Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transcriptome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling Analysis of Chrysanthemum Trihelix Transcription Factors

Trihelix transcription factors are thought to feature a typical DNA-binding trihelix (helix-loop-helix-loop-helix) domain that binds specifically to the GT motif, a light-responsive DNA element. Members of the trihelix family are known to function in a number of processes in plants. Here, we characterize 20 trihelix family genes in the important ornamental plant chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium). Based on transcriptomic data, 20 distinct sequences distributed across four of five groups revealed by a phylogenetic tree were isolated and amplified. The phylogenetic analysis also identified four pairs of orthologous proteins shared by Arabidopsis and chrysanthemum and five pairs of paralogous proteins in chrysanthemum. Conserved motifs in the trihelix proteins shared by Arabidopsis and chrysanthemum were analyzed using MEME, and further bioinformatic analysis revealed that 16 CmTHs can be targeted by 20 miRNA families and that miR414 can target 9 CmTHs. qPCR results displayed that most chrysanthemum trihelix genes were highly expressed in inflorescences, while 20 CmTH genes were in response to phytohormone treatments and abiotic stresses. This work improves our understanding of the various functions of trihelix gene family members in response to hormonal stimuli and stress.
Hiding behind the party brand or currying favor with constituents: Why do representatives engage in different types of constituency-oriented behavior?

Why do representatives prioritize certain types of constituency service in parliamentary systems? This study argues that the choice for constituency-oriented activities is conditioned by both partisan factors and legislative role orientations. Two novel data sets combining behavioral and attitudinal measures of constituency-oriented behavior are used for empirical tests: an elite survey including detailed interviews with 204 members of the Turkish parliament and 4000 parliamentary questions tabled by these members. The results from a series of ordered logit, ordinary least squares (OLS), and negative binomial regression estimations confirm that members of parliament choose different types of constituency-oriented activities based on their visibility to the party leadership and their constituency. This choice is primarily driven by partisanship and members of parliament’s perceptions about the influence of party leader in renomination. The analysis provides important insights about the role of partisan factors as drivers of parliamentary behavior.
Beyond blended learning ! Undiscovered potentials for e-learning in organizational learning

Lately the previous confidence in e-learning has declined. An OECD report from 2005 states that elearning has been an administrative success, but not as far as learning itself is concerned. In 2003 Commissionaire Reding gave a speech, in which she strongly promoted blended learning as the way forward towards a learner-centric approach to learning with a more or less hidden criticism toward e-learning for not delivering the goods.
Xdr Binding to Lisp

We describe a binding of the XDR protocol to the Common LISP programming language and the binding's routine's library implementation. The implementation solves compatibility problems arising in the exchange of structured data between modules coded in diierent programming languages and/or hosted by computing environments with diierent hardware architectures. Our facility is used for module interconnection within ABE, an environment for the development of distributed, heterogeneous systems, which is brieey described. Our XDR binding to LISP radically diiers from other bindings previously proposed in that we use an explicit association mechanism from XDR types to LISP types, which contributes the several important characteristics of the implementation, and might be adopted for bindings to other languages. Complex application programs are easier to write and can eeciently overcome the assumption that a module must know in advance the type of a datum it is going to receive. Our binding retains full compatibility with other XDR bindings, e.g. to C and LISP, with increased power, exibility, and simplicity of use.
Particle swarm optimization used in a fuzzy inference system for color modification from digital images to an psychedelic artistic style

This paper proposes a fuzzy inference system for color manipulation in digital images in order to modify its artistic style, in this case the art form called psychedelic. The proposed fuzzy logic system, modeled by sets and fuzzy inference rules, generating images with colors characteristic of this type of art. In the second part fits inference system with the proposed technique; proposed an optimization algorithm based on particle swarms, finally showing improved results.
Anxiety and attentional control in football penalty kicks: A mechanistic account of performance failure under pressure

This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. Abstract Football penalty kicks are having increasing influence in today's professional game. Despite this, little scientific evidence currently exists to ascertain the mechanisms behind performance failure in this task and/or the efficacy of training designed to improve penalty shooting. In a football penalty kick it has been reported that the majority of kickers do not look to the area they wish to place the ball; preferring to focus on the 'keeper and predict anticipatory movements before shooting. Such a strategy seems counterproductive and contradictory to current research findings regarding visually guided aiming. Coordination of eye and limb movements has been shown to be essential for the production of accurate motor responses. A disruption to this coordination not only seems to negatively affect performance, but subsequent motor responses seem to follow direction of gaze. Thus, where the eyes lead actions tend to follow. In study 1, ten participants were asked to kick a standard sized football to alternate corners of a goal, whilst looking centrally and whilst looking where they intended to hit. This disruption of eye-limb coordination brought about a 15% reduction in kicking accuracy. When participants were asked to fixate centrally, their shots hit more centrally (17cm) than when they were allowed to look where they intended to hit. These results were in spite of no significant differences between the number of missed shots, preparation time and ball speed data across conditions. We concluded that centrally focused fixations dragged resultant motor actions inwards towards more central target locations. Put simply, where the eyes looked shots tended to follow. The second study sought to test the predictions of attentional control theory (ACT) in a sporting environment in order to establish how anxiety affects performance in penalty kicks. Fourteen experienced footballers took penalty kicks under low-and high-threat counterbalanced conditions while wearing a gaze registration system. Fixations to target locations (goalkeeper and goal area) were determined using frame-by-frame analysis. When anxious, footballers made faster first fixations and fixated for significantly longer toward the goalkeeper. This …
Statistical Analysis of Metal Gate Workfunction Variability, Process Variation, and Random Dopant Fluctuation in Nano-CMOS Circuits

This work for the first time estimates the influences of the intrinsic parameter fluctuations consisting of metal gate workfunction fluctuation (WKF), process variation effect (PVE) and random dopant fluctuation (RDF) on 16-nm-gate planar metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) and circuits. The WKF and RDF dominate the threshold voltage fluctuation; however, the WKF brings less impact on the gate capacitance due to the screening effect of the inversion layer. The fluctuation of timing characteristics depends on the threshold voltage fluctuation, and therefore is proportional to the trend of threshold voltage fluctuation. For an amplifier circuit, the high- frequency characteristics, the circuit gain, the 3dB bandwidth, the unity-gain bandwidth power, and the power-added efficiency, are explored consequently. Similar to the trend of the cutoff frequency, the PVE and RDF dominate both the device and circuits characteristic fluctuations due to the significant gate capacitance fluctuations and the WKF is less important at this simulation scenario. The extensive study assesses the fluctuations on circuit performance and reliability, which can in turn be used to optimize nanoscale MOSFET and circuits.
Development of an Domestic User-Interface Robot with Emotional Feedback

This paper reports on the results we’ve obtained thus far from our on-going development of a domestic user-interface robot that is able to have natural human interaction by speech and emotional feedback. This project is embedded in the European ITEA Ambiance project [1]. The essential feature of this robot is its mechanical 3D head that is controlled by 17 standard RC-servomotors and by which the robot is able to express emotions. Images of a stereo camera and the appearance-based approach realizes the localization of the robot. Navigation is performed by using a combination of a planner and a behavioral execution module. In order to realize an efficient implementation and integration of all the software modules that are being developed by the different parties involved in this project, we’ve developed a dedicated software framework called the Dynamic Module Library. This framework allows to configure software modules at runtime which greatly enhances the interactivity developers have with their robot system.
Mining Discriminative Patterns for Classifying Trajectories on Road Networks

Classification has been used for modeling many kinds of data sets, including sets of items, text documents, graphs, and networks. However, there is a lack of study on a new kind of data, trajectories on road networks. Modeling such data is useful with the emerging GPS and RFID technologies and is important for effective transportation and traffic planning. In this work, we study methods for classifying trajectories on road networks. By analyzing the behavior of trajectories on road networks, we observe that, in addition to the locations where vehicles have visited, the order of these visited locations is crucial for improving classification accuracy. Based on our analysis, we contend that (frequent) sequential patterns are good feature candidates since they preserve this order information. Furthermore, when mining sequential patterns, we propose to confine the length of sequential patterns to ensure high efficiency. Compared with closed sequential patterns, these partial (i.e., length-confined) sequential patterns allow us to significantly improve efficiency almost without losing accuracy. In this paper, we present a framework for frequent pattern-based classification for trajectories on road networks. Our comparative study over a broad range of classification approaches demonstrates that our method significantly improves accuracy over other methods in some synthetic and real trajectory data.
Changing Latent Energy Environments: A Case for the Evolution of Plasticity

Plas t ic i t y can be broadly defined as the capacity for any type of phenotypic change to occur during life. It is often argued that one of the main advantages of plasticity for individuals in evolving populations is adaptation to changing environments (see, e.g., Johnson 1982, Belew 1990). This is independent of other, less direct forms of interaction between evolution and plasticity, such as the Baldwin effect (Baldwin 1896, Waddington 1942, Maynard Smith 1987, Hinton and Nowlan 1987, Belew 1990, Nolfi et al. 1990, Parisi et al. 1992). In this paper the effect of environmental temporal changes on evolution is studied, thus allowing to explore the above hypothesis and quantitatively test it. In particular, this is done by studying the correlation between environmental rate of change and the adaptive advantage of individual plasticity.
Broken promises and quantum algorithms

In the black-box model, problems constrained by a 'promise' are the only ones that admit a quantum exponential speedup over the best classical algorithm in terms of query complexity. The most prominent example of this is the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm. More recently, Wim van Dam put forward an algorithm for unstructured problems (i.e., those without a promise). We consider the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm with a less restrictive (or 'broken') promise and study the transition to an unstructured problem. We compare this to the success of van Dam's algorithm. These are both compared with a standard classical sampling algorithm. The Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm remains good as the problem initially becomes less structured, but the van Dam algorithm can be adapted so as to become superior to the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm as the promise is weakened.
Procedural Content Graphs for Urban Modeling

Massive procedural content creation, for example, for virtual urban environments, is a difficult, yet important challenge. While shape grammars are a popular example of effectiveness in architectural modeling, they have clear limitations regarding readability, manageability, and expressive power when addressing a variety of complex structural designs. Moreover, shape grammars aim at geometry specification and do not facilitate integration with other types of content, such as textures or light sources, which could rather accompany the generation process. We present procedural content graphs, a graph-based solution for procedural generation that addresses all these issues in a visual, flexible, and more expressive manner. Besides integrating handling of diverse types of content, this approach introduces collective entity manipulation as lists, seamlessly providing features such as advanced filtering, grouping, merging, ordering, and aggregation, essentially unavailable in shape grammars. Hereby, separated entities can be easily merged or just analyzed together in order to perform a variety of context-based decisions and operations. The advantages of this approach are illustrated via examples of tasks that are either very cumbersome or simply impossible to express with previous grammar approaches.
Computed tomography-based diagnosis of diffuse compensatory enlargement of coronary arteries using scaling power laws

Glagov's positive remodelling in the early stages of coronary atherosclerosis often results in plaque rupture and acute events. Because positive remodelling is generally diffused along the epicardial coronary arterial tree, it is difficult to diagnose non-invasively. Hence, the objective of the study is to assess the use of scaling power law for the diagnosis of positive remodelling of coronary arteries based on computed tomography (CT) images. Epicardial coronary arterial trees were reconstructed from CT scans of six Ossabaw pigs fed on a high-fat, high-cholesterol, atherogenic diet for eight months as well as the same number of body-weight-matched farm pigs fed on a lean chow (101.9±16.1 versus 91.5±13.1 kg). The high-fat diet Ossabaw pig model showed diffuse positive remodelling of epicardial coronary arteries. Good fit of measured coronary data to the length–volume scaling power law ( where Lc and Vc are crown length and volume) were found for both the high-fat and control groups (R2 = 0.95±0.04 and 0.99±0.01, respectively). The coefficient, KLV, decreased significantly in the high-fat diet group when compared with the control (14.6±2.6 versus 40.9±5.6). The flow–length scaling power law, however, was nearly unaffected by the positive remodelling. The length–volume and flow–length scaling power laws were preserved in epicardial coronary arterial trees after positive remodelling. KLV < 18 in the length–volume scaling relation is a good index of positive remodelling of coronary arteries. These findings provide a clinical rationale for simple, accurate and non-invasive diagnosis of positive remodelling of coronary arteries, using conventional CT scans.
Functional Expansion of Sensorimotor Representation and Structural Reorganization of Callosal Connections in Lower Limb Amputees

Previous studies have indicated that amputation or deafferentation of a limb induces functional changes in sensory (S1) and motor (M1) cortices, related to phantom limb pain. However, the extent of cortical reorganization after lower limb amputation in patients with nonpainful phantom phenomena remains uncertain. In this study, we combined functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate the existence and extent of cortical and callosal plasticity in these subjects. Nine “painless” patients with lower limb amputation and nine control subjects (sex- and age-matched) underwent a 3-T MRI protocol, including fMRI with somatosensory stimulation. In amputees, we observed an expansion of activation maps of the stump in S1 and M1 of the deafferented hemisphere, spreading to neighboring regions that represent the trunk and upper limbs. We also observed that tactile stimulation of the intact foot in amputees induced a greater activation of ipsilateral S1, when compared with controls. These results demonstrate a functional remapping of S1 in lower limb amputees. However, in contrast to previous studies, these neuroplastic changes do not appear to be dependent on phantom pain but do also occur in those who reported only the presence of phantom sensation without pain. In addition, our findings indicate that amputation of a limb also induces changes in the cortical representation of the intact limb. Finally, DTI analysis showed structural changes in the corpus callosum of amputees, compatible with the hypothesis that phantom sensations may depend on inhibitory release in the sensorimotor cortex.
Flatfoot Diagnosis by a Unique Bimodal Distribution of Footprint Index in Children

Background More than 1000 scientific papers have been devoted to flatfoot issue. However, a bimodal distribution of flatfoot indices in school-aged children has never been discovered. The purposes of this study were to establish a new classification of flatfoot by characteristic in frequency distribution of footprint index and to endue the classification with discrepancy in physical fitness. Methods/Principal Findings In a longitudinal survey of physical fitness and body structure, weight bearing footprints and 3 physical fitness related tests were measured in 1228 school-aged children. Frequency distribution of initial data was tested by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality and a unique bimodal distribution of footprint index was identified. The frequency distribution of footprint index manifests two distinct modes, flatfoot and non-flatfoot, by deconvolution and bootstrapping procedures. A constant intersection value of 1.0 in Staheli's arch index and 0.6 in Chippaux-Smirak index could distinguish the two modes of children, and the value was constant in different age, sex, and weight status. The performance of the one leg balance was inferior in flatfoot girls (median, 4.0 seconds in flatfoot girls vs. 4.3 seconds in non-flatfoot girls, p = 0.04, 95% CI 0.404–0.484). Discussion The natural bimodality lends itself to a flatfoot classification. Bimodality suggests development of the child's foot arch would be a leap from one state to another, rather than a continuous growth as body height and weight. The underlying dynamics of the human foot arch and motor development will trigger research prospects.
Coaxial through-package-vias (TPVs) for enhancing power integrity in 3D double-side glass interposers

Double-sided 3D glass interposers and packages, with through package vias (TPV) at the same pitch as TSVs in Si, have been proposed to achieve high bandwidth between logic and memory with benefits in cost, process complexity, testability and thermal over 3D IC stacks with TSV. However, such a 3D interposer introduces power distribution network (PDN) challenges due to increased power delivery path length and plane resonances. This paper investigates the use of coaxial through-package-vias (TPVs) with high dielectric constant liners as an effective method to deliver clean power within a 3D glass package, and provides design and fabrication guidelines to achieve the PDN target impedance. The Coaxial TPV structure is simulated using electromagnetic (EM) solvers and a simplified equivalent circuit model to study via impedance and parasitics. Test vehicles with anodized tantalum oxide capacitors were fabricated in ultra-thin, 100μm thick glass interposers to demonstrate process feasibility, with a capacitance density of 5 nF/mm2. Self-impedance (Z11) of a 3D glass interposer containing the coaxial TPVs was analyzed with variations in (a) Via location, (b) Number of coaxial vias, and (c) Via capacitance and stack-up, to provide optimal PDN design guidelines. Based on the above parameters, the added decoupling vias achieved more than 30% impedance suppression over multiple resonance frequencies between 0.5-6 GHz, providing an effective and flexible PDN design method for double-side 3D glass interposers.
Expression of an Expectation of a Future Desire to Move by Older Community-Dwelling Adults

THE EXPRESS ION OF AN EXPECTATION OF A FUTURE DES I RE TO MOVE BY OLDER COMMUNITY-DWELLING ADULTS Brenda K . Goodman, M . S . Medica l Col lege of Virginia--Virginia Commonwealth Univers ity, 1991. Major Director : Dr . Michael A . Pyles Empirical evidence in the gerontological l iterature supports the commonly held belief that o lder adu lts, overwhelmingly, pre fer to remain in their own homes . Despite this fact, o lder adu lts residing in the community o ften express an expectation that they wi l l move in the future. There is a paucity of empirica l findings on those factors which are most inf luential on the expre s s ion of an expectation of a future des ire to move . Logistic regres s ion was used to analyze data from the third wave of a longitudinal study of elderly Mas s ac husetts res idents res iding in the community to identi fy pos s ible antecedents to the expres s ion of an expectation of a future des ire to move . The perception that income was not adequate to meet expenses decreased the l ike l ihood of express ing an expectation of a future des ire to move for a l l respondents and for those with chi ldren in the area . A l iving arrangement which was other than a lone or with a spouse only was s ignificantly re lated to the expres sion of an expectation of a future des ire to move for a l l respondents and for those without c hildren in the area . pos itive self­ perceived health was found to increase the like lihood that an expectation of a future desire to move wou ld be expre s sed . A knowledge of the most important factors which contribute to the decis ion of an o lder community-dwe l ling adu lt to move from their comfortable , fami liar surroundings s hould facilitate the imp lementation of programs and s ervices which would obviate the need for some unnece s s ary moves and , consequent ly , make it pos s ible for them to enjoy a wholesome life in the community for as long as pos s ible . CHAPTER