Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceptually-Motivated Graphics

In this half-day tutorial, we give an overview of the uses of knowledge about the human visual system, as applied to several aspects of computer graphics. In particular, we show how human visual perception applies to the optimization of rendering algorithms, display algorithms, as well as virtual environments. Examples are shown for applications such as real-time rendering, high quality rendering, material editing using images, and training and knowledge transfer in virtual environments. The aim is to show that the human visual perception literature harbours a rich source of knowledge that can be directly applied to improve a wide range of algorithms and technologies in computer graphics.
The impact of fiscal policy and inflation on national saving. A reply

The article serves as a response to Nicola Rossi’s critique of the authors’ previous work on fiscal policy and national savings in Italy. The authors reaffirm their previous finding that deficits have indeed reduced national savings and in particular make two points. First, contrary to his assertions, Rossi’s evidence is inconsistent with the Ricardian Equivalence Proposition. Second, this failure becomes even more apparent if one relies on the updated formulation and improved data underlying the more recent contribution of Modigliani and Jappelli (1987).
An emerging interface between life science and nanotechnology: present status and prospects of reproductive healthcare aided by nano-biotechnology

Among the various applications of nano-biotechnology, healthcare is considered one of the most significant domains. For that possibility to synthesize various kind of nanoparticles (NPs) and the ever-increasing ability to control their size as well as structure, to improve surface characteristics and binding NPs with other desired curing agents has played an important role. In this paper, a brief sketch of various kinds of nanomaterials and their biomedical applications is given. Despite claims of bio-nanotechnology about to touch all areas of medical science, information pertaining to the role of nanotechnology for the betterment of reproductive healthcare is indeed limited. Therefore, the various achievements of nano-biotechnology for healthcare in general have been illustrated while giving special insight into the role of nano-biotechnology for the future of reproductive healthcare betterment as well as current achievements of nanoscience and nanotechnology in this arena.
The Basle Accord: rethinking credit risk

Discusses the 1988 Basle Accord and the effect it had on banks internationally plus the more recent amendments dealing with various matters and the 1999 proposals that promise change. Posits that the 1999 proposals envisage three pillars with definite aims, these are examined in depth. Concludes that the Basle approach has real merits with credit being pushed to the limit by firms’ involvement in this system.
UIT-DANGNT-CLNLP at SemEval-2017 Task 9: Building Scientific Concept Fixing Patterns for Improving CAMR

This paper describes the improvements that we have applied on CAMR baseline parser (Wang et al., 2016) at Task 8 of SemEval-2016. Our objective is to increase the performance of CAMR when parsing sentences from scientific articles, especially articles of biology domain more accurately. To achieve this goal, we built two wrapper layers for CAMR. The first layer, which covers the input data, will normalize, add necessary information to the input sentences to make the input dependency parser and the aligner better handle reference citations, scientific figures, formulas, etc. The second layer, which covers the output data, will modify and standardize output data based on a list of scientific concept fixing patterns. This will help CAMR better handle biological concepts which are not in the training dataset. Finally, after applying our approach, CAMR has scored 0.65 F-score on the test set of Biomedical training data and 0.61 F-score on the official blind test dataset.
Development of artificial hand gripper by using flex force sensor

A human hand is a very complex grasping tool which can handle object of different sizes and shapes. Many research works have been done to develop an artificial robot hands with similar capabilities to a human hand, such a robot hand is also called a multi finger gripper. Most parts of this research are dedicated to control of multi finger grippers with emphasis on the finger tips or finger joints. By controlling a multi finger gripper, we enable the gripper to handle an object; in another words, controlling a multi finger gripper can be viewed in terms of controlling an object's pose and the forces between the object and its environment. Hence, an object pose controller with feedback from an object pose sensor suits multi finger gripper control. Also due to the non-linear dynamic system behavior in the joints of most multi finger grippers, an effective, easily-adaptable joint controller is employed. The paper discusses the object pose controller with great detail in a new joint controller. Since the joint controller is based on microcontroller and we do not use an exact analytical model for this case.
Organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis in Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus (Lem.) K. Schum. (Cactaceae), an endemic and endangered Mexican species

SummaryShoots by direct and indirect organogenesis and somatic embryos were induced from tubercles excised from Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus seeds germinated in vitro. Shoot formation was greatest (6.3 per explant) when explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (BA; 13.3 μM) and α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA; 5.4 μM). Individualized shoots were rooted in half-strength MS; the addition of activated charcoal (1 g l−1) and the use of sun cap closures to seal containers improved the rooting of shoots. Nearly 20% of the explants produced somatic embryos on media containing combinations of BA (8.9–22.2 μM) and NAA (0.5–5.4 μM). The establishment of plantlets in soil presented no significant problems. In vitro culture is a useful option for mass propagation of A. kotschoubeyanus and contributes to its conservation.
An evaluation of motor models of handwriting

A general method is presented for describing and analyzing biomedical handwriting models. Using Laplace's transform theory, a model can be represented in what is called the neural firing-rate domain. Consistent terminology is proposed to facilitate model evaluation and comparison. An overview of previously published models suggests that they could be described using this method, with second- and third-order linear model representation. Fourteen simplified theoretical models are simulated in an experiment designed to study the parameter domain in which handwriting is controlled by the nervous system in order to gain insight into which type of model provides the best reconstruction of natural handwriting. Results show that velocity-controlled models produce the best outputs, with no significant difference between second- and third-order systems. In handwriting, fine motor behavior is thus velocity-controlled. These findings agree with other recent automatic signature verification results and are of interest for a number of applications, from pattern recognition to handwriting education. >
Enhanced Expression of the Homeostatic Chemokines CCL19 and CCL21 in Clinical and Experimental Atherosclerosis: Possible Pathogenic Role in Plaque Destabilization

Objective—Based on their role in T-cell homing into nonlymphoid tissue, we examined the role of the homeostatic chemokines CCL19 and CCL21 and their common receptor CCR7 in coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods and Results—We performed studies in patients with stable (n=40) and unstable (n=40) angina and healthy controls (n=20), in vitro studies in T-cells and macrophages, and studies in apolipoprotein-E–deficient (ApoE−/−) mice and human atherosclerotic carotid plaques. We found increased levels of CCL19 and CCL21 within the atherosclerotic lesions of the ApoE−/− mice, in human atherosclerotic carotid plaques, and in plasma of CAD patients. Whereas strong CCR7 expression was seen in T-cells from murine and human atherosclerotic plaques, circulating T-cells from angina patients showed decreased CCR7 expression. CCL19 and CCL21 promoted an inflammatory phenotype in T-cells and macrophages and increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and tissue factor levels in the latter cell type. Although aggressive statin therapy increased CCR7 and decreased CCL19/CCL21 levels in peripheral blood from CAD patients, conventional therapy did not. Conclusions—The abnormal regulation of CCL19 and CCL21 and their common receptor in atherosclerosis could contribute to disease progression by recruiting T-cells and macrophages to the atherosclerotic lesions and by promoting inflammatory responses in these cells.
An analysis of the interaction between new construction and pricing of housing in Sweden 1991-2009

This thesis analyses the effect of new construction of housing on housing prices in Sweden from 1991 to 2009. This is done by analyzing the links between house prices, net migration, supply of housing, income, unemployment rate and new construction of houses in 288 Swedish municipalities from 1991 to 2009. A quantitative approach using a Heckman Sample Selection model and panel-data from Statistics Sweden (SCB) and the Swedish public employment agency (AMS) is used to investigate the effect of new construction on house prices in Sweden. Through empirical analysis it is found that the effect of new construction of houses on the price of houses is statistically significant and positive. This surprising result contradicts theory as construction of new housing is generally believed to decrease housing prices. It is therefore suggested that the variable used to measure new construction captures effects other than solely new construction or is correlated with omitted variables explaining increases in housing prices. Nevertheless, the literature review points to some policy implications such that reducing the market imperfections in the Swedish construction industry, loosening the stiff administrative process involved in construction projects and perhaps aiming new construction projects at the lower end of the market. The conclusions drawn are therefore in line with Glaeser, Gyourko and Saks (2005) that regulations and a tedious administrative process may serve to keep new construction of housing at a low level. It is believed that this study sheds some light on an undeveloped aspect in academic literature: the effect of new construction of housing on housing prices.
Characterising the impacts of emerging energy development on wildlife, with an eye towards mitigation.

Global demand for energy is projected to increase by 40% in the next 20 years, and largely will be met with alternative and unconventional sources. Development of these resources causes novel disturbances that strongly impact terrestrial ecosystems and wildlife. To effectively position ecologists to address this prevalent conservation challenge, we reviewed the literature on the ecological ramifications of this dominant driver of global land-use change, consolidated results for its mitigation and highlighted knowledge gaps. Impacts varied widely, underscoring the importance of area and species-specific studies. The most commonly reported impacts included behavioural responses and direct mortality. Examinations of mitigation were limited, but common easements included (1) reduction of the development footprint and human activity, (2) maintenance of undeveloped, 'refuge' habitat and (3) alteration of activity during sensitive periods. Problematically, the literature was primarily retrospective, focused on few species, countries, and ecoregions, and fraught with generalisations from weak inference. We advocate future studies take a comprehensive approach incorporating a mechanistic understanding of the interplay between development-caused impacts and species ecology that will enable effective mitigation. Key areas for future research vital to securing a sustainable energy future in the face of development-related global change are outlined.
HR's strategic role within MNCs: helping build social capital in Latin America

In this article, we adopt a holistic perspective in considering the impact of the country's environment as well as the multinational corporations (MNCs) strategy on human resource (HR) practices. More importantly, we argue that within MNCs human resource management (HRM) is playing a central role in the process of balancing local and global forces. HR can be critical in helping MNCs' deal with local differences while also helping the company implement practices that are critical for its global strategy. Specifically, we argue that HR plays a key role in developing social capital, which may provide the necessary ‘substitutes’ for formal control that would otherwise be neglected. Our contribution lies primarily in outlining how this new role of creating human capital confers on HR the task of filtering mission-critical practices through a ‘localization mesh’ that ensures success. In addition, given the importance of social capital as an informal mechanism that allows MNCs to coordinate and integrate activities, we suggest ways in which an MNC can build social capital within the context of the Latin American pan-regional cultural values.
Path generation of walking machines in 3D terrain

The path planning of legged locomotion is difficult in that not only the body trajectory but also the foot placement need to be considered. A general approach of path planning will fail in generating a feasible path for walking machines when facing the huge searching space of legged locomotion. In this paper, an effective method of path planning for 3D walking is introduced. The basic idea is that a feasible path is generated based on the terrain evaluation which produces an index of terrain complexity with respect to the machine mobility. The terrain evaluation is first carried out in a 2D space by considering the leg placement. The 2D terrain complexity is then modified according to the height's influence on the body motion for the 3D results. As an illustration, a feasible path is generated by applying the potential-guided searching technology to the 3D terrain complexity.
Transferring human resource management across national boundaries: the case of Chinese multinational companies in the UK

The diffusion of “best management practice” across national boundaries is becoming a significant strategy for multinational companies (MNCs) to achieve competitive advantage in global markets. Several studies have shown that national cultural and institutional differences may constrain or limit the transfer of such “best practice”. However, these conclusions are based on studies of MNCs from developed countries and we know little about MNCs from developing countries in relation to human resource management best practice. China is engaging in rapid economic development and internationalisation of its business system, and Chinese MNCs see the adoption of advanced management practices as central to the process. Drawing on a study of Chinese MNCs operating in the UK, the article shows how the subsidiaries of these MNCs used the advanced environment of a developed country to transfer best practice of HRM into their organisations.
Multifunctional host defense peptides: intracellular‐targeting antimicrobial peptides

There is widespread acceptance that cationic antimicrobial peptides, apart from their membrane‐permeabilizing/disrupting properties, also operate through interactions with intracellular targets, or disruption of key cellular processes. Examples of intracellular activity include inhibition of DNA and protein synthesis, inhibition of chaperone‐assisted protein folding and enzymatic activity, and inhibition of cytoplasmic membrane septum formation and cell wall synthesis. The purpose of this minireview is to question some widely held views about intracellular‐targeting antimicrobial peptides. In particular, I focus on the relative contributions of intracellular targeting and membrane disruption to the overall killing strategy of antimicrobial peptides, as well as on mechanisms whereby some peptides are able to translocate spontaneously across the plasma membrane. Currently, there are no more than three peptides that have been convincingly demonstrated to enter microbial cells without the involvement of stereospecific interactions with a receptor/docking molecule and, once in the cell, to interfere with cellular functions. From the limited data currently available, it seems unlikely that this property, which is isolated in particular peptide families, is also shared by the hundreds of naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides that differ in length, amino acid composition, sequence, hydrophobicity, amphipathicity, and membrane‐bound conformation. Microbial cell entry and/or membrane damage associated with membrane phase/transient pore or long‐lived transitions could be a feature common to intracellular‐targeting antimicrobial peptides and mammalian cell‐penetrating peptides that have an overrepresentation of one or two amino acids, i.e. Trp and Pro, His, or Arg. Differences in membrane lipid composition, as well as differential lipid recruitment by peptides, may provide a basis for microbial cell killing on one hand, and mammalian cell passage on the other.
Utilization of iron-catecholamine complexes involving ferric reductase activity in Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous potentially pathogenic organism requiring iron for growth and virulence. Although it does not produce siderophores, L. monocytogenes is able to obtain iron by using either exogenous siderophores produced by various microorganisms or natural catechol compounds widespread in the environment. In the presence of tropolone, an iron-chelating agent, growth of L. monocytogenes is completely inhibited. However, the growth inhibition can be relieved by the addition of dopamine or norepinephrine under their different isomeric forms, while the catecholamine derivatives 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylglycol and normetanephrine did not relieve the inhibitory effect of tropolone. Preincubation of L. monocytogenes with chlorpromazine and yohimbine did not antagonize the growth-promoting effect of catecholamines in iron-complexed medium. In addition, norepinephrine stimulated the growth-promoting effect induced by human transferrin in iron-limited medium. Furthermore, dopamine and norepinephrine allowed 55Fe uptake by iron-deprived bacterial cells. The uptake of iron was energy dependent, as indicated by inhibition of 55Fe uptake at 0 degrees C as well as by preincubating the bacteria with KCN. Inhibition of 55Fe uptake by L. monocytogenes was also observed in the presence of Pt(II). Moreover, when assessed by a whole-cell ferric reductase assay, reductase activity of L. monocytogenes was inhibited by Pt(II). These data demonstrate that dopamine and norepinephrine can function as siderophore-like compounds in L. monocytogenes owing to their ortho-diphenol function and that catecholamine-mediated iron acquisition does not involve specific catecholamine receptors but acts through a cell-bound ferrireductase activity.
Bankers' Dilemmas: Private Cooperation in Rescheduling Sovereign Debts

Cooperation among creditors has been the foundation of international debt arrangement! and is critical to preserving the value of foreign capital. Such cooperation is inherently difficult because every debt rescheduling involves hundreds of banks worldwide, each witr its own financial interests. Nevertheless, large money-center banks have been able to devisi common negotiating positions and conclude rescheduling agreements. Their cooperation i based partly on their extensive daily interactions, which permit both reciprocity and retal iation. In addition, most large banks are permanent fixtures in international capital markets; their ties to other banks and foreign borrowers could be jeopardized if they obstructed a rescheduling. Smaller banks, which lack these international ties, are more apt to hold out from joint arrangements. To secure their agreement, creditor committees (composed of large banks) rely on their domestic ties to these smaller institutions, which is occasionally reinforced by support from central banks.
Cardiac hypertrophy and remodelling: pathophysiological consequences and protective effects of melatonin

This survey summarizes the limited findings related to the ability of endogenously produced and exogenously administered melatonin to modify the response of the heart musculature to pathological situations that are normally accompanied by hypertrophy of the cardiomyocytes and alterations in cardiovascular physiology. Whereas melatonin did not reduce left ventricular hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats or in nitric oxide-deficient hypertension, it did have other beneficial effects, e.g. it curtailed oxidative damage to the heart that resulted in an attenuation of left ventricular fibrosis. In contrast to the findings in hypertensive rats, melatonin administration was effective in overcoming cardiac enlargement resulting from induced hyperthyroidism or chronic hypoxia exposure. In addition, in these situations, melatonin also conferred protection against free radical-mediated damage at the level of cardiomyocytes. Collectively, the results of the publications summarized herein along with numerous other published reports on other aspects of cardiovascular physiology indicate that, when damage to the heart is a result of free radicals, melatonin is clearly protective. This is not unexpected considering the now well documented potent antioxidative actions of both melatonin and its metabolites. In general, melatonin improves cardiovascular physiology and heart function.
Plant-level dynamics and aggregate productivity growth in the Turkish meat-processing industry: evidence from longitudinal data

The authors examine how plant-level dynamics contribute to aggregate productivity growth in the Turkish meat-processing industry. An aggregate productivity decomposition approach that utilizes plant-level longitudinal data is used to achieve this goal. Their results are consistent with the empirical literature in the sense that productivity enhancement within existing plants is the main source of aggregate productivity growth in this sector. However, their analysis generally suggests that plants that exit the meat-processing industry tend to be more productive than entering plants, especially in the posteconomic crisis period studied. Even though the latter insight is not consistent with the existing empirical literature, they show that these results tend to support R. Caballero and M. Hammour's (2000) contention that institutional factors such as industry structure (i.e., mature vs. infant industry) and economic crisis conditions (i.e., pre- vs. postcrisis periods) affect the nature of plant dynamics' contributions to aggregate productivity growth. Overall, the study's results reveal that industry-specific institutional factors must be taken into consideration when shaping policies aimed to improve and sustain aggregate productivity growth. lJEL Classifications: D24, L25, O12r. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 22: 91-107, 2006.