Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sensory hair cell death and regeneration in fishes

Sensory hair cells are specialized mechanotransductive receptors required for hearing and vestibular function. Loss of hair cells in humans and other mammals is permanent and causes reduced hearing and balance. In the early 1980’s, it was shown that hair cells continue to be added to the inner ear sensory epithelia in cartilaginous and bony fishes. Soon thereafter, hair cell regeneration was documented in the chick cochlea following acoustic trauma. Since then, research using chick and other avian models has led to great insights into hair cell death and regeneration. However, with the rise of the zebrafish as a model organism for studying disease and developmental processes, there has been an increased interest in studying sensory hair cell death and regeneration in its lateral line and inner ears. Advances derived from studies in zebrafish and other fish species include understanding the effect of ototoxins on hair cells and finding otoprotectants to mitigate ototoxin damage, the role of cellular proliferation vs. direct transdifferentiation during hair cell regeneration, and elucidating cellular pathways involved in the regeneration process. This review will summarize research on hair cell death and regeneration using fish models, indicate the potential strengths and weaknesses of these models, and discuss several emerging areas of future studies.
Use your head: tangible windows for 3D information spaces in a tabletop environment

Tangible Windows are a novel concept for interacting with virtual 3D information spaces in a workbench-like multi-display environment. They allow for performing common 3D interaction tasks in a more accessible manner by combining principles of tangible interaction, head-coupled perspective, and multi-touch techniques. Tangible Windows unify the interaction and representation space in a single device. They either act as physical peepholes into a virtual 3D world or as physical containers for parts of that world and are well-suited for the collaborative exploration and manipulation of such information spaces. One important feature of Tangible Windows is that the use of obtrusive hardware, such as HMDs, is strictly avoided. Instead, lightweight paper-based displays are used. We present different techniques for canonical 3D interaction tasks such as viewport control or object selection and manipulation, based on the combination of independent input modalities. We tested these techniques on a self-developed prototype system and received promising early user feedback.
Prevalence and Characterization of Motile Salmonella in Commercial Layer Poultry Farms in Bangladesh

Salmonella is a globally widespread food-borne pathogen having major impact on public health. All motile serovars of Salmonella enterica of poultry origin are zoonotic, and contaminated meat and raw eggs are an important source to human infections. Information on the prevalence of Salmonella at farm/holding level, and the zoonotic serovars circulating in layer poultry in the South and South-East Asian countries including Bangladesh, where small-scale commercial farms are predominant, is limited. To investigate the prevalence of Salmonella at layer farm level, and to identify the prevalent serovars we conducted a cross-sectional survey by randomly selecting 500 commercial layer poultry farms in Bangladesh. Faecal samples from the selected farms were collected following standard procedure, and examined for the presence of Salmonella using conventional bacteriological procedures. Thirty isolates were randomly selected, from the ninety obtained from the survey, for serotyping and characterized further by plasmid profiling and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Results of the survey showed that the prevalence of motile Salmonella at layer farm level was 18% (95% confidence interval 15–21%), and Salmonella Kentucky was identified to be the only serovar circulating in the study population. Plasmid analysis of the S. Kentucky and non-serotyped isolates revealed two distinct profiles with a variation of two different sizes (2.7 and 4.8 kb). PFGE of the 30 S. Kentucky and 30 non-serotyped isolates showed that all of them were clonally related because only one genotype and three subtypes were determined based on the variation in two or three bands. This is also the first report on the presence of any specific serovar of Salmonella enterica in poultry in Bangladesh.
On the distribution of zeros for daubechies orthogonal wavelets and associated polynomials

In the last decade, Daubechies orthogonal wavelets have been successfully used in many signal processing paradims. The construction of these wavelets via two channel perfect reconstruction filter bank requires the identification of necessary conditions that the coefficients of the filters and the roots of binomial polynomials associated with it should exhibit. In this paper, a subclass of polynomials is derived from this construction process by considering the ratios of consecutive binomial polynomials' coefficients. We show mathematically that the roots of this class of polynomials reside inside the unit circle and present an illustration for db6, a member of the Daubechies orthogonal wavelets family.
Valuation Algorithms for Structural Models of Financial Interconnectedness

Much research in systemic risk is focused on default contagion. While this demands an understanding of valuation, fewer articles specifically deal with the existence, the uniqueness, and the computation of equilibrium prices in structural models of interconnected financial systems. However, beyond contagion research, these topics are also essential for risk-neutral pricing. In this article, we therefore study and compare valuation algorithms in the standard model of debt and equity cross-ownership which has crystallized in the work of several authors over the past one and a half decades. Since known algorithms have potentially infinite runtime, we develop a class of new algorithms, which find exact solutions in finitely many calculation steps. A simulation study for a range of financial system designs allows us to derive conclusions about the efficiency of different numerical methods under different system parameters.
Performance Assessment of Neural Network and K-Nearest Neighbour Classification with Random Subwindows

image classification plays an important role in remote sensing, where information of an object or phenomenon is acquired from real time sensing devices, such as satellites and spacecrafts. In satellite image classification, the goal is to correctly classify vegetation, agriculture, water bodies, urban and open areas. The features like mean, Euclidean distance, RGB and slope values are extracted for each pixel in the input image. The image is classified using back propagation algorithm which reduces the misclassification that occurs in pixel based classification. This paper emphasizes on the classification of IRS 1-D LISS-III images using neural network, k-nearest neighbor and k-nearest neighbor with subwindows. An experimental comparison of neural network approach with back propagation algorithm was made with other considerations of the k-nearest neighbor and with subwindows. The results show that the k-nearest neighbor with subwindows has better overall accuracy and kappa coefficient when compared to neural networks.
Differences in effectiveness of intensive treatment programmes for neurotic and personality disorders. Is it worth monitoring effectiveness of a therapeutic team

Summary Aim. To test whether three different intensive programs of treatment for neurotic and personality disorders are effective in decreasing neurotic symptoms and traits of neurotic personality and whether there are differences between them in clinical outcome. Method. The sample consists of 105 patients (83% female, mean age 35) diagnosed with neurosis and personality disorders that were treated in three therapeutic wards under routine inpatient conditions. The therapeutic programs are designed for patients with neurotic and personality disorders. It consists of 6–12 weeks of approximately 5 hours of eclectic group treatment (group psychotherapy, psychodrama, psychoeducation etc.). Participants filled in Symptoms’ Questionnaire KS-II, and Neurotic Personality Questionnaire KON-2006 at the beginning and at the end of the course of psychotherapy. Results. The treatment proved to be effective in diminishing neurotic symptoms (d Cohen=0.56). More detailed analysis revealed that there was a significant interaction be tween the three analyzed therapeutic wards and the effectiveness (η 2 =0.09). The treatments offered in two institutions were effective (d Cohen=0.80) while one of the programs did not lead to significant improvement of the patients. None of the therapeutic wards proved to be effective in changing the neurotic personality traits. Conclusions. There are significant differences in effectiveness of the intensive programs of treatment for neurotic and personality disorders. In the light of the literature, one can assume that the differences are more connected with the characteristics of therapeutic teams than with the methods used. The need for standard methods of effectiveness monitoring is discussed.
Applying a framework for the improvement of software process maturity

This article presents the results and lessons learned in the application of the Framework for the Modelling and Measurement of Software Processes (FMESP) in a software company dedicated to the development and maintenance of software for information systems. The aim of FMESP is to provide companies with a conceptual and technological framework for the management of their process models and measurement models in an integrated way. Modelling and measurement are two key factors to promote continuous process improvement. As a result, important benefits were obtained. The company improved the maturity of its processes which allowed it to obtain the ISO 9000 certification. From a research point of view, Action‐Research was successfully applied and as a result the framework was improved and important feedback was obtained, bringing to light new important issues which will be tacked in future work. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tails in biomimetic design: Analysis, simulation, and experiment

Animals use tails to improve locomotion performance; here we assess how the biomimetic MIT Cheetah robot can do the same. Analysis proves that for a given power and weight, tails can provide greater average torque than reaction wheels for the short times of interest in high speed running. A simple tail controller enables the cheetah to perform aerial orientation maneuvers in simulation. The MIT Cheetah robot's tail rejects an impulsive disturbance from a `wrecking ball' in experiments. This study demonstrates that a tail will help the MIT Cheetah achieve its goal of 30mph locomotion by 2014.
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization Field and Online Experiments on Self-control

Self-control problems have recently received considerable attention from economic the-orists. We conducted two studies involving behavioral interventions expected to affect performance, providing some of the first experimental data in this area. In the first we investigate whether evenly spaced interim deadlines lead to higher completion rates for a lengthy task, where procrastination could be a factor. We found that these interim deadlines in fact led to lower completion rates in our setup ; we also found no evidence in the aggregate data (although there was considerable heterogeneity) of an increasing profile of the number of hours spent at the task over time, suggesting that the degree of present-bias in the participant population is not that high. In the second, we examine how willpower depletion affects behavior. Our second study isolates the effect of direct willpower depletion on the first day of a two-day period, thus exploring procrastination over a shorter time horizon. We found that depleting willpower did indeed lead to less work (and poorer quality) on the first day, but that this intervention surprisingly led to a higher completion rate overall. Our results help to inform ongoing efforts to understand and model self-control, willpower, and commitment mechanisms.
Monochromatic Tree Partition for Complete Multipartite Graphs

An r-edge-coloring of a graph G is a surjective assignment of r colors to the edges of G. The monochromatic tree partition number of an redge-colored graph G is defined to be the minimum positive integer k such that whenever the edges of G are colored with r colors, the vertices of G can be covered by at most k vertex-disjoint monochromatic trees. In this paper, we give a direct proof for the monochromatic tree partition number of an r-edge-colored complete multipartite graph Kn1,n2,···,nk .
Book review

Many Rivers to Cross: Cross Border Co‐Operation in River Management Joris Verwiijmereen and Mark Wiering (eds.) Delft (NL): Eburon Academic Publishers (2007) The Pan Pearl River Delta – An Emerging Regional Economy in a Globalizing China Y.M. Yeung and Shen Jianfa (eds.) The Chinese University Press: Chinese University of Honk Kong (2008)
Thinking Naturally about Uncertainty

Methods for handling uncertainty should be evaluated in terms of their cognitive compatibility with real-world decision makers. Bayesian models of uncertainty demand precise up-front assessments of all problem elements and discourage the dynamic evolution of problem understanding. They handle missing or conflicting data by mathematical aggregation, while real-world decision makers regard gaps in knowledge and conflicting evidence as problems to be solved. Finally, they produce as output a statistical average rather than a coherent picture of the situation. Another approach to decision making, based on pattern-matching, does not address the ways in which situation pictures are evaluated and modified. A third approach, however, called the Recognition / Metacognition model, treats decision making under uncertainty as a problem-solving process that starts with the results of recognition, verifies them, and improves them where necessary. Critiquing strategies identify problems of incompleteness, conflict, and unreliability in situation models, and lead to correcting steps that retrieve or collect additional information or adopt assumptions. Training methods based on this model have been developed and tested with active-duty Naval officers.
Increased Muscle Stress-Sensitivity Induced by Selenoprotein N Inactivation in Mouse: A Mammalian Model for SEPN1-Related Myopathy

Selenium is an essential trace element and selenoprotein N (SelN) was the first selenium-containing protein shown to be directly involved in human inherited diseases. Mutations in the SEPN1 gene, encoding SelN, cause a group of muscular disorders characterized by predominant affection of axial muscles. SelN has been shown to participate in calcium and redox homeostasis, but its pathophysiological role in skeletal muscle remains largely unknown. To address SelN function in vivo, we generated a Sepn1-null mouse model by gene targeting. The Sepn1−/− mice had normal growth and lifespan, and were macroscopically indistinguishable from wild-type littermates. Only minor defects were observed in muscle morphology and contractile properties in SelN-deficient mice in basal conditions. However, when subjected to challenging physical exercise and stress conditions (forced swimming test), Sepn1−/− mice developed an obvious phenotype, characterized by limited motility and body rigidity during the swimming session, as well as a progressive curvature of the spine and predominant alteration of paravertebral muscles. This induced phenotype recapitulates the distribution of muscle involvement in patients with SEPN1-Related Myopathy, hence positioning this new animal model as a valuable tool to dissect the role of SelN in muscle function and to characterize the pathophysiological process.
Sentence Similarity based on Relevance

The issue about sentence similarity is essential to many areas of artificial intelligence. Although there are related studies on determining text similarity, fewer publications are about the similarity between short texts especially about the similarity between sentence pairs. In this paper, a novel method is proposed to estimate the sentence similarity with consideration of direct relevance and indirect relevance between sentence pairs. Analysis of experiment provides insights into the strengths and weakness of our proposed method.
CEO Stock Options and Shareholder Return: Empirical Evidence from the UK

The purpose of this study is to estimate the extent to which shareholder return influences changes in CEO option values. This study builds on prior research by employing two contrasting methods of valuing options, the Black and Scholes and the MSO option pricing models. Data was collected from the period 1993 to 1999 from a sample of UK publicly held firms. The magnitude of the sensitivities, as measured by the slope coefficients, were found much larger for the MSO as opposed to the Black-Scholes models suggesting that small increases in share price have an exponential effect on option valuations: a finding not captured by prior research. Moreover, the MSO suggest the alignment of interests between the CEO and shareholder may be much closer than suggested by prior research.
New iterative algorithm for QR detection

A new iterative Zero-Forcing BLAST with QR Decomposition algorithm improving the performance over error propagation is proposed in this paper. In the algorithm, much effort is made on several iterations to obtain the high performance substreams. Simulation results show that the new algorithm greatly improve the performance of the traditional QR detection algorithm with reasonable increase of computation complexity. This new iterative detection algorithm also has better performance and lower complexity than another iterative QR Detection approach in [3].
Understanding the Biology of Bone Sarcoma from Early Initiating Events through Late Events in Metastasis and Disease Progression

The two most common primary bone malignancies, osteosarcoma (OS), and Ewing sarcoma (ES), are both aggressive, highly metastatic cancers that most often strike teens, though both can be found in younger children and adults. Despite distinct origins and pathogenesis, both diseases share several mechanisms of progression and metastasis, including neovascularization, invasion, anoikis resistance, chemoresistance, and evasion of the immune response. Some of these processes are well-studies in more common carcinoma models, and the observation from adult diseases may be readily applied to pediatric bone sarcomas. Neovascularization, which includes angiogenesis and vasculogenesis, is a clear example of a process that is likely to be similar between carcinomas and sarcomas, since the responding cells are the same in each case. Chemoresistance mechanisms also may be similar between other cancers and the bone sarcomas. Since OS and ES are mesenchymal in origin, the process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is largely absent in bone sarcomas, necessitating different approaches to study progression and metastasis in these diseases. One process that is less well-studied in bone sarcomas is dormancy, which allows micrometastatic disease to remain viable but not growing in distant sites – typically the lungs – for months or years before renewing growth to become overt metastatic disease. By understanding the basic biology of these processes, novel therapeutic strategies may be developed that could improve survival in children with OS or ES.
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Using a Dual Chamber Pacemaker in Patients with Severe Left Ventricular Dysfunction and a Left Bundle Branch Block

Through the use of a dual chamber (DDD) pacemaker, we achieved a cardiac resynchronization effect in a 51-year-old female patient who was transferred to our hospital from another hospital for an operation for three-vessel coronary artery disease. Her electrocardiogram showed a left bundle branch block (LBBB) and a prolonged QRS interval of 166 milliseconds. Severe left ventricle (LV) dysfunction was diagnosed via echocardiography. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was then performed. In order to accelerate left atrial activation and reduce the conduction defect, DDD pacing using right atrial and left and right ventricular pacing wires was initiated postoperatively. The cardiac output was measured immediately, and one and twelve hours after arrival in the intensive care unit. The cardiac output changed from 2.8, 2.4, and 3.6 L/min without pacing to 3.5, 3.4, and 3.5 L/min on initiation of pacing. The biventricular synchronization using DDD pacing was turned off 18 hours after surgery. She was transferred to a general ward with a cardiac output of 3.9 L/min. In patients with coronary artery disease, severe LV dysfunction, and LBBB, cardiac resynchronization therapy can be achieved through DDD pacing after CABG.
On the equivalence of different presentations of Turner's bracket abstraction algorithm

Turner's bracket abstraction algorithm is perhaps the most well-known improvement on simple bracket abstraction algorithms. It is also one of the most studied bracket abstraction algorithms. The definition of the algorithm in Turner's original paper is slightly ambiguous and it has been subject to different interpretations. It has been erroneously claimed in some papers that certain formulations of Turner's algorithm are equivalent. In this note we clarify the relationship between various presentations of Turner's algorithm and we show that some of them are in fact equivalent for translating lambda-terms in beta-normal form.
Attitudes Toward Entrepreneurship and Small Business: Findings from a Survey of Nebraska Residents and Small Business Owners

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the attitudes towards and knowledge about entrepreneurship and small business among the people of Nebraska, a mid-western state in the USA. Design/methodology/approach - The paper discusses the importance of understanding attitudes and knowledge about entrepreneurship at the state-level. It uses a parsimonious framework to present the findings based on data collected by a Gallup Organization survey of Nebraska residents and small business owners. Findings - Data reveals low interest in becoming entrepreneurs among Nebraskans. Interestingly, however, Nebraskans believe their educational experience is significantly more valuable and applicable to business start-up than does the US general population. They are also less likely than the US population to believe that successful entrepreneurs and small businesses should give back to their communities. Practical implications - The paper highlights the need to examine attitudes and beliefs about entrepreneurship in individual states and comparing the findings from the state level data to those from the national data. The results have important implications for teachers interested in providing training to potential entrepreneurs, as well as policy-makers in states such as Nebraska interested in encouraging entrepreneurial activity in their state. Originality/value - This paper is the first study to focus on attitudes and beliefs about entrepreneurship among the people of Nebraska, a rural state in USA, an otherwise highly industrialized country. It is also the first study to use the data collected at the state-level to compare it to findings from a national sample.