Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Common Spatial Pattern and Particle Swarm Optimization for Channel Selection in BCI

Common spatial pattern algorithm (CSP) is famous for extracting ERD/ERS feature from multi-channel BCIs based on motor imagery. However, if channel number is large, CSP will tend to overfitting and it is inconvenient for clinical operation. In this study, CSP filters' discrimination and channel number are integrated under one roof. Then binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO) is employed to select the best channel groups. Experimental results of BCI2003 dataset IV and BCI2005 dataset I show that good classification accuracies can be achieved only with 914 channels.
Robustness of ciliates gene assembly

Ciliates are highly complex single-cell organisms, yet very successful from evolutionary point of view they emerged eon years ago and derived into many thousands of known species. Robustness may have an essential contribution to their survival. In this paper, we discuss the robustness of ciliates gene assembly, a process that transforms a diploid micronucleus to a macronucleus and involves massive genome rearrangement. We also consider the evolution aspects of this process the origin of scrambled micronuclear genes and mutations at noncoding/coding junctions. To each of the biological process a computational model is associated, which together bring new perspectives on the robustness of this group of organisms seen as the following: 1) a broken micronuclear gene may be reconnected in many different ways, thus results in various scrambled gene forms; mutations at the noncoding/coding junctions in the micronuclear gene may not change the organism function, but possibly have the same protein to be coded differently in derivative species; 2) the scrambled and mutated genes are propagated among population via gene exchange during the cell life cycle, and brought to cell function via the process of gene assembly, thus result in genetically new and potentially more varied organisms.
THE IMPACT OF RISK AVERSION, TIME PREFERENCE, AND INTERTEMPORAL SUBSTITUTABILITY ON FARMERS' RISK MANAGEMENT BEHAVIOR

This paper applies the generalized expected utility (GEU) approach developed by Epstein and Zin (1989, 1991) to dynamic agricultural risk analysis. We explore the impacts of alternative preference parameters of farmers including of risk aversion, time preference, and intertemporal substitutability on their optimal risk management portfolio selection. Furthermore, we extend the GEU model by introducing a welfare measure, the equivalence variation, and investigate the impacts of U.S. government programs and market institutions on farmers' risk management decisions. We find farmers optimal hedge ratio is sensitive to changes in the preferences and the effects of these preferences changes are intertwined. The policy impact analysis shows government payment programs has a greater effect on farmers optimal choice than crop insurance and crop insurance outperforms hedging. Both crop insurance and government payments are influential to farmers welfare improvement.
Use of quantitative real-time PCR to unravel ecological complexity in a biological control system.

Biological control of soilborne plant pathogens using beneficial fungi, such as the mycoparasite Trichoderma harzianum, offers the prospect of environmentally benign pest control. However, biocontrol organisms have their own natural enemies; for example the fungivorous nematode Aphelenchoides saprophilus preys on T. harzianum. A trophic cascade occurs when three or more trophic levels are present in a food chain, and consumption of the intermediate species affects biomass or productivity of a lower trophic level; such an interaction in this system might reduce the biocontrol efficacy of T. harzianum. However, the presence of refuges, where intermediate-level species are protected from predation, may reduce the ecological impact of a trophic cascade. Interactions among microscopic organisms in a complex medium such as soil are difficult to observe and quantify. We evaluated the potential of quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) as a tool to investigate the trophic cascade interaction among T. harzianum, A. saprophilus, and the plant pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Results indicate that the mycoparasite colonized and persisted inside structures (sclerotia) of the target plant pathogen, where it was relatively protected from predation compared to the surrounding soil environment. In this way, colonization of sclerotia may provide a refuge that reduces trophic cascade effects in this system. qRT-PCR provided a sensitive method to investigate fungal dynamics over time in this multitrophic system.
The Role of Social Reformers in the Adoption of New Management Practices: the case of budgetary control in France, 1930-1959

Historically, the development of budgetary control in French businesses took place within the ideological context of the debate on organisation of the economy following the economic and political crises of the 1930s and 1940s. Budgetary control, a management practice theorised as early as the 1920s in America, was seen by many actors as one of the practices that could provide a solution to the economic and social problems facing them. In other words, its increasingly widespread adoption was not only due to the search for ever-greater efficiency, but also to a clear ideological attraction. Better business management was not the only goal: more broadly, there was a desire to change society as a whole. This article is part of the research tradition of studying accounting in its social context. The history of accounting is examined in the light of the general political and economic history of the 20th century, associating accounting practices and the capitalists institutions of a given period and country. We stress an as yet largely unexplored aspect: the role played by the critique of capitalism and the social reformers' proposals in changing business management methods.
Inhibition of ALDH2 by O-GlcNAcylation contributes to the hyperglycemic exacerbation of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury

Although hyperglycemia is causally related to adverse outcomes after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we investigated whether excessive O-linked-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), an important cardioprotective enzyme, was a mechanism for the hyperglycemic exacerbation of myocardial I/R injury. Both acute hyperglycemia (AHG) and diabetes (DM)-induced chronic hyperglycemia increased cardiac dysfunction, infarct size and apoptosis index compared with normal saline (NS)+I/R rats (P<0.05). ALDH2 O-GlcNAc modification was increased whereas its activity was decreased in AHG+I/R and DM+I/R rats. High glucose (HG, 30mmol/L) markedly increased ALDH2 O-GlcNAc modification compared with Con group (5mmol/L) (P<0.05). ALDH2 O-GlcNAc modification was increased by 62.9% in Con+PUGNAc group whereas it was decreased by 44.1% in Con+DON group compared with Con group (P<0.05). Accordingly, ALDH2 activity was decreased by 18.1% in Con+PUGNAc group whereas it was increased by 17.9% in Con+DON group. Moreover, DON decreased levels of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), aldehydes, protein carbonyl accumulation and apoptosis index compared with HG+H/R group (P<0.05). Alda-1, a specific activator of ALDH2, significantly decreased ALDH2 O-GlcNAc modification and improved infarct size, apoptosis index and cardiac dysfunction induced by I/R combined with hyperglycemia. These findings demonstrate that ALDH2 O-GlcNAc modification is a key mechanism for the hyperglycemic exacerbation of myocardial I/R injury and Alda-1 has therapeutic potential for inducing cardioprotection.
Field Report: Echolocation and Universal Design

In Taiwan inclusive accessibility designs and equipment for the visually exceptional (impaired) include both Braille and guidance systems. Guidance systems refer to tactile or broadcast means of affording users' accessibility. Currently though, existing equipment are only able to provide the visually exceptional (impaired) with limited environmental information. Previously, a visually exceptional (impaired) person advised me: "while walking, using echolocation to determine my location has proven to be a useful method for me". We believe it essential that all environmental designers must continue to implement new inclusive and accessible universal design strategies which fundamentally incorporate all manner of design elements.
Pilot Contamination Reduction Scheme in Massive MIMO Multi-cell TDD Systems ⋆

In this paper we consider massive MIMO Multi-cell TDD systems. In order to eliminate the effect of pilot contamination, a new scheme is proposed. In the same cell all transmitted signals from base station or user are multiplied same precoding sequences. The precoding sequences are orthogonal for different cell. The received signals at base station or terminals are multiplied the conjugate transpose of corresponding precoding sequences. Using the new scheme, the effect of pilot contamination is eliminated and SIR grows indefinitely for an unlimited number of base station antennas. When the interference of adjacent cell is very serious and the number of base station antennas is very large, the numerical results show that the new scheme provides noticeable improvement compared with MRC, LP, TSP scheme. Numerical results verify the effectiveness of the new scheme.
Thieves of State: Why Corruption Threatens Global Security

The world is blowing up. Every day a new blaze seems to ignite: the implosion of Iraq and Syria; the East-West standoff in Ukraine and schoolgirls abducted in Nigeria. In a riveting account that weaves history with fast-moving reportage and insider accounts, Sarah Chayes identifies the unexpected link: corruption. Since the late 1990s, corruption has reached such an extent that some governments resemble glorified criminal gangs. These kleptocrats drive indignant populations to extremes-from revolution to militant puritanical religion. Chayes plunges readers into some of the most venal environments on earth and examines what emerges: Afghans returning to the Taliban, Egyptians overthrowing the Mubarak government (but also redesigning Al-Qaeda), and Nigerians embracing both radical evangelical Christianity and Boko Haram. In many such places, rigid moral codes are put forth as an antidote to the collapse of public integrity. The pattern pervades history. Through archival research, Chayes reveals that canonical political thinkers such as John Locke and Machiavelli, as well as Nizam al-Mulk, all named corruption as a threat to the realm. In a argument connecting the Protestant Reformation to the Arab Spring, Thieves of State presents a powerful new way to understand global extremism. And it makes a compelling case that we must confront corruption: it is a cause-not a result-of global instability.
Towards safe and flexible object adaptation

In this paper, a programming language NextEJ is proposed. NextEJ is based on Epsilon model, which realizes object adaptation to contexts. The novelty of Epsilon model is its ability to make objects be able to freely enter or leave contexts dynamically and belong to multiple contexts at a time. However, such kind of flexibility also easily brings type-unsafety. NextEJ tackles this problem by introducing a new feature called context activation scope. Inside a context activation scope, it is assured that an object is always bound with the role activated so that no method-not-understood errors occur at run-time. Furthermore, context activation scope can be nested so that multiple contexts can be activated at a time. A role instance has a pre-defined field thisContext which refers to its enclosing context instance. In the case of multiple context activations, the reference of thisContext is interpreted as a composite context whose behavior is determined by the order of activations.
Social support during pregnancy: effects on maternal depressive symptoms, smoking and pregnancy outcome.

BACKGROUND The goal was to study the effects of social support during pregnancy on maternal depressive symptoms, quality of life and pregnancy outcomes. METHODS Eight hundred ninety-six women were prospectively studied in the first trimester of pregnancy and following completion of the pregnancy. The sample was divided into quartiles yielding groups of low, medium and high social support based on perceived social support. RESULTS Pregnant women with low support reported increased depressive symptoms and reduced quality of life. The effects of social support on pregnancy outcomes were particularly pronounced in women who had smoked during pregnancy, with significant main effects of social support in a two-way analysis of variance (smoking status and social support) for child body length (F = 4.26, P = 0.04; 50.43 +/- 2.81 cm with low support versus 51.76 +/- 2.31 cm with high support) and birthweight (F = 11.35, P = 0.001; 3175 +/- 453 g with low support versus 3571 +/- 409 g with high support). In smokers, pregnancy complications occurred more frequently when given low support {34 versus 10.3% with high support, chi(2) = 5.49, P = 0.019; relative risk (RR) = 3.3 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.1-10.2]}, and the proportion of preterm deliveries was greater given low support (10.0 versus 0% with high support, chi(2) = 3.84, P = 0.05, odds ratio = 8.1). CONCLUSIONS Lack of social support constitutes an important risk factor for maternal well-being during pregnancy and has adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes.
Developing and Using Cases of Pedagogical Content Knowledge in the Professional Development of Science Teachers.

Documented cases of quality science teaching have the potential to share the best of what has been taught with science teachers in all science classrooms. This paper reports on the use of case studies of practice as mechanisms for recognizing good ideas for teaching science, documenting them, and making them readily accessible to teachers. An objective of the Science Education Professional Development Project (SEPD), conducted at Monash University (Australia), was to develop a national strategy for enhancing the professional development of science teachers. The use of case studies is one component of the project's strategy. This paper presents uses for cases; an example of a teaching case that has been developed, and six methods for generating ideas for documenting practice referred to as the Science Classroom Science Project (CLASP). A 3-phase process for the production of cases is summarized. Two appendices include the first section of an activity on speed and acceleration graphs and experienced teachers' group meeting notes. (Contains 23 references.) (LL) ************** ****************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** Developing and Using Cases of Pedagogical Content Knowledge in the Professional Development of Science Teachers Lawrence Ingvarson and Warren Fineberg Faculty of Education Monash University Clayton, Australia, 3168 Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, 1992. 'PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) U S Dt. PARTME NT OF EDUCATION e I ,,,,, r.esea, n and . mceoer e T. [WC AT,ONA, RE SOURCES INFORMATION Cf NTF P ERIC. Th,s hvs Oee" rever,d,p 041 as fe,e,00 0 the oerso,, nI hQa,` M.ho, . anges have h1.00 made ,eh000:1001)a1l, P0,15 o' . e. of 013,,,,,,s slated rw,s oor meet do tese, '', a. OE RI nos'-
Barriers facing e-Service Technology in developing countries: A structured literature review with Nigeria as a case study

E-Government services adoption rate is rapidly increasingly in the developing and lower-middle-income countries for promoting good governance capability and accountability of public organisations. E-Government services are helping to boost government revenue, very fast and secured transactions, reduce corruption through the use of modern technology and transparent operations. It is imperative to state that the e-Service in an e-Governance domain has been gaining more attention over past two decades. This paper will examine a structured literature review (SLR) of the barriers facing E-Service Technology in developing countries with Nigeria as a case study. In this study, the use of a structured literature review gives rise to reviewing papers from conferences on Google Scholar between 2009 and 2014. A total of 3100 papers were reviewed using content analysis and 68 papers from Google Scholar after careful filtering, classification and analysis met the inclusion criteria for barriers facing E-Service adoption and implementation including the success factors. A model has emerged that captures both the barriers facing E-Service technology and solutions, it has been identified that the public is much aware of E-Services, but the successful adoption and implementation remains a misery due to various barriers.
Teachers Who Lead: The Rhetoric Of Reform And The Realities Of Practice

One of the key tenets of educational reform is that excellent teachers should be given the opportunity to provide leadership for their colleagues. The question of how this is to be accomplished, however, moves this goal out of the realm of rhetoric and into that of practice. The author of this book not only provides in-depth portraits of three outstanding teacher leaders, but examines their work in the context of the school systems within which they operate, and from the viewpoint of their fellow teachers. Her analysis of the dilemmas these teachers face, as well as the successes they experience, broadens the debate about reform by providing a realistic appraisal of working models.
Functional Dysregulation of PBMC and PMN in Crohn's Disease

Aim: We evaluated the cellular response of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) against viable Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) for possible understanding of the role of MAP in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD) patients. Methods: In vitro phagocytosis and cell proliferation with the aid of Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy (CSLM) were used to evaluate the immunogenicity of PMN and PBMC freshly obtained from 19 CD patients and 11 healthy controls against viable human-strain MAP, MAP antigens, and Phytohematoagglutonin (PHA), a suspect in CD pathogenesis. Results: MAP DNA was detected in tissue from 15/17(88%) CD subjects, 1/2(50%) UC patients and not in blood samples from 11 healthy controls. PMN phagocytosis was suppressed in 13/19 CD subjects (68%) compared to none in controls (p< 0.001); suppression ranged from 6 to 97%. PBMC phagocytosis was suppressed only in 5/19 (26%) of CD subjects; suppression ranged between 1 to 70%. PMN-specific plasma inhibitors were detected in 9/19 (47%) CD subjects compared to none in controls (P<0.05). Plasma inhibitors specific to PBMC phagocytosis were mildly present in CD patients (3/19 (16%) CD subjects) compared to none in controls. All 13 (68%) CD subjects that have suppressed PMN phagocytosis were also positive for MAP DNA detection in tissue. PBMC from 8/19 (42%) CD subjects showed dysfunctional proliferative response against PHA (ranged between 1 to 82%) compared to 1 healthy control, suggesting possible T-cell anergy. Out of PBMC from the 11 CD subject's that reacted normally to PHA, 7 reacted strongly to MAP PPD; suggesting pre-exposure to Mycobacteria. Of 11 healthy control subjects, 10 (91%) reacted normally to PHA. Conclusions: It is possible that MAP may directly or indirectly exacerbate a pre-existing defect in phagocyte function - or it may cause the dysfunction employing similar molecular mechanisms used by other pathogenic mycobacteria like M. leprae and M. tuberculosis. Collectively the data supports a mycobacterial role in some CD patients.
Exactly solvable interacting vertex models

We introduce and solve a special family of integrable interacting vertex models that generalizes the well known six-vertex model. In addition to the usual nearest neighbour interactions among the vertices, there exist extra hard-core interactions among pairs of vertices at larger distances. The associated row-to-row transfer matrices are diagonalized by using the recently introduced matrix product ansatz. Like for the relation of the six-vertex model with the XXZ quantum chain, the row-to-row transfer matrices of these new models are also the generating functions of an infinite set of commuting conserved charges. Among these charges we identify the integrable generalization of the XXZ chain that contains hard-core exclusion interactions among the spins. These quantum chains have already appeared in the literature. The present paper explains their integrability.
Efficient synaptic vesicle recycling after intense exocytosis concomitant with the accumulation of non-releasable endosomes at early developmental stages

Following the exocytosis of neurotransmitter-containing synaptic vesicles, endocytosis is fundamental to re-establishing conditions for synaptic transmission. As there are distinct endocytotic pathways that each differ in their efficiency to generate releasable synaptic vesicles, we used the dye FM1-43 to track vesicle recycling, and to determine whether nerve terminals use multiple pathways of endocytosis. We identified two types of synaptic boutons in cultured cerebellar granule cells that were characterized by weak or strong FM1-43-unloading profiles. Decreasing the extent of exocytosis dramatically increased the proportion of synaptic boutons that exhibited strong FM1-43-unloading and dramatically reduced the number of endosome-like structures. Hence, we concluded that efficient recycling of synaptic vesicles is concomitant with the formation of non-releasable endosomes in both types of synaptic boutons, although to different extents. Furthermore, cell maturation in culture increased the proportion of synaptic boutons that were capable of an intense release response, whereas the chronic blockage of synaptic activity diminished the capacity of boutons to release dye.
Social Security and Retirement around the World

What accounts for the striking decline in labor force participation at increasingly younger ages? Social Security and Retirement around the World examines one explanation: social security programs actually provide incentives for early retirement. This volume houses a set of remarkable papers that present information on the social security systems, and labor force participation patterns, in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. "This book is highly recommended for the serious student of retirement age trends and social security old-age pension policies of industrial nations in a cross-national context. " Martin B. Tracy, Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare “A path-breaking public-policy study. The authors consistently use a new methodology to evaluate the consequences of retirement systems on the behavior of older workers in eleven industrialized countries. In doing so, the book passes a major test of any conference volume the whole greatly exceeds the sum of its parts. This book without question provides the most consistent cross-national analyses of the work disincentives of retirement programs ever produces. Moreover it will serve as the model for all future efforts of this kind. ” Journal of Economics