Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of a Mutant Histone H3 That Perturbs the Association of Swi/Snf with Chromatin

ABSTRACT We have isolated new histone H3 mutants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that confer phenotypes indicative of transcriptional defects. Here we describe the characterization of one such mutant, encoded by the hht2-11 allele, which contains the single amino acid change L61W in the globular domain of H3. Whole-genome expression analyses show that the hht2-11 mutation confers pleiotropic transcriptional defects and that many of the genes it affects are normally controlled by the Swi/Snf chromatin remodeling complex. Furthermore, we show that Swi/Snf occupancy at two promoters, PHO84 and SER3, is reduced in hht2-11 mutants. Detailed studies of the PHO84 promoter suggest that the hht2-11 mutation impairs Swi/Snf association with chromatin in a direct fashion. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that the integrity of the globular domain of histone H3 is an important determinant in the ability of Swi/Snf to associate with chromatin.
Selective attention to threatening faces in delusion‐prone individuals

Introduction. Selective attention to threat‐related information has been associated with clinical delusions in schizophrenia and nonclinical delusional ideation in healthy individuals. However, it is unclear whether biased attention for threat reflects early engagement effects on selective attention, or later difficulties in disengaging attention from perceived threat. The present study examined which of these processes operate in nonclinical delusion‐prone individuals. We would like to thank Dr Romina Palermo for her assistance in preparing this manuscript. Methods. A total of 100 psychologically healthy participants completed the Peters et al. (1999) Delusions Inventory (PDI). Twenty‐two scoring in the upper quartile (high‐PDI group) and 22 scoring in the lower quartile (low‐PDI group) completed a modified dot‐probe task. Participants detected dot‐probes appearing 200, 500, or 1250 ms after an angry‐neutral face pair or a happy‐neutral face pair. Results. High‐PDI individuals responded faster to dot‐probes presented in the same location as angry compared to happy faces at the short 200 ms stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA), but only when the emotional faces were presented to the left visual field. At the two longer SOAs (500 ms, 1250 ms), the high‐PDI group were also faster to respond to dot‐probes presented in the same location as angry compared to happy faces and slower to respond to dot‐probes presented in different spatial locations to angry (vs. happy) faces. The latter effects were seen whether emotional faces were presented to the left or the right visual field. Conclusions. Results support the operation of emotion‐selective engagement and defective disengagement for threat‐related facial expressions (i.e., anger) in delusion‐prone individuals.
Overcoming Mismatch: Beyond Dispersal, Mobility, and Development Strategies

Abstract Since the 1960s, John Kain's theory of spatial mismatch has influenced policy responses to the poor employment prospects of low-income and minority residents of inner cities by aiming to connect them with suburban jobs. My literature review examines this policy legacy using what we now know about disadvantaged jobseekers' employment searches. Recent evaluations of poverty deconcentration and employment accessibility programs show that these programs have failed to improve employment outcomes significantly. However, using evidence from studies of job search and job training programs, I show that local activity patterns do shape employment chances. Planners trying to improve employment outcomes for the disadvantaged should focus on policies that will provide them with opportunities to interact with a diverse social network and meet workforce intermediaries capable of linking them with jobs.
Male/Female Earnings Differences in Self-Employment: The Effects of Marriage, Children, and the Household Division of Labor

Data from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 and the Panel Study of Income Dynamics are used to investigate reasons for the gender earnings gap among the self-employed. Compared to organizational employment, self-employment may allow workers freer adjustment of work effort in response to changing needs for market work income and household production. Consistent with that hypothesis, the analysis shows that self-employed women's earnings declined with marriage, family size, and hours of housework, whereas self-employed men's earnings increased with marriage and family size. Organizationally employed workers' earnings exhibited a similar but less pronounced pattern, suggesting that in the self-employment sector the structure of female/male relative earnings was more sensitive to family size and composition. Self-employed women and men specialized more intensively in housework and market work, respectively. Women apparently tended to choose self-employment to facilitate household production, and men to achieve higher earnings.
Optical coupling of whispering-gallery modes of two identical microdisks and its effect on photonic molecule lasing

The lasing characteristics of a photonic molecule in the form of two optically coupled semiconductor microdisks are investigated. Electromagnetic analysis of the lasing spectra and linear thresholds of the coupled whispering-gallery (WG) modes of four different symmetry classes is presented. Here, Maxwell's equations and accurate boundary and radiation conditions are considered as a specific "cold-cavity-with-gain" eigenvalue problem. Each eigenvalue is a pair of real-valued parameters -frequency and threshold material gain. In the two-dimensional (2-D) approximation, based on the introduction of an effective refractive index, this problem is reduced to a determinant equation with favorable features. A secant-type method is further used to calculate thresholds and lasing frequencies numerically. Results obtained show that optical coupling may lead to a further reduction of the ultralow thresholds of the WG modes, although the opposite, i.e., threshold spoiling, is more common.
Use of Conventional and Novel Smokeless Tobacco Products Among US Adolescents

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence and correlates of use of conventional and novel smokeless tobacco products among a national sample of US middle and high school students. METHODS: Data from the 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey were analyzed to determine national estimates of current use of conventional (“chewing tobacco”, “snuff,” or “dip”), novel (“snus” and “dissolvable tobacco products”), and any smokeless tobacco products (novel and/or conventional products) within the past 30 days. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of current use of any smokeless tobacco product was 5.6% (n = 960). Among all students, 5.0% used chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip; 1.9% used snus; and 0.3% used dissolvable tobacco products. Among users of any smokeless tobacco, 64.0% used only conventional products, 26.8% were concurrent users of novel plus conventional products, whereas 9.2% exclusively used novel products. Approximately 72.1% of current any smokeless tobacco users concurrently smoked combustible tobacco products, and only 40.1% expressed an intention to quit all tobacco use. Regression analyses indicated that peer (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 9.56; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.14–12.80) and household (aOR: 3.32; 95% CI: 2.23–4.95) smokeless tobacco use were associated with smokeless tobacco use, whereas believing that all forms of tobacco are harmful was protective (aOR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.38–0.79). CONCLUSIONS: Conventional smokeless tobacco products remain the predominant form of smokeless tobacco use. Most users of novel smokeless tobacco products also concurrently smoked combustible tobacco products. Smokeless tobacco use was associated with lower perception of harm from all tobacco products and protobacco social influences, indicating the need to change youth perceptions about the use of all tobacco products and to engage pediatricians in tobacco use prevention and cessation interventions.
Optimal joint transmission scheduling for green energy powered coordinated multi-point transmission system

Due to advantages in spectral efficiency and energy efficiency of its air-interface, the coordinated multi-point (CoMP) transmission has been adopted in 4G and beyond mobile communication systems, such as LTE-A, which enables the transmission cooperation among multiple remote radio units (RRUs). As the main component of a RRU, the power amplifier (PA) is always blamed for its low power efficiency, which is difficult to be further improved by today's hardware technology. To eliminate the on-grid power consumption caused by the low PA efficiency and the corresponding CO2 emission, we propose a new CoMP transmission framework, in which all RRUs and associated PAs are powered by the solar power. Then, based on the proposed framework, we derive the optimal coordinated transmission scheduling algorithm for maximizing the throughput with considerations of fast fading channel, limited pre-knowledge about channel state information (CSI), random energy arrival and finite energy storage. Theoretical analyses of the proposed algorithm are given, and numerical results show that our algorithm can achieve a close performance to the optimal transmission scheduling algorithm with a priori knowledge about CSI.
Circulating Progenitor Cell Count Predicts Microvascular Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetic Patients.

CONTEXT Diabetes reduces the levels of circulating progenitor cells (CPCs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which promote vascular repair and are inversely correlated with cardiovascular risk. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to test whether CPC/EPC levels predict onset/progression of microangiopathy in a cohort of type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients. DESIGN This was a pseudoprospective study with a 3.9-year follow-up. SETTING The study was conducted at a tertial referral diabetes outpatient clinic. PATIENTS A total of 187 T2D patients having a baseline determination of CPCs/EPCs participated in the study. INTERVENTION Baseline data on demographics, anthropometrics, concomitant risk factors, diabetic complications, and medications were collected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Onset or progression of microangiopathy was assessed at follow-up compared with baseline. RESULTS New onset or progression of microalbuminuria, chronic kidney disease, retinopathy, and neuropathy occurred in 70 patients (9.5%/y). After controlling the false discovery rate, baseline CD34(+) CPCs and EPCs were significantly lower in patients with onset/progression of microalbuminuria and any microangiopathy. Patients with baseline CD34(+) CPC or CD133(+)/kinase insert domain-containing receptor(+)/EPC levels below the median were more likely to experience worsening microangiopathy than those with high cell levels. Independently from confounders, including age, sex, glycated hemoglobin, and diabetes duration, CD34(+) cells predicted onset/progression of microalbuminuria, retinopathy, and any microangiopathy in false discovery rate-adjusted analyses. A low CD34(+) cell count limited the beneficial effects of renin-angiotensin system blockers on microalbuminuria progression. CONCLUSIONS Levels of circulating (endothelial) progenitor cells predict microvascular outcomes in T2D. Together with previous studies showing an association with cardiovascular events, these data indicate that CPCs/EPCs represent biomarkers of the global complication burden in diabetes.
The Role of Behavioral Economic Incentive Design and Demographic Characteristics in Financial Incentive-Based Approaches to Changing Health Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis

Objective. To evaluate the use of behavioral economics to design financial incentives to promote health behavior change and to explore associations with demographic characteristics. Data Source. Studies performed by the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics at the University of Pennsylvania published between January 2006 and March 2014. Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria. Randomized, controlled trials with available participant-level data. Studies that did not use financial incentives to promote health behavior change were excluded. Data Extraction. Participant-level data from seven studies were pooled. Data Synthesis. Meta-analysis on the pooled sample using a random-effects model with interaction terms to examine treatment effects and whether they varied by incentive structure or demographic characteristics. Results. The pooled study sample comprised 1403 participants, of whom 35% were female, 70% were white, 24% were black, and the mean age was 48 years (standard deviation 11.2 years). In the fully adjusted model, participants offered financial incentives had higher odds of behavior change (odds ratio [OR]: 3.96; p < .01) when compared to control. There were no significant interactions between financial incentives and gender, age, race, income, or education. When further adjusting for incentive structure, blacks had higher odds than whites of achieving behavior change (OR: 1.67; p< .05) with a conditional payment. Compared to lower-income participants, higher-income participants had lower odds of behavior change (OR: 0.46; p = .01) with a regret lottery. Conclusion. Financial incentives designed using concepts from behavioral economics were effective for promoting health behavior change. There were no large and consistent relationships between the effectiveness of financial incentives and observable demographic characteristics. Second-order examinations of incentive structure suggest potential relationships among the effectiveness of financial incentives, incentive structure, and the demographic characteristics of race and income.
Phase voltage estimation of a PWM VSI and its application to vector-controlled induction machine parameter estimation

For high-performance vector control of an induction machine, rotor resistance estimation is required. The commonly used state-space class of estimators requires voltage transducers as instantaneous phase voltages are used in the estimation algorithm. A phase voltage estimator is developed for a pulsewidth modulation voltage-source inverter. The voltage estimates are used in a rotor resistance estimator and practical results show that the usual phase-voltage transducers are unnecessary.
Consumer Product Safety Regulation in the United States and the United Kingdom: The Case of Bicycles

This study analyzes the effect of bicycle safety regulation in the United States and the United Kingdom using data on monthly injury rates. Unlike many previous studies of product safety regulation, a specific product regulation is analyzed, and long data series are available. In both countries, the regulation led to a significant decrease in accidents per bicycle in use. The effect in the United States is larger than in the United Kingdom.
Spectrum: Exploring the Effects of Player Experience on Game Design

Player Experience (PX) concerns how players think and feel when interacting with a game. Although it is intrinsic to all games, few design tools exist that enable designers to approach PX in a directed, intentional manner. Drawing on existing design tools and experience-related theory focused on emotions, we present our tool Spectrum. Spectrum facilitates a PX-directed approach to game design that foregrounds intended player experience. Spectrum can also be used to critically probe people’s conceptions of game experiences. In evaluations of Spectrum with designers, while all were committed to the notion of PX, not everyone was able to translate from emotions into playable scenarios, particularly when those emotions were either visceral in nature or unusual within existing games. In evaluations with players, participants sometimes struggled to fit emotionally-specific language around their game experiences, but also stated that such reflections added post-hoc value to their experiences.
European Affiliations or National Interests? Analyses of Voting Patterns on Trade Policy in European Parliament

Abstract This article examines the determinants of voting patterns within the European Parliament for EU trade legislations including EU trade agreements. Given that trade is a very sensitive issue for particular Member States, our question is to verify whether members of European Parliament (MEP) tend to vote in line with their political affiliation or national identity prevails in voting for trade-related issues. Our results from EU trade agreements with Korea and Columbia/Peru show that MEPs tend to vote with others in their political groups in trade legislations and their voting pattern is not very different from the overall voting pattern observed in other policy areas. This trend is confirmed by both the comparison of intra-voting cohesion index and the empirical test based on the probit model. Country-specific variables do not explain well the voting behavior of MEPs in trade issues. However, it is noteworthy that some MEPs voted in line with their national interests in case of EU-Korea FTA.
Franchising as a Strategic Partnership: Issues of Cosoperation and Conflict in a Global Market

DR. TOM DANDRIDGE IS DIRECTOR OF the Small Business Institute at the State University of New York at Albany, United States of America, and has been working with Dr. Cecilia Falbe on research relating to franchising and to organisational theory for four years. They have increasingly attended to international franchsing and to the important issues of strategy formation and franchisors across national borders. They have also been involved in programmes fro ecnonomic development in Eastern Europe and it is from this combination that the paper emerges. The first part of the paper provides a basic overview of franchising as it has developed in the United States while the second part is conderned with managing the strategic partnership of franchisors and franchisees in a global market.
Improving the Security of Chaotic Synchronization With a  $\Delta$-Modulated Cryptographic Technique

A secure chaos-based communication with a Delta-modulated chaotic cryptographic technique is developed in this paper. We prove that a Delta-modulated feedback control of a 1-D discrete- time control system gives rise to a chaotic system. Base on this chaotic system, a modified parameter modulation scheme is proposed to improve security. As illustrated by numerical simulation, the parameter in the sender is protected by a secure cryptosystem against two popular attacks.
The influence of CEO attributes on strategic orientation towards R&D and strategic fit in Indian public sector units

Chief executive officers play a vital role in the strategic initiatives regarding R%D and innovation, and to ensure strategic fit. In the globalised environment, focus on research and development is more important to gain competitive advantage. Hence, this work is carried out to understand and explore the influence of CEO on the strategic orientation in Indian public sector units. An empirical study was conducted, using research instrument designed to survey CEOs, in public sector units. Data collected from 74 public sector units were analysed using multiple regression and correlation. The analysis indicated that CEO characteristics, job attitude, and focus towards R%D influence the formulation of R%D vision in Indian PSUs, weakly. In addition, the study also revealed various other factors of importance that must have been the major concerns for the sickness of many public sector units. The study unveils the probable reasons for lack of growth in the sector.
Aquaculture Research and Development as an Entry-Point and Contributor to Natural Resources and Coastal Management

Recent, fervent international dialogue concerning the existence and magnitude of impacts associated with aquaculture has had both positive and negative outcomes. Aquaculture stakeholders have become sensitized to requirements for improved environmental management of aquaculture. On the other hand, in some cases aquaculture development has been negatively affected by some of the unwarranted and unproved allegations to the detriment of the stakeholders most in need of aquaculture development (i.e., resource users, particularly the poor, who are dependent on natural resources). These resource users are targeted by, and directly influence biodiversity and conservation agendas; hence the need to understand how to gain their active participation. This discussion focuses on examples of how aquaculture research and development can be a useful tool or strategy for resource management initiatives and provide tangible positive including increased stakeholder participation and cooperation, offering alternatives to resource extraction and use in otherwise difficult or intransigent resource management conflicts.
Physical inactivity is a risk factor for physical activity-related injuries in children

Objectives To describe the risk factors associated with injuries resulting from physical education (PE), leisure time physical activity (leisure time PA) and sports in 9–12-year-old children. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Primary schools. Participants Nine hundred and ninety-five children aged 9–12 years. Main outcome measures Injuries occurring during either PE class, leisure time PA or sports, and caused the child to at least stop the current activity were recorded prospectively. Individual weekly exposure was estimated from baseline and follow-up questionnaires. Potential risk factors were gender, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, habitual level of PA, body mass index and a motor fitness. A multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model was developed, accounting for clustering within schools. Results Gender, age and level of PA were independent significant risk factors for injury. Different modalities of PA had different injury risk factors. Most importantly, the low levels of habitual PA significantly increased injury risk. Conclusions The children at highest injury risk are the target audience of the contemporary PA promotion efforts. PA promotion should also focus on injury prevention.
Screening and identification of lactic acid bacteria from raw seafoods and Thai fermented seafood products for their potential use as starter cultures

The number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was analyzed from 52 samples of raw seafoods (shrimp and mussel), and Thai fermented seafood products including fermented shrimp (kung-jom), mussel (hoi-dong), and fish (pla-jom). The viable LAB were 3.010 to 3.410 CFU/g. LAB were isolated and screened for their inhibitory activities against eight indicator bacteria by agar spot test. Among all selected LAB isolates, 52 isolates showed strong inhibitory activity. They were further characterized for their ability to resist hydrochloric acid, lactic acid, bile salts, and sodium chloride, and their ability to produce bacteriocins and amino acid decarboxylase. The selected LAB isolates, 1IS11 and 4IS17, were bacteriocin-producing strains, and showed no amino acid decarboxylase activity, which was suitable property for starter cultures. The isolate 1IS11 could resist both hydrochloric and lactic acid at the lowest pH of 2.0, while the isolate 4IS17 was able to tolerate hydrochloric and lactic acid at the lowest pH of 1.5 and 2.0, respectively. Both isolates could grow in MRS broth containing a high concentration of sodium chloride (10 %) and bile salts (1.5%). They were identified by morphological characterization, biochemical test, and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The isolate 1IS11 was found to be Enterococcus faecium, whereas the isolate 4IS17 was Enterococcus faecalis.