Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Liquidity and Transparency in Bank Risk Management

Banks may be unable to refinance short-term liabilities in case of solvency concerns. To manage this risk, banks can accumulate a buffer of liquid assets, or strengthen transparency to communicate solvency. While a liquidity buffer provides complete insurance against small shocks, transparency covers also large shocks but imperfectly. Due to leverage, an unregulated bank may choose insufficient liquidity buffers and transparency. The regulatory response is constrained: while liquidity buffers can be imposed, transparency is not verifiable. Moreover, liquidity requirements can compromise banks' transparency choices, and increase refinancing risk. To be effective, liquidity requirements should be complemented by measures that increase bank incentives to adopt transparency.
Independent Repressor Domains in ZEB Regulate Muscle and T-Cell Differentiation

ABSTRACT ZEB is a zinc finger-homeodomain protein that represses transcription by binding to a subset of E-box sequences. ZEB inhibits muscle differentiation in mammalian systems, and itsDrosophila orthologue, zfh-1, inhibits somatic and cardiac muscle differentiation during Drosophilaembryogenesis. ZEB also binds to the promoter of pivotal hematopoietic genes (including those encoding interleukin-2, CD4, GATA-3, and α4-integrin), and mice in which ZEB has been genetically targeted show thymic atrophy, severe defects in lymphocyte differentiation, and increased expression of the α4-integrin and CD4. Here, we demonstrate that ZEB contains separate repressor domains which function in T lymphocytes and muscle, respectively. The most C-terminal domain inhibits muscle differentiation in mammalian cells by specifically blocking the transcriptional activity of the myogenic factor MEF2C. The more N-terminal domain blocks activity of hematopoietic transcription factors such as c-myb, members of the etsfamily, and TFE-III. Our results demonstrate that ZEB has evolved with two independent repressor domains which target distinct sets of transcription factors and function in different tissues.
Perceived influence of negative and positive video game

This study seeks to examine the perceived effects between self and others in terms of both positive and negative video game. One hundred and sixty-four participants participated in the study and filled out questionnaires. Following assumptions of the third-person effect, the results showed that participants perceived others as more vulnerable to the negative effects of video games. Social distance also has effect on the magnitude of the third-person effect. The positive effects of video games yielded mixed results. Possible explanations are provided in the discussion. Key words: Video games, positive effects, perceived influence, negative effects, third person effect.
Community Detection on the GPU

We present and evaluate a new GPU algorithm based on the Louvain method for community detection. Our algorithm is the first for this problem that parallelizes the access to individual edges. In this way we can fine tune the load balance when processing networks with nodes of highly varying degrees. This is achieved by scaling the number of threads assigned to each node according to its degree. Extensive experiments show that we obtain speedups up to a factor of 270 compared to the sequential algorithm. The algorithm consistently outperforms other recent shared memory implementationsand is only one order of magnitude slower than the current fastest parallel Louvain method running on a Blue Gene/Q supercomputer using more than 500K threads.
Early Embryonic Death of Mice Deficient in γ-Adaptin*

Intracellular protein transport and sorting by vesicles in the secretory and endocytic pathways requires the formation of a protein coat on the membrane. The heterotetrameric adaptor protein complex 1 (AP-1) promotes the formation of clathrin-coated vesicles at the trans-Golgi network. AP-1 interacts with various sorting signals in the cytoplasmic tails of cargo molecules, thus indicating a function in protein sorting. We generated mutants of the γ-adaptin subunit of AP-1 in mice to investigate its role in post-Golgi vesicle transport and sorting processes. γ-Adaptin-deficient embryos develop until day 3.5 post coitus and die during the prenidation period, revealing that AP-1 is essential for viability. In heterozygous mice the amount of AP-1 complexes is reduced to half of controls. Free β1- or μ1 chains were not detectable, indicating that they are unstable unless they are part of AP-1 complexes. Heterozygous mice weigh less then their wild-type littermates and show impaired T cell development.
trusting children's accounts in research

Much of the current rhetoric in areas of child and family research and in early childhood education emphasizes the importance of listening to children in research that has a direct impact on them. Despite this, there remain qualms in some research contexts and amongst some researchers about the reliability, validity and generalizability of children's research input. This article argues that engaging with children as research participants requires a commitment to, and the facilitation of, listening to and hearing their accounts in research. Drawing on research conducted in both New South Wales and Queensland, Australia, this article adopts the stance that children are active and effective participants in research. It examines selected protocols that stand to support such engagement. Specifi cally, it considers issues of ethics and research protocols, mechanisms of engagement, principles of co-construction of the research interaction, the analysis and dissemination of data, and negotiating the research space. This article contributes to methodological understandings of research with children.
Minimal Requirement for a Lentivirus Vector Based on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1

ABSTRACT The use of human immunodeficiency virus vectors for gene therapy is hampered by concern over their safety. This concern might be ameliorated, in part, if the viral accessory genes and proteins could be eliminated from the vector genomes and particles. Here we describe a minimal vector system that is capable of transducing nondividing cells and which does not contain tat, vif,vpr, vpu, and nef.
Gender Differences in Whites' Racial Attitudes: Are Women's Attitudes Really More Favorable?

Studies of gender differences in orientation toward others have found that women are more strongly concerned than men with affective processes and are more likely to be other-focused, while men tend to be more instrumental and more self-oriented. Recent research has extended this finding to include gender differences in racial attitudes, and reports that women also are more favorable than men in their racial outlooks. In this study we examine differences between white men and white women across a broader spectrum of racial attitudes with more diverse national samples than were employed previously, including the 1988-2000 General Social Surveys and the 1988-1994 American National Election Studies. We find that gender differences in racial attitudes are small, inconsistent, and limited mostly to attitudes on racial policy. Our findings are consistent with the views that white women's and white men's racial attitudes are rooted in their shared sense of group position, and that gender-differentiated value socialization plays only a small role in racial attitude formation.
The rich, the affluent and the top incomes

The article reviews the literature on the rich, the affluent and the top income earners focusing on the determinants of affluence or richness. The review surveys empirical results about the composition of the income and wealth of the rich and its direct determinants, such as individual characteristics, the state and the structure of production. The article covers literature beginning with the early twentieth century but pays special attention to research conducted after the 2000s. It attempts to cover studies from all regions of the world, despite the concentration of current research on developed countries. The main conclusion is that factors not related to productivity are a key determinant of affluence and that this has not changed much over the last century.
Label propagation and soft-similarity measure for graph based Constrained Semi-Supervised Learning

This paper discusses a new setting of graph based semi-supervised learning (SSL) guided using pairwise constraints (PCs). Technically, we propose a novel Graph based Constrained Semi-Supervised Learning (G-CSSL) framework. In this setting, PCs are used to specify the types (intra- or inter-class) of points with labels. Because the number of labeled data is typically small in SSL setting, the core idea of this framework is to create and enrich the PCs sets using the propagated soft labels from both labeled and unlabeled data via special label propagation (SLP), and hence obtaining more supervised information for delivering enhanced learning performance. To obtain the predicted labels of unlabeled data, we calculate the sparse codes of all data vectors jointly to assign weights for SLP. To deliver enhanced inter-class separation and intra-class compactness, we also present a mixed soft-similarity measure to evaluate the similarity/dissimilarity of constrained sample pairs by using the sparse codes and outputted probabilistic values by SLP. Extensive simulations demonstrated the effectiveness of our G-CSSL for image representation and recognition, compared with other related SSL techniques.
The distribution of intracellular ions in the avian salt gland

To investigate the mechanism of salt secretion in the avian salt gland, we used quantitative electron probe microanalysis to measure the intracellular elemental concentrations in dry cryosections of unspecialized and partially specialized secretory epithelial cells from fresh water- and salt water-adapted ducklings, respectively. In conjunction with this, human and duckling erythrocytes were also analyzed, since these provided the experimental basis for using in situ erythrocytes as standards for determining the local water content of epithelia from the analysis of dried cryosections. The microprobe results from both types of erythrocytes compared favorably with chemical determinations of elemental concentrations. The nucleated avian erythrocytes, whose wet-weight elemental concentrations were determined by a compartmental analysis that required neither a peripheral standard nor a measure of the local mass, revealed a marked accumulation of P and K in the nucleus (388 and 190 mmol/kg wet wt, respectively) relative to the cytoplasm (67 and 85 mmol/kg wet wt). In both developmental states of the epithelial cells, the nucleus and apical cytoplasm had essentially similar and unremarkable concentrations of Na (76 and 83 mmol/kg dry wt, respectively, in the adapted cells vs. 72 and 81 mmol/kg dry wt in the control cells) and K (602 and 423 mmol/kg dry wt vs. 451 and 442 mmol/kg dry wt). Chloride, however, which was in general rather high, was significantly depressed in the apical cytoplasm of adapted cells only (164 and 124 mmol/kg dry wt in the nucleus and cytoplasm, respectively, of adapted cells (P less than 0.05) vs. 138 and 157 mmol/kg dry wt for control cells (P less than 0.05). Cation concentrations (Na + K) were elevated approximately 15% in the basal regions of adapted cells as compared with apical cytoplasm. When tissue water variations are accounted for, the results suggest that: (a) an active, energy-requiring process is responsible for chloride accumulation in this cell; (b) the apical membrane is a regulatory site for secretion; and (c) there are regional distinctions in the distribution of ions and water, particularly in the salt water- adapted cell. These conclusions are consistent with active chloride transport as the basis for salt secretion in this tissue.
Population Genomic Analysis of a Bacterial Plant Pathogen: Novel Insight into the Origin of Pierce's Disease of Grapevine in the U.S.

Invasive diseases present an increasing problem worldwide; however, genomic techniques are now available to investigate the timing and geographical origin of such introductions. We employed genomic techniques to demonstrate that the bacterial pathogen causing Pierce's disease of grapevine (PD) is not native to the US as previously assumed, but descended from a single genotype introduced from Central America. PD has posed a serious threat to the US wine industry ever since its first outbreak in Anaheim, California in the 1880s and continues to inhibit grape cultivation in a large area of the country. It is caused by infection of xylem vessels by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa, a genetically distinct subspecies at least 15,000 years old. We present five independent kinds of evidence that strongly support our invasion hypothesis: 1) a genome-wide lack of genetic variability in X. fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa found in the US, consistent with a recent common ancestor; 2) evidence for historical allopatry of the North American subspecies X. fastidiosa subsp. multiplex and X. fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa; 3) evidence that X. fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa evolved in a more tropical climate than X. fastidiosa subsp. multiplex; 4) much greater genetic variability in the proposed source population in Central America, variation within which the US genotypes are phylogenetically nested; and 5) the circumstantial evidence of importation of known hosts (coffee plants) from Central America directly into southern California just prior to the first known outbreak of the disease. The lack of genetic variation in X. fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa in the US suggests that preventing additional introductions is important since new genetic variation may undermine PD control measures, or may lead to infection of other crop plants through the creation of novel genotypes via inter-subspecific recombination. In general, geographically mixing of previously isolated subspecies should be avoided.
Preliminary Investigations on Intradiscal Pressures during Daily Activities: An In Vivo Study Using the Merino Sheep

Purpose Currently, no studies exist, which attest the suitability of the ovine intervertebral disc as a biomechanical in vivo model for preclinical tests of new therapeutic strategies of the human disc. By measuring the intradiscal pressure in vivo, the current study attempts to characterize an essential biomechanical parameter to provide a more comprehensive physiological understanding of the ovine intervertebral disc. Methods Intradiscal pressure (IDP) was measured for 24 hours within the discs L2-L3 and L4-L5 via a piezo-resistive pressure sensor in one merino sheep. The data were divided into an activity and a recovery phase and the corresponding average pressures for both phases were determined. Additionally, IDPs for different static and dynamic activities were analyzed and juxtaposed to human data published previously. After sacrificing the sheep, the forces corresponding to the measured IDPs were examined ex vivo in an axial compression test. Results The temporal patterns of IDP where pressure decreased during activity and increased during rest were comparable between humans and sheep. However, large differences were observed for different dynamic activities such as standing up or walking. Here, IDPs averaged 3.73 MPa and 1.60 MPa respectively, approximately two to four times higher in the ovine disc compared to human. These IDPs correspond to lower ex vivo derived axial compressive forces for the ovine disc in comparison to the human disc. For activity and rest, average ovine forces were 130 N and 58 N, compared to human forces of 400-600 N and 100 N, respectively. Conclusions In vivo IDPs were found to be higher in the ovine than in the human disc. In contrast, axial forces derived ex vivo were markedly lower in comparison to humans. Both should be considered in future preclinical tests of intradiscal therapies using the sheep. The techniques used in the current study may serve as a protocol for measuring IDP in a variety of large animal models.
Human plague in the USA: the importance of regional and local climate

A 56-year time series of human plague cases (Yersinia pestis) in the western United States was used to explore the effects of climatic patterns on plague levels. We found that the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), together with previous plague levels and above-normal temperatures, explained much of the plague variability. We propose that the PDO's impact on plague is conveyed via its effect on precipitation and temperature and the effect of precipitation and temperature on plague hosts and vectors: warmer and wetter climate leading to increased plague activity and thus an increased number of human cases. Our analysis furthermore provides insights into the consistency of plague mechanisms at larger scales.
Scaffolding Interactions With Preschool Children: Comparisons Between Chinese Mothers and Teachers Across Different Tasks

This study investigated how Chinese adults adjusted their scaffolding in interactions with children during problem-solving tasks. Fifty-seven 5-year-olds (from low and high socioeconomic status [SES] backgrounds) completed a playlike task (puzzle) and a school-like task (worksheet) with their mothers and teachers, respectively. Adult-child interactions were videotaped, and the analyses focused on how adults adjusted their scaffolding as a function of children's responses. Results indicated that teachers adjusted their scaffolding more appropriately than mothers, and that adults' sensitivity to children's understanding was associated with more appropriate scaffolding. Children from middle or upper SES families received more optimal scaffolding than those from lower SES families, and both mothers and teachers provided more skilled scaffolding in the school-like task than in the playlike task. Findings suggest that family SES, adults' professional training, and task characteristics, as well as adults' understanding of children's mastery, should be considered in the analysis of dyadic problem solving.
Social media and the transformation of activist communication: exploring the social media ecology of the 2010 Toronto G20 protests

How does the massive use of social media in contemporary protests affect the character of activist communication? Moving away from the conceptualization of social media as tools, this research explores how activist social media communication is entangled with and shaped by heterogeneous techno-cultural and political economic relations. This exploration is pursued through a case study on the social media reporting efforts of the Toronto Community Mobilization Network, which coordinated and facilitated the protests against the 2010 Toronto G-20 summit. The network urged activists to report about the protests on Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr, tagging their contributions #g20report. In addition, it set up a Facebook group and used a blog. The investigation, first, traces the hyperlink network in which the protest communication was embedded. The hyperlink analysis provides a window on the online ecology in which this communication unfolded. In addition, the examination interrogates how the particular technological architectures, related user practices, and business models of the various social platforms steered communication. This investigation shows that the use of social media brings about an acceleration of activist communication, and greatly enhances its visual character. Moreover, as activists massively embrace corporate social media, they increasingly lose control over the data they collective produce, as well as over the very architectures of the spaces through which they communicate.
A novel rapid prototyping and finite element method-based development of the patient-specific temporomandibular joint implant

Objective: The objective of this study was to fabricate a successful implant for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder patients who could not be treated through conventional surgeries. Methods: A custom-made implant was fabricated using rapid prototyping (RP) for the TMJ surgery. The stability of the metallic implant was validated using a finite element analysis. Results: The results of finite elements were stable and the design of the TMJ implant was suitable as per the patient's need. The customised implant was made using a fused deposition modelling method of RP and a vertical machining centre. The implant has provided normal jaw function for over 2 years since surgery. Conclusions: The approach utilised will be helpful in providing successful treatment to the deformed mandible and the mandible joints. This method allows to customise and to accurately fabricatie the implant. Advantages of this approach are that the physical model of the implant was tested for stability before the implantation, the surgeon can plan and rehearse the surgery in advance, it is a less invasive and less time-consuming surgical procedure.
Gyral parcellation of cortical surfaces via coupled flow field tracking

This paper presents a novel method for parcellation of the cortical surface of human brain into gyral based regions via coupled flow field tracking. The proposed method consists of two major steps. First, the cortical surface is automatically parcellated into sulcal based regions using several procedures: estimating principal curvatures and principal directions; applying the hidden Markov random field and the Expectation-Maximization (HMRF-EM) framework for sulcal region segmentation based on the maximum principal curvature; diffusing the maximum principal direction field in order to propagate reliable and informative principal directions at gyral crests and sulcal bottoms to other flat cortical regions with noisy principal directions by minimization of an energy function; tracking the flow field towards sulcal bottoms to parcellate the cortical surfaces into sulcal basins. The sulcal parcellation provides a very good initialization for the following steps of gyral parcellation on cortical surfaces. Second, based on the sulcal parcellation results, the cortical surface is further parcellated into gyral based regions using the following procedures: extracting gyral crest segments; dilating gyral crest segments; inverting the principal direction flow field and tracking the flow field towards gyral crests in order to partition the cortical surface into a collection of gyral patches; merging gyral patches to obtain gyral parcellation of the cortical surface. The proposed algorithm pipeline is applied to nine randomly selected cortical surfaces of normal brains and promising results are obtained. The accuracy of the semi-automatic gyral parcellation is comparable to that labeled manually by experts.
Neuropsychoanalysis, Consciousness, and Creativity

Siri Hustvedt’s work illustrates how psychoanalysis offers unique and crucially important insights in the study of fundamental issues in human psychology such as those of memory, perception, subjectivity, and creativity. Her findings dovetail with Freud’s concepts of hallucinatory wish-fulfilment and primary process (as further elaborated by psychoanalysts Pinchas Noy and Barry Opatow). The findings also find resonance in a variety of neuroscientific fields of research, especially in studies of theta rhythm and its role in dreaming, memory, and early mental development, the relationship between hallucination and perception, and the brain research of Rodolfo Llinas.