing on several important issues related to the theory of goal setting was carried out in the 1990s. This includes the study of goal difficulty-performance relationship, goal commitment in goal setting, personal goals and self-efficacy and effectiveness of goal setting. Self-efficacy generally refers to what a person believes he or she can do in a particular task. People with high-level self-efficacy are likely to set high goals and to perform well. Self-set goals are often more desirable than assigned goals because they automatically engender higher-level commitment. Cohesiveness within teams also positively relates to goal commitment.
Two-way translation of compound sentences and arm motions by recurrent neural networks

We present a connectionist model that combines motions and language based on the behavioral experiences of a real robot. Two models of recurrent neural network with parametric bias (RNNPB) were trained using motion sequences and linguistic sequences. These sequences were combined using their respective parameters so that the robot could handle many-to-many relationships between motion sequences and linguistic sequences. Motion sequences were articulated into some primitives corresponding to given linguistic sequences using the prediction error of the RNNPB model. The experimental task in which a humanoid robot moved its arm on a table demonstrated that the robot could generate a motion sequence corresponding to given linguistic sequence even if the motions or sequences were not included in the training data, and vice versa.
Adaptation of Images and Videos for Different Screen Sizes

With the increasing popularity of smartphones and similar mobile devices, the demand for media to consume on the go rises. As most images and videos today are captured with HD or even higher resolutions, there is a need to adapt them in a content-aware fashion before they can be watched comfortably on screens with small sizes and varying aspect ratios. This process is called retargeting. Most distortions during this process are caused by a change of the aspect ratio. Thus, retargeting mainly focuses on adapting the aspect ratio of a video while the rest can be scaled uniformly. The main objective of this dissertation is to contribute to the modern image and video retargeting, especially regarding the potential of the seam carving operator. There are still unsolved problems in this research field that should be addressed in order to improve the quality of the results or speed up the performance of the retargeting process. This dissertation presents novel algorithms that are able to retarget images, videos and stereoscopic videos while dealing with problems like the preservation of straight lines or the reduction of the required memory space and computation time. Additionally, a GPU implementation is used to achieve the retargeting of videos in real-time. Furthermore, an enhancement of face detection is presented which is able to distinguish between faces that are important for the retargeting and faces that are not. Results show that the developed techniques are suitable for the desired scenarios.
DEPENDENCY-BASED SENTENCE SIMPLIFICATION FOR INCREASING DEEP LFG PARSING COVERAGE

Large scale deep grammars can achieve high coverage of corpus data, yet cannot produce full-fledged solutions for each sentence. In this paper, we present a dependency-based sentence simplification approach to obtain full parses of simplified sentences that failed to have a complete analysis in their original form. In order to remove the erroneous parts that cause failure, we delete phrases from failed sentences by utilising their dependency structure, and reprocess the remaining shorter sentences with XLE to get full analyses. We ensure the grammaticality and preserve the core argument structure of simplified sentences by defining the deletion scheme only on a set of modifier phrases. We apply our approach on German data and retrieve full parses of simplified sentences for 52.37% of the failed TIGER sentences. With the combination of original and simplified sentences, the full XLE parses derived from the TIGER Treebank increases from 80.66% to 90.79%.
Cryptographic Aspects of Quantum Reading

Besides achieving secure communication between two spatially-separated parties,another important issue in modern cryptography is related to secure communication intime, i.e., the possibility to confidentially store information on a memory for later retrieval.Here we explore this possibility in the setting of quantum reading, which exploits quantumentanglement to efficiently read data from a memory whereas classical strategies (e.g., basedon coherent states or their mixtures) cannot retrieve any information. From this point ofview, the technique of quantum reading can provide a new form of technological security fordata storage.
JAK/STAT signaling in Drosophila muscles controls the cellular immune response against parasitoid infection

The role of JAK/STAT signaling in the cellular immune response of Drosophila is not well understood. Here, we show that parasitoid wasp infection activates JAK/STAT signaling in somatic muscles of the Drosophila larva, triggered by secretion of the cytokines Upd2 and Upd3 from circulating hemocytes. Deletion of upd2 or upd3, but not the related os (upd1) gene, reduced the cellular immune response, and suppression of the JAK/STAT pathway in muscle cells reduced the encapsulation of wasp eggs and the number of circulating lamellocyte effector cells. These results suggest that JAK/STAT signaling in muscles participates in a systemic immune defense against wasp infection.