Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oriented energy-aware scheme used in heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks

The main challenge facing us in the design and conception of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs)is to find the best way to extend their life span. The clustering algorithm is a key technique used to increase the scalability and life span of the network in general. In this paper, we have proposed an energy aware cluster head selection algorithm, for heterogeneous wireless sensor networks, by modifying the manner in which the nodes transmit their sensing data; In addition we introduce the node's remaining energy so as to compute election probabilities. Finally, simulation results show that the proposed algorithm increases the life span of the whole network and performs better than LEACH and than EEHC according to the metric: first node dies.
Developmental Practice Activities of Elite Youth Swimmers

The purpose of the study was to examine the developmental pathways of elite youth swimmers. Swim-related developmental activities of elite and sub-elite youth swimmers were examined. Fifteen elite (8 males; 7 females) and 15 subelite (5 males; 10 females) youth swimmers were recruited for the study. A semistructured questionnaire was used to record retrospectively the hours engaged in swim-related activities (i.e., structured and unstructured activities) from beginning of career. No significant differences were found for swim-related developmental milestones for both elite and sub-elite swimmers. Overall, the elite swimmers accumulated more hours in swim-related activities than the sub-elites between 6-15 years of age. Although the former accumulated more hours in both structured and unstructured swimming activities between 6-12 years of age, no significant differences were found between the groups. However, the elite swimmers accumulated significantly more hours in structured swimming activities between 13-15 years of age. Both groups had analogous developmental pathways during childhood but the onset of adolescence led to different outcomes. The increased hours in structured practice during adolescence is suggested to have influenced the level of attainment in swimmers. Incremental amount of training at certain age period is critical in developing optimum performance in sports.
Commentary on “An Affirmative Intervention for Families with Gender Variant Children: Parental Ratings of Child Mental Health and Gender” by Hill, Menvielle, Sica, and Johnson (2010)

Empirical research on children with extreme gender variant behavior, formally characterized as gender identity disorder (GID) in the DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), has been hampered by the relatively small number of research clinicians who work with this population. The article by Hill, Menvielle, Sica, and Johnson (2010) is, therefore, a welcome addition to the empirical literature. One aim of the Hill et al. (2010) article was to provide data on parental ratings of general behavior problems in a sample of GID children whose parents contacted the Children’s Gender and Sexuality Advocacy and Education Program (CGSAEDP), which is housed at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC. The philosophical model that guides this program was well-articulated by Hill et al. (2010). For example, in contrast with therapeutic approaches that attempt to “normalize” the child’s extreme cross-gender behavior (perhaps with the goal of aligning the child’s gender identity with his or her birth sex), the “affirmative” model of the CGSAEDP is one of “acceptance and unconditional love” (Hill et al., 2010, p. 9). In the empirical arm of their article, Hill et al. (2010) hypothesized that children of parents who sought assistance at the CGSAEDP would have lower rates of general behavior problems or “pathology” than children who have been evaluated in other specialized gender identity clinics, including our own clinic in Toronto, Canada, and the Dutch clinic currently housed in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. To evaluate this hypothesis, Hill et al. (2010) provided
Are Affines Treated as Biological Kin?

Affines (or “in-laws”) have long been recognized within anthropology as a special kind of kin. Evolutionary biology, in contrast, has typically treated affines as though they were unrelated: only direct genetic kinship counts. However, Hughes (1988) argued that Hamilton’s concept of inclusive fitness naturally includes affinal kin as kin because true kin and their affines share genetic interests in future generations. We test this proposal by asking whether affinal relatives are treated more like biological kin or unrelated friends in terms of perceived emotional closeness. We show for a sample of contemporary Belgians that affines are indeed treated more or less the same as biological kin of similar nominal relatedness and not at all like unrelated friends. These findings suggest that Hughes was right in his reinterpretation of Hamilton and that affinal kinship needs to be considered in biological studies of human kinship.
Does Accountability Attenuate or Amplify Stereotyping? The Role of Implicit Theories

Does accountability (the expectation that one will be called on to justify one's beliefs or actions to others) attenuate or amplify stereotyping? The authors hypothesized that the effect of accountability on stereotype use in impression formation depends on perceivers' implicit theory (entity versus incremental). The authors assessed the effects of accountability and implicit theories on participants' impression of the target (Studies 1 and 2), attention to the target's stereotype-consistent versus -inconsistent behavior (Study 1), and sense of being entitled to judge the target (Study 2). In both studies, accountability amplified the stereotypicality of entity theorists' impressions but, if anything, attenuated the stereotypicality of incremental theorists' impressions. Moreover, in Study 1, the more attention accountable entity (but not incremental) theorists paid to counterstereotypic information, the more stereotype-driven were their impressions. In Study 2, for entity theorists but not incremental th.
Bonobos Fall within the Genomic Variation of Chimpanzees

To gain insight into the patterns of genetic variation and evolutionary relationships within and between bonobos and chimpanzees, we sequenced 150,000 base pairs of nuclear DNA divided among 15 autosomal regions as well as the complete mitochondrial genomes from 20 bonobos and 58 chimpanzees. Except for western chimpanzees, we found poor genetic separation of chimpanzees based on sample locality. In contrast, bonobos consistently cluster together but fall as a group within the variation of chimpanzees for many of the regions. Thus, while chimpanzees retain genomic variation that predates bonobo-chimpanzee speciation, extensive lineage sorting has occurred within bonobos such that much of their genome traces its ancestry back to a single common ancestor that postdates their origin as a group separate from chimpanzees.
Reading on the Go: An Evaluation of Three Mobile Display Technologies

As mobile technology becomes a more integral part of our everyday lives, understanding the impact of different displays on perceived ease of use and overall performance is becoming increasingly important. In this paper, we evaluate three mobile displays: the MicroOptical SV-3, the Sony Librié, and the OQO Model 01. These displays each use different underlying technologies and offer unique features which could impact mobile use. The OQO is a hand-held device that utilizes a traditional transflective liquid crystal display (LCD). The MicroOptical SV-3 is a head-mounted display that uses a miniature LCD and offers hands free use. Finally, the Librié uses a novel, low power reflective electronic ink technology. We present a controlled 15-participant evaluation to assess the effectiveness of using these displays for reading while in motion.
RELATIONS BETWEEN DIFFERENT SOURCES OF INFORMATION IN THE STRUCTURED SELECTION INTERVIEW

In this study we explored relations between visual cues displayed by interviewees, the content of their answers to interview questions, and supervisory ratings of performance. Sixty managers at 4 companies answered structured interview questions on videotape. Their supervisors assessed their performance on dimensions of managerial effectiveness. Three groups of student raters either watched the videotaped interviews without sound (visual information only), read transcripts of interviewees' answers to questions (content only), or watched and listened to the interviews (complete information) and then made judgments on the same dimensions of managerial effectiveness. Interviewees' specific nonverbal cues were also measured. Results indicate that visual cues have an effect on interview ratings above and beyond the content of responses. Nonverbal cues such as gaze and physical attractiveness seem to have an effect on both visually based and content-based interview ratings. Furthermore, it is the integration of both verbal and nonverbal information that has the strongest relationship with performance ratings.
Investigation on Probabilistic Distribution of Wiring Harness Radiated Immunity of Power Transmission Line

Based on the nodal admittance method which is convenient to analyze the responses at terminals of multiconductor transmission lines excited by EM field, Monte Carlo method for the characterization of wiring-harness susceptibility to external interference is applied. The problems of field-coupling onto high voltage alternate current (HVAC) transmission line and high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line loaded by terminal resistances are considered. The external field is modeled by a uniform plane wave with random parameters. Investigated configuration is wave with three random parameters of polarization angle, incident angle and azimuth angle, and the set of random values is generated by computer. The formulas of response of multiconductor line are applied, and the amplitude of voltages or current is computed for every set of random values. When the range of incident parameters of wave is of [0,pi/2], the probability distributions of terminal currents and voltages are investigated.
Distributed peer-to-peer beamforming for multiuser relay networks

A computationally efficient distributed beamforming technique for multi-user relay networks is developed. The channel state information is assumed to be known at the relays or destinations, and the total relay transmitted power is minimized subject to the destination quality-of-service constraints. It is shown that this problem can be approximately converted to a convex second-order cone programming form. As a result, the proposed network beamforming technique offers a substantially reduced computational complexity than earlier state-of-the-art techniques that are based on semidefinite relaxation.
Finishing College: The Effects of College Type.

This study uses multivariate analysis to determine the odds that a sample of high school seniors will earn a bachelor's degree. The study compares the effects of attending two-year and four-year colleges and finds that where one starts college drastically affects the chances of completing the baccalaureate. Students who start in two-year colleges are less likely to finish than students who start in four-year colleges. However, other variables, such as religious background (i.e., being Jewish), educational aspirations, academic performance in college, participation in a work-study program, and living on campus, exert substantial positive effects on finishing. The study finds that nonwhite students with low educational aspirations are more likely to finish college than similar white students, but white students with high aspirations are more likely to finish than comparable nonwhite students.
The supposed demise of Fordism: Implications for distance education and higher education

The recent shift in Australian Government policy for Distance Education at the Higher Education level, as intimated by the increasing usage of the notion, Open Learning, is outlined. Such an emphasis on Open Learning contrasts markedly with the concerted effort to centralise and rationalise distance education in the late 1980s. This shift is related to a more general debate concerning the restructuring of industry which is formulated using an analysis grounded in the conceptualisation of Fordism, its crisis and its likely successor. The complex and contested nature of the debate about Fordism is revealed, as is its important connection with postmodernism. The relevance of this broader debate to higher education is then displayed and linked to the particular place of academic staff and their opportunity and ability to influence future policy.
The Power of Belief: Spanish Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy and Student Performance on the National Spanish Examinations

In this study, the researcher investigated Spanish teachers’ sense of efficacy as it relates to their students’ achievement on the AATSP National Spanish Examinations. Results suggest that there is a link between Spanish teacher efficacy and students’ scores on the exams. That is, the higher one’s belief about his or her abilities to teach Spanish, the higher the students’ scores on the exams. Teacher efficacy also was found to be related to participants’ future vocational plans: whether they remain teaching or leave the profession. This research has implications for teacher preparation and professional development highlighting the importance of building a strong sense of efficacy in teaching Spanish.
An algebro-geometric construction of commuting operators and of solutions to the Toda lattice equation , Korteweg deVries equation and related non-linear equations

A remarkable "dictionary" was discovered by I.M. Krichever [7], following suggestions in the work of Zaharov-Shabat [11], where they attempted to find a common formalism for the inverse scattering method of integrating certain non-linear partial differential equations. Subsequently, a characteristic p analog of this dictionary was discovered by V.G. Drinfeld, and a matrix analog was worked out by P. van Moerbeke and myself. Preceding this stage, a legion of authors have worked previously in the hyperelliptic-degree 2 operator case : much of this can be traced through the recent articles [3], [5] and [10]. It is not entirely inaccurate to say that initial insight behind this and related discoveries was the work of the first electronic computer ! This lecture is a report on these 3 dictionaries with only a brief discussion of their applications. (see Added in proof) This dictionary is a one-one correspondence between 2 types of superficially totally unrelated sorts of data : on one side of the dictionary, one has an algebraic curve, one or more points on it, and a vector bundle over it ; on the other side, one has commutative subring of some big non-commutative ring of operators. This correspondence seems to me remarkable for many reasons. Firstly, it appears, as mentioned above, in at least 3 quite distinct cases. Secondly, it enables one, generally in terms of theta functions, to construct solutions both to equations formed from operators in these commutative subrings and to equations formed from flows in the space of all operators in the big non-commutative ring. Thirdly, it gives a new parametrization of the moduli space of the curves involved and/or their jacobians, vector bundle moduli spaces, etc. We will discuss this in more detail below. To make the idea precise, we state here the results in the simple case where the bundle is a line bundle, for all 3 types of operators :
Cell-penetrating superoxide dismutase attenuates oxidative stress-induced senescence by regulating the p53-p21Cip1 pathway and restores osteoblastic differentiation in human dental pulp stem cells

Background Human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have potential applications in tissue regeneration because of their convenient cell harvesting procedures and multipotent capacity. However, the tissue regenerative potential of DPSCs is known to be negatively regulated by aging in long-term culture and under oxidative stress. With an aim of reducing cellular senescence and oxidative stress in DPSCs, an intracellular delivery system for superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) was developed. We conjugated SOD1 with a cell-penetrating peptide known as low-molecular weight protamine (LMWP), and investigated the effect of LMWP-SOD1 conjugates on hydrogen peroxide-induced cellular senescence and osteoblastic differentiation. Results LMWP-SOD1 significantly attenuated enlarged and flattened cell morphology and increased senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity. Under the same conditions, LMWP-SOD1 abolished activation of the cell cycle regulator proteins, p53 and p21Cip1, induced by hydrogen peroxide. In addition, LMWP-SOD1 reversed the inhibition of osteoblastic differentiation and downregulation of osteogenic gene markers induced by hydrogen peroxide. However, LMWP-SOD1 could not reverse the decrease in odontogenesis caused by hydrogen peroxide. Conclusion Overall, cell-penetrating LMWP-SOD1 conjugates are effective for attenuation of cellular senescence and reversal of osteoblastic differentiation of DPSCs caused by oxidative stress inhibition. This result suggests potential application in the field of antiaging and tissue engineering to overcome the limitations of senescent stem cells.
An Essential Role of STIM1, Orai1, and S100A8–A9 Proteins for Ca2+ Signaling and FcγR-Mediated Phagosomal Oxidative Activity

Phagocytosis is a process of innate immunity that allows for the enclosure of pathogens within the phagosome and their subsequent destruction through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Although these processes have been associated with increases of intracellular Ca2+ concentrations, the mechanisms by which Ca2+ could regulate the different phases of phagocytosis remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the Ca2+ signaling pathways involved in the regulation of FcγRs-induced phagocytosis. Our work focuses on IgG-opsonized zymosan internalization and phagosomal ROS production in DMSO-differentiated HL-60 cells and neutrophils. We found that chelation of intracellular Ca2+ by BAPTA or emptying of the intracellular Ca2+ store by thapsigargin reduced the efficiency of zymosan internalization. Using an small interfering RNA strategy, our data establish that the observed Ca2+ release occurs through two isoforms of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptors, ITPR1 and ITPR3. In addition, we provide evidence that phagosomal ROS production is dependent on extracellular Ca2+ entry. We demonstrate that the observed Ca2+ influx is supported by ORAI calcium release-activated calcium modulator 1 (Orai1) and stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1). This result suggests that extracellular Ca2+ entry, which is required for ROS production, is mediated by a store-operated Ca2+ mechanism. Finally, our data identify the complex formed by S100A8 and S100A9 (S100 calcium-binding protein A8 and A9 complex), two Ca2+-binding proteins, as the site of interplay between extracellular Ca2+ entry and intraphagosomal ROS production. Thus, we demonstrate that FcγR-mediated phagocytosis requires intracellular Ca2+ store depletion for the internalization phase. Then phagosomal ROS production requires extracellular Ca2+ entry mediated by Orai1/STIM1 and relayed by S100A8–A9 as Ca2+ sensor.
Designer Lipid-Like Peptides: A Class of Detergents for Studying Functional Olfactory Receptors Using Commercial Cell-Free Systems

A crucial bottleneck in membrane protein studies, particularly G-protein coupled receptors, is the notorious difficulty of finding an optimal detergent that can solubilize them and maintain their stability and function. Here we report rapid production of 12 unique mammalian olfactory receptors using short designer lipid-like peptides as detergents. The peptides were able to solubilize and stabilize each receptor. Circular dichroism showed that the purified olfactory receptors had alpha-helical secondary structures. Microscale thermophoresis suggested that the receptors were functional and bound their odorants. Blot intensity measurements indicated that milligram quantities of each olfactory receptor could be produced with at least one peptide detergent. The peptide detergents' capability was comparable to that of the detergent Brij-35. The ability of 10 peptide detergents to functionally solubilize 12 olfactory receptors demonstrates their usefulness as a new class of detergents for olfactory receptors, and possibly other G-protein coupled receptors and membrane proteins.
Association of circulating lactoferrin concentration and 2 nonsynonymous LTF gene polymorphisms with dyslipidemia in men depends on glucose-tolerance status.

BACKGROUND Lactoferrin, an innate immune protein with antiinflammatory properties, shows considerable antiatherosclerosis activity in animal studies. We investigated the relationship between circulating lactoferrin, lactoferrin gene (LTF, lactotransferrin) polymorphisms, dyslipidemia, and vascular reactivity in the context of glucose-tolerance status in men. METHODS We evaluated 2 nonsynonymous LTF polymorphisms (rs1126477 and rs1126478) and measured circulating lactoferrin concentrations by ELISA under nonstressed conditions in healthy Caucasian men (n = 188) and male patients with an altered glucose tolerance (n = 202). We also studied the association of lactoferrin concentration with vascular reactivity via high-resolution ultrasound analysis of the brachial artery in a subsample of study participants. RESULTS Circulating lactoferrin concentration was inversely associated with fasting triglyceride concentration (r = -0.24; P = 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (r = -0.20; P = 0.007), waist-to-hip ratio (r = -0.35; P <0.001), and fasting glucose concentration (r = -0.18; P = 0.01), and directly correlated with HDL cholesterol concentration (r = 0.21; P = 0.004). Control AG heterozygotes for rs1126477 had significantly decreased fasting triglyceride concentrations (P = 0.001). Similarly, control individuals who were G carriers for rs1126478 had significantly lower fasting triglyceride concentrations (P = 0.044) and significantly higher HDL cholesterol concentrations (P = 0.028) than AA homozygotes. These associations remained significant after controlling for age, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, fasting glucose concentration, smoking status, and alcohol intake. Circulating lactoferrin concentration was not significantly associated with endothelium-dependent vasodilatation (EDVD) in the individuals studied (n = 95); however, lactoferrin was positively associated with EDVD in obese participants with an altered glucose tolerance (r = 0.54; P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS We have identified associations among LTF polymorphisms, circulating lactoferrin concentration, fasting triglyceride concentration, and vascular reactivity in humans.
State-Space Inference and Learning with Gaussian Processes

State-space inference and learning with Gaussian processes (GPs) is an unsolved problem. We propose a new, general methodology for inference and learning in nonlinear state-space models that are described probabilistically by non-parametric GP models. We apply the expectation maximization algorithm to iterate between inference in the latent state-space and learning the parameters of the underlying GP dynamics model. Copyright 2010 by the authors.