Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bioavailability of DON from natural and anthropogenic sources to estuarine plankton

Utilization of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) from natural (forests) and anthropogenic (animal pastures, urban/suburban storm water runoff) sources (three sites per source) by estuarine plankton communities was examined in spring, summer, and fall. The proportion of DON utilized ranged from 0 to 73%. Overall, urban/suburban storm water runoff had a higher proportion of bioavailable DON (59% ± 11) compared to agricultural pastures (30% 14) and forests (23% ± 19). DON bioavailability varied seasonally; however, the seasonal pattern differed for the three sources. Bacterial production increased linearly with the amount of DON utilized across all sources and seasons; the rate of increase was approximately five times greater per micromole of N as DON used relative to dissolved inorganic N (DIN) used. Although phytoplankton production generally increased with DON addition, the increased production was not correlated with the amount of DON utilized, suggesting that a variable portion of dissolved organic matter (DOM)‐N was directly or indirectly available to the phytoplankton. This indicates that phytoplankton production is not a good measure of the amount of bioavailable DON, and measurements of the amount of bioavailable DON based on bacterial responses alone might not reflect N available to phytoplankton. Preliminary seasonal budgets of bioavailable N (DIN plus bioavailable DON) as a function of land use suggest that ~80% of the total dissolved N (TDN) from urban/suburban runoff is bioavailable, whereas a lower proportion (20–60%) of TDN is bioavailable from forests and pastures. N budgets for aquatic ecosystems based on only DIN loading underestimate bioavailable N loading, whereas total N or TDN budgets overestimate bioavailable N inputs.
Gene Family Expansions in Aphids Maintained by Endosymbiotic and Nonsymbiotic Traits

Facilitating the evolution of new gene functions, gene duplication is a major mechanism driving evolutionary innovation. Gene family expansions relevant to host/symbiont interactions are increasingly being discovered in eukaryotes that host endosymbiotic microbes. Such discoveries entice speculation that gene duplication facilitates the evolution of novel, endosymbiotic relationships. Here, using a comparative transcriptomic approach combined with differential gene expression analysis, we investigate the importance of endosymbiosis in retention of amino acid transporter paralogs in aphid genomes. To pinpoint the timing of amino acid transporter duplications we inferred gene phylogenies for five aphid species and three outgroups. We found that while some duplications arose in the aphid common ancestor concurrent with endosymbiont acquisition, others predate aphid divergence from related insects without intracellular symbionts, and still others appeared during aphid diversification. Interestingly, several aphid-specific paralogs have conserved enriched expression in bacteriocytes, the insect cells that host primary symbionts. Conserved bacteriocyte enrichment suggests that the transporters were recruited to the aphid/endosymbiont interface in the aphid common ancestor, consistent with a role for gene duplication in facilitating the evolution of endosymbiosis in aphids. In contrast, the temporal variability of amino acid transporter duplication indicates that endosymbiosis is not the only trait driving selection for retention of amino acid transporter paralogs in sap-feeding insects. This study cautions against simplistic interpretations of the role of gene family expansion in the evolution of novel host/symbiont interactions by further highlighting that multiple complex factors maintain gene family paralogs in the genomes of eukaryotes that host endosymbiotic microbes.
VOCE Corpus: Ecologically Collected Speech Annotated with Physiological and Psychological Stress Assessments

Public speaking is a widely requested professional skill, and at the same time an activity that causes one of the most common adult phobias (Miller and Stone, 2009). It is also known that the study of stress under laboratory conditions, as it is most commonly done, may provide only limited ecological validity (Wilhelm and Grossman, 2010). Previously, we introduced an inter-disciplinary methodology to enable collecting a large amount of recordings under consistent conditions (Aguiar et al., 2013). This paper introduces the VOCE corpus of speech annotated with stress indicators under naturalistic public speaking (PS) settings, and makes it available at http://paginas.fe. up.pt/~voce/articles.html. The novelty of this corpus is that the recordings are carried out in objectively stressful PS situations, as recommended in (Zanstra and Johnston, 2011). The current database contains a total of 38 recordings, 13 of which contain full psychologic and physiologic annotation. We show that the collected recordings validate the assumptions of the methodology, namely that participants experience stress during the PS events. We describe the various metrics that can be used for physiologic and psychologic annotation, and we characterise the sample collected so far, providing evidence that demographics do not affect the relevant psychologic or physiologic annotation. The collection activities are on-going, and we expect to increase the number of complete recordings in the corpus to 30 by June 2014.
Vulnerability Assessment of IPv6 Websites to SQL Injection and Other Application Level Attacks

Given the proliferation of internet connected devices, IPv6 has been proposed to replace IPv4. Aside from providing a larger address space which can be assigned to internet enabled devices, it has been suggested that the IPv6 protocol offers increased security due to the fact that with the large number of addresses available, standard IP scanning attacks will no longer become feasible. However, given the interest in attacking organizations rather than individual devices, most initial points of entry onto an organization's network and their attendant devices are visible and reachable through web crawling techniques, and, therefore, attacks on the visible application layer may offer ways to compromise the overall network. In this evaluation, we provide a straightforward implementation of a web crawler in conjunction with a benign black box penetration testing system and analyze the ease at which SQL injection attacks can be carried out.
Color and flow based superpixels for 3D geometry respecting meshing

We present an adaptive weight based superpixel segmentation method for the goal of creating mesh representation that respects the 3D scene structure. We propose a new fusion framework which employs both dense optical flow and color images to compute the probability of boundaries. The main contribution of this work is that we introduce a new color and optical flow pixel-wise weighting model that takes into account the non-linear error distribution of the depth estimation from optical flow. Experiments show that our method is better than the other state-of-art methods in terms of smaller error in the final produced mesh.
Eurographics/ Ieee-vgtc Symposium on Visualization (2006) Enhancing Slice-based Visualizations of Medical Volume Data

Slice-based visualizations of CT and MRI data are frequently used for diagnosis, intervention planning and intra-operative navigation since they allow a precise analysis and localization. We present new techniques to enhance the visualization of cross sectional medical image data. Our work is focussed on intervention planning and intra-operative navigation. We address the following problems of slice-based visualization in these areas: the lack of a graphical overview on the positions of anatomic structures, the localization of a target structure and the display of safety zones around pathologic structures. To improve the overview, we introduce LIFTCHARTs, attached as vertical bars to a slice-based visualization. For localizing target structures, we introduce halos. These techniques restrict the occlusion of the original data to a minimum and avoid any modification of the original data. To demonstrate the usability of these visualization techniques, we show two application scenarios in which the techniques come into operation.
Sparse, guided feature connections in an Abstract Deep Network

We present a technique for developing a network of re-used features, where the topology is formed using a coarse learning method, that allows gradient-descent fine tuning, known as an Abstract Deep Network (ADN). New features are built based on observed co-occurrences, and the network is maintained using a selection process related to evolutionary algorithms. This allows coarse ex- ploration of the problem space, effective for irregular domains, while gradient descent allows pre- cise solutions. Accuracy on standard UCI and Protein-Structure Prediction problems is comparable with benchmark SVM and optimized GBML approaches, and shows scalability for addressing large problems. The discrete implementation is symbolic, allowing interpretability, while the continuous method using fine-tuning shows improved accuracy. The binary multiplexer problem is explored, as an irregular domain that does not support gradient descent learning, showing solution to the bench- mark 135-bit problem. A convolutional implementation is demonstrated on image classification, showing an error-rate of 0.79% on the MNIST problem, without a pre-defined topology. The ADN system provides a method for developing a very sparse, deep feature topology, based on observed relationships between features, that is able to find solutions in irregular domains, and initialize a network prior to gradient descent learning.
Modeling, control and modulation strategy of a three-phase four-switch PWM voltage-source rectifier based on novel non-orthogonal coordinate

Modeling and controller design principles for six-switch PWM voltage-source rectifiers have been covered thoroughly in recent studies. In contrast, the control strategies for four-switch PWM VSRs are rarely reported. In order to achieve a high performance control, this paper develops a control oriented dual single-input-single-output model for 4-switch PWM VSRs in a novel non-orthogonal frame. Using given DSISO model, the controller design becomes much easier than ever before, and basic guidelines are provided in this paper. To suppress the DC voltage offset inherited in 4-switch PWM VSRs, a split capacitor voltage balancing method is analyzed in details. Then, a very simple modulation strategy is proposed based on the non-orthogonal coordinate system, which exhibit the merits of less computation and higher accuracy compared with traditional methods. The resultant zero voltage vector of 4-switch PWM VSRs is synthesized by a pair of opposite vectors, thus two switching sequences derived from alternative selection of zero vector synthesis schemes are introduced in this paper. For lower harmonic distortion injected to the grid currents, performances of two applied switching sequences are fully evaluated when the RMS value of current ripple is chosen as the standard. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the proposed methods.
Automatic multiple Kinect cameras setting for simple walking posture analysis

We propose an automatic setting of multiple skeletal tracking Kinect cameras, in lieu of mere using a single camera, to capture a human skeleton because of possible viewing occlusions. Using multiple cameras from different angles gives a more complete whole body; however, more required steps are needed in combining multiple skeletons into one final skeleton. One camera is used as a reference for the other cameras to transform their coordinates into the reference camera's coordinate system. Once every view is in the same coordinate, one skeleton is able to be composed. Due to camera's sensory errors, nevertheless, the supposedly same joint of the skeleton, which is obtained from the transformations, may not be exactly located at the same position. Therefore, average joints are used for the composed skeleton. The skeleton is then used to analyze the walking posture of a human subject in order to check whether or not the walking is balanced.
Quadrotor Helicopter Flight Control Using Hough Transform and Depth Map from a Microsoft Kinect Sensor

Reliable depth estimation is important to many autonomous robotic systems and visual control algorithms. The Microsoft Kinect is a new, low cost game controller peripheral that calculates a depth map of the environment with good accuracy and high rate. In this paper we use the calibrated output of the depth sensor to obtain an accurate absolute depth map. Subsequently by using a Randomized Hough Transform to detect the ground plane in this depth map we are able to autonomously hover a quadrotor helicopter.
eEF1A Interacts with the NS5A Protein and Inhibits the Growth of Classical Swine Fever Virus

The NS5A protein of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is involved in the RNA synthesis and viral replication. However, the NS5A-interacting cellular proteins engaged in the CSFV replication are poorly defined. Using yeast two-hybrid screen, the eukaryotic elongation factor 1A (eEF1A) was identified to be an NS5A-binding partner. The NS5A–eEF1A interaction was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation, glutathione S-transferase (GST) pulldown and laser confocal microscopy assays. The domain I of eEF1A was shown to be critical for the NS5A–eEF1A interaction. Overexpression of eEF1A suppressed the CSFV growth markedly, and conversely, knockdown of eEF1A enhanced the CSFV replication significantly. Furthermore, eEF1A, as well as NS5A, was found to reduce the translation efficiency of the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) of CSFV in a dose-dependent manner, as demonstrated by luciferase reporter assay. Streptavidin pulldown assay revealed that eEF1A could bind to the CSFV IRES. Collectively, our results suggest that eEF1A interacts with NS5A and negatively regulates the growth of CSFV.
Taub-NUT dyons in heterotic string theory.

Starting with the Taub--NUT solution to Einstein's equations, together with a constant dilaton, a dyonic Taub--NUT solution of low energy heterotic string theory with non--trivial dilaton, axion and $U(1)$ gauge fields is constructed by employing $O(1,1)$ transformations. The electromagnetic dual of this solution is constructed, using $SL(2,\rline)$ transformations. By an appropriate change to scaled variables, the extremal limit of the dual solution is shown to correspond to the low energy limit of an exact conformal field theory presented previously.
Determinantes sociales de la salud. Estatus socioeconómico, neurodesarrollo y funciones ejecutivas en la infancia

Objective: The main purpose of this review has been to analyse the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and the development of the executive functions (EF) during childhood, based on the knowledge that low levels of SES affect neurodevelopment. Methods: A search in different data bases has been made shortlisting 15 articles of interest. Results: After their analysis, a clear relationship has been found between SES and EF. Conclusions: It has been noted that low levels of SES negatively affect the development of the EF. Also, research has taken into account which SES variables could influence this relationship, which EF components can be affected, and which factors can be used as mediators.
An online complete coverage algorithm for cleaning robots based on boustrophedon motions and A* search

This paper presents an online complete coverage algorithm for cleaning robots based on boustrophedon motions combined with A* search algorithm. In our approach, while performing a boustrophedon motion to cover an unvisited area in the workspace, the robot detects and stores backtracking points. To execute the next boustrophedon motion, A* search is employed as a backtracking mechanism which guides the robot to the nearest backtracking point. Experimental results prove that the proposed algorithm ensures the complete coverage of the workspace in the finite moving steps of the robot. Furthermore, our proposed approach is efficient in terms of the covered path length and the number of boustrophedon motions.
Enabling team collaboration with task management tools

Project and task management tools aim to support remote or face-to-face collaboration. Despite the growing needs for these tools, little is known about how they are utilized in practice. This paper presents the results of an exploratory study using UpWave, a task management tool, and the ways that it enables team collaboration. The group interviewees utilize UpWave for their collaborations and report on its features in terms of use, best practices, motivations and rewards for users to encourage their collaboration. This paper concludes that project and task management tools offer new possibilities for collaborations; it also makes suggestions for using such tools in teams. This study's future work will include a mixed-methods approach to gain a greater understanding of the tools' effects in various collaboration settings.
Bipolar Possibilistic Representations

Recently, it has been emphasized that the possibility theory framework allows us to distinguish between i) what is possible because it is not ruled out by the available knowledge, and ii) what is possible for sure. This distinction may be useful when representing knowledge, for modelling values which are not impossible because they are consistent with the available knowledge on the one hand, and values guaranteed to be possible because reported from observations on the other hand. It is also of interest when expressing preferences, to point out values which are positively desired among those which are not rejected. This distinction can be encoded by two types of constraints expressed in terms of necessity measures and in terms of guaranteed possibility functions, which induce a pair of possibility distributions at the semantic level. A consistency condition should ensure that what is claimed to be guaranteed as possible is indeed not impossible. The present paper investigates the representation of this bipolar view, including the case when it is stated by means of conditional measures, or by means of comparative context-dependent constraints. The interest of this bipolar framework, which has been recently stressed for expressing preferences, is also pointed out in the representation of diagnostic knowledge.
In Schools We Trust: Creating Communities of Learning in an Era of Testing and Standardization

173 © International Forum of Educational Technology & Society (IFETS). The authors and the forum jointly retain the copyright of the articles. Permission to make digital or hard copies of part or all of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than IFETS must be honoured. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers, or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from the authors of the articles you wish to copy or kinshuk@massey.ac. nz. In Schools We Trust: Creating Communities of Learning in an Era of Testing and Standardization (Book Review)
A Comparative Study Of Parametric And Nonparametric Regressions

This paper evaluates inflation forecasts made by parametric and nonparametric models. The results revealed that the neural network model yields better estimates of inflation rate than do parametric autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and linear models. Furthermore, the neural network model outperformed nonparametric models (except MARS).
Maximum norm error analysis of a 2d singularly perturbed semilinear reaction-diffusion problem

A semilinear reaction-diffusion equation with multiple solutions is considered in a smooth two-dimensional domain. Its diffusion parameter e 2 is arbitrarily small, which induces boundary layers. Constructing discrete sub- and super-solutions, we prove existence and investigate the accuracy of multiple discrete solutions on layer-adapted meshes of Bakhvalov and Shishkin types. It is shown that one gets second-order convergence (with, in the case of the Shishkin mesh, a logarithmic factor) in the discrete maximum norm, uniformly in e for £ 0 is the maximum side length of mesh elements, while the number of mesh nodes does not exceed Ch -2 . Numerical experiments are performed to support the theoretical results.
Combined feedforward/disturbance observer-based control of pump-controlled electro-hydrostatic actuation system

This paper studies the high performance robust motion control of a pump-controlled electro-hydrostatic actuation (EHA) with single-rod hydraulic actuator. Started from the observation that EHA system has almost linear dynamics in small operating range, the linear control technique is taken into account. To nominalize the nonlinear system, the disturbance observer is implemented to the existing closed-loop system. Thanks to that, the feedforward control for linearized system provides rapid response. The performance of the proposed method is validated via experiments.
Expression of bestrophin‐1, the product of the VMD2 gene, modulates voltage‐dependent Ca2+ channels in retinal pigment epithelial cells

Mutations in the VMD2 gene cause Best's disease, an inherited form of macular degeneration. The reduction in the light‐peak amplitude in the patient's electro‐oculogram suggests that bestrophin‐1 influences the membrane conductance of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Systemic application of the L‐type Ca2+ channel blocker nimodipine reduced the light‐peak amplitude in the rat electroretinogram but not a‐ and b‐waves. Expression of bestrophin‐1 in a RPE cell line (RPE‐J) led to changes in L‐type channel properties. Wild‐type bestrophin‐1 induced an acceleration of activation kinetics of Ba2+ currents through L‐type Ca2+ channels and a shift of the voltage‐dependent activation to more negative values, closer to the resting potential of RPE cells. Expression of bestrophin‐1 with Best disease‐causing mutations led to comparable shifts in voltage‐dependent activation but different effects on activation and inactivation kinetics. Bestrophin W93C exhibited slowed activation and inactivation, and bestrophin R218C accelerated the activation and inactivation. Thus, transfection of RPE cells with bestrophin‐1 distinctively changed L‐type Ca2+ channel kinetics and voltage‐dependence. On the basis of these data, we propose that presence of bestrophin‐1 influences kinetics and voltage‐dependence of voltage‐dependent Ca2+ channels and that these effects might open new ways to understand the mechanisms leading to retinal degeneration in Best's disease.
On optimal investment timing with fuzzy real options ∗

To have a real option means to have the possibility for a certain period to either choose for or against something, without binding oneself up front. The real option rule is that one should invest today only if the net present value is high enough to compensate for giving up the value of the option to wait. Because the option to invest loses its value when the investment is irreversibly made, this loss is an opportunity cost of investing. The main question that a management group must answer for a deferrable investment opportunity is: How long do we postpone the investment, if we can postpone it, up to T time periods? In this paper we consider the real option rule in a fuzzy setting, where the present values of expected cash flows and expected costs are estimated by trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. We shall determine the optimal exercise time by the help of possibilistic mean value and variance of fuzzy numbers.