Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SaaS Enterprise Resource Planning Systems: Challenges of Their Adoption in SMEs

As more and more organisations move from on-premise to on-demand software solutions in order to minimise overhead costs, the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) providers begin to offer their well-established best business processes as cloud based IT solutions. As a result, ERP software previously reserved for large organisations mainly due to heavy costs associated with the initial purchase of the software, its licensing costs and subsequent configuration and maintenance, begins to open up to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). With more and more Software as a Service (SaaS) ERP solutions on the market, SMEs are beginning to consider and implement these solutions as opposed to in-house developed applications, in a bid to offer better customer relationship, gain new markets and increase profits, amongst other benefits. As this study reveals, while deployment model is a key advantage in enabling organisations to minimise costs, certain critical factors as well as some barriers need to be addressed to enable organisations to successfully implement these systems. This paper aims to identify and evaluate common problems experienced in the implementation as well as post-implementation stage of Software as Service ERP systems by Small and Medium Enterprises. Qualitative data was collected from five European and US companies, which implemented SaaS ERP, by means of a set of semi-formal interviews and online questionnaire.
Cross-talk Phosphorylations by Protein Kinase C and Pho85p-Pho80p Protein Kinase Regulate Pah1p Phosphatidate Phosphatase Abundance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae*

Background: Pah1p, yeast phosphatidate phosphatase involved in triacylglycerol synthesis, is multiply phosphorylated. Results: Protein kinase C phosphorylates Pah1p on serine residues and causes a decrease in protein abundance when it is not previously phosphorylated by Pho85p-Pho80p. Conclusion: Pah1p is regulated for its protein abundance by protein kinase C. Significance: Unraveling the interrelationship between Pah1p phosphorylations is crucial for understanding the enzyme regulation. Yeast Pah1p is the phosphatidate phosphatase that catalyzes the penultimate step in triacylglycerol synthesis and plays a role in the transcriptional regulation of phospholipid synthesis genes. The enzyme is multiply phosphorylated, some of which is mediated by Pho85p-Pho80p, Cdc28p-cyclin B, and protein kinase A. Here, we showed that Pah1p is a bona fide substrate of protein kinase C; the phosphorylation reaction was time- and dose-dependent and dependent on the concentrations of ATP (Km = 4.5 μm) and Pah1p (Km = 0.75 μm). The stoichiometry of the reaction was 0.8 mol of phosphate/mol of Pah1p. By combining mass spectrometry, truncation analysis, site-directed mutagenesis, and phosphopeptide mapping, we identified Ser-677, Ser-769, Ser-773, and Ser-788 as major sites of phosphorylation. Analysis of Pah1p phosphorylations by different protein kinases showed that prephosphorylation with protein kinase C reduces its subsequent phosphorylation with protein kinase A and vice versa. Prephosphorylation with Pho85p-Pho80p had an inhibitory effect on its subsequent phosphorylation with protein kinase C; however, prephosphorylation with protein kinase C had no effect on the subsequent phosphorylation with Pho85p-Pho80p. Unlike its phosphorylations by Pho85p-Pho80p and protein kinase A, which cause a significant reduction in phosphatidate phosphatase activity, the phosphorylation of Pah1p by protein kinase C had a small stimulatory effect on the enzyme activity. Analysis of phosphorylation-deficient forms of Pah1p indicated that protein kinase C does not have a major effect on its location or its function in triacylglycerol synthesis, but instead, the phosphorylation favors loss of Pah1p abundance when it is not phosphorylated with Pho85p-Pho80p.
Steady-State Performance of Adaptive Differential Constant Modulus Multiuser Detection

The differential constant modulus (DCMA) multi-user detection can obtain higher steady-state decorrelating performance than the conventional linear algorithm under high SNR condition similar as the constant modulus algorithm (CMA). Unlike CMA criterion, DCMA has single global minimum which leads to the convergence independent from the amplitudes of received signal. However, the closed-form analysis for its steady-state performance in additional Gaussian-white-noise (AWGN) channel is scarce due to the complication of analyzing the nonlinear updates in their adaptive implementation. Here, an analysis approach based on ordinary differential equation (ODE) is proposed to derive the closed-form excess mean-square error (EMSE) expression of the multiuser detections. The simulation and the comparison verify the results of the analysis.
Quantitative Analysis of Calcium-Dependent Vesicle Recruitment and Its Functional Role at the Calyx of Held Synapse

Recruitment of release-ready vesicles at synapses is one of the important factors, which determine dynamic properties of signaling between neurons in the brain. It has been shown that the rate of vesicle recruitment is accelerated by strong synaptic activity. An elevated concentration of calcium ions in the presynaptic terminal ([Ca2+]i) has been proposed to be responsible for this effect. However, the precise relationship between [Ca2+]i and recruitment has not been established yet, and the functional consequences of accelerated recruitment during synaptic activity have not been quantified experimentally. To probe the intracellular Ca2+ dependence of vesicle recruitment and to examine its functional role during trains of action potential (AP)-like stimuli, we monitored [Ca2+]i and synaptic responses simultaneously with paired recordings at the calyx of Held synapse. We found that a distinct, rapidly releasing vesicle pool is replenished with a rate that increases linearly with [Ca2+]i, without any apparent cooperativity. The slope factor for this increase is ∼1 pool/(μm·s). Blocking Ca2+-dependent recruitment specifically with a calmodulin binding peptide revealed that the steady-state EPSCs during 100 Hz AP-like trains were maintained through this Ca2+-dependent recruitment mechanism. Using a simple model of vesicle dynamics, we estimated that the recruitment rate accelerated 10-fold during the steady-state compared with the rate at resting [Ca2+]i. We could also demonstrate an approximate sixfold increase in release probability (facilitation) during the initial 5–15 AP-like stimuli of such trains in our experimental condition, regardless of EPSC depression.
Artificial Mental Imagery in Cognitive Robots Interaction A review and future research directions

Cognitive Robotics is a new and effective approach for the modelling and better understanding of human cognitive functions and to create effective human-robot interaction. This article reviews the recent literature that exploit of the concept of mental imagery as a fundamental cognitive capability to enhance the robot’s ability to interact with the physical and social environment. Then, three future interdisciplinary research directions are identified and discussed, highlighting the new collaborative research themes for the definition of a new class of imagery enabled robots that can overcome some limitation of the current technology, especially in its application in social contexts.
Discrete variational scheme for 3D surface modeling

In this paper, we propose a novel discrete variational scheme for 3D surface modeling. The key idea is to consider to utilize an unknown surface from a finite number of normals for surface reconstruction. The algorithm, based on active contours procedure, is obtained without any preprocessing or postprocessing steps and with no restriction on the sets of measurement directions except their number, a limitation dictated only by computing time. We investigate the properties of the regularization functional and illustrate our technique by applying it to converge to the input shape as the number of measurements increases. In addition, we offer linear program version of the novel algorithm that is much more robust, or at least comparable, in performance at low levels of noise and reasonably small numbers of measurements. In contrast to previous works our method can be considered on arbitrary surface and allows the use of variational scheme for 3D surface modeling.
Effects of Whole-Body Electromyostimulation versus High-Intensity Resistance Exercise on Body Composition and Strength: A Randomized Controlled Study

High-intensity (resistance) exercise (HIT) and whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) are both approaches to realize time-efficient favorable changes of body composition and strength. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of WB-EMS compared with the gold standard reference HIT, for improving body composition and muscle strength in middle-aged men. Forty-eight healthy untrained men, 30–50 years old, were randomly allocated to either HIT (2 sessions/week) or a WB-EMS group (3 sessions/2 weeks) that exercised for 16 weeks. HIT was applied as “single-set-to-failure protocol,” while WB-EMS was conducted with intermittent stimulation (6 s WB-EMS, 4 s rest; 85 Hz, 350 ms) over 20 minutes. The main outcome parameters were lean body mass (LBM) as determined via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and maximum dynamic leg-extensor strength (isokinetic leg-press). LBM changes of both groups (HIT 1.25 ± 1.44% versus WB-EMS 0.93 ± 1.15%) were significant (p = .001); however, no significant group differences were detected (p = .395). Leg-extensor strength also increased in both groups (HIT 12.7 ± 14.7%, p = .002, versus WB-EMS 7.3 ± 10.3%, p = .012) with no significant (p = .215) between-group difference. Corresponding changes were also determined for body fat and back-extensor strength. Conclusion. In summary, WB-EMS can be considered as a time-efficient but pricy option to HIT-resistance exercise for people aiming at the improvement of general strength and body composition.
An Extreme Case of Plant–Insect Codiversification: Figs and Fig-Pollinating Wasps

Abstract It is thought that speciation in phytophagous insects is often due to colonization of novel host plants, because radiations of plant and insect lineages are typically asynchronous. Recent phylogenetic comparisons have supported this model of diversification for both insect herbivores and specialized pollinators. An exceptional case where contemporaneous plant–insect diversification might be expected is the obligate mutualism between fig trees (Ficus species, Moraceae) and their pollinating wasps (Agaonidae, Hymenoptera). The ubiquity and ecological significance of this mutualism in tropical and subtropical ecosystems has long intrigued biologists, but the systematic challenge posed by >750 interacting species pairs has hindered progress toward understanding its evolutionary history. In particular, taxon sampling and analytical tools have been insufficient for large-scale cophylogenetic analyses. Here, we sampled nearly 200 interacting pairs of fig and wasp species from across the globe. Two supermatrices were assembled: on an average, wasps had sequences from 77% of 6 genes (5.6 kb), figs had sequences from 60% of 5 genes (5.5 kb), and overall 850 new DNA sequences were generated for this study. We also developed a new analytical tool, Jane 2, for event-based phylogenetic reconciliation analysis of very large data sets. Separate Bayesian phylogenetic analyses for figs and fig wasps under relaxed molecular clock assumptions indicate Cretaceous diversification of crown groups and contemporaneous divergence for nearly half of all fig and pollinator lineages. Event-based cophylogenetic analyses further support the codiversification hypothesis. Biogeographic analyses indicate that the present-day distribution of fig and pollinator lineages is consistent with a Eurasian origin and subsequent dispersal, rather than with Gondwanan vicariance. Overall, our findings indicate that the fig-pollinator mutualism represents an extreme case among plant–insect interactions of coordinated dispersal and long-term codiversification. [Biogeography; coevolution; cospeciation; host switching; long-branch attraction; phylogeny. ]
Soil moisture states, lateral flow, and streamflow generation in a semi‐arid, snowmelt‐driven catchment

Hydraulic connectivity on hillslopes and the existence of preferred soil moisture states in a catchment have important controls on runoff generation. In this study we investigate the relationships between soil moisture patterns, lateral hillslope flow, and streamflow generation in a semi‐arid, snowmelt‐driven catchment. We identify five soil moisture conditions that occur during a year and present a conceptual model based on field studies and computer simulations of how streamflow is generated with respect to the soil moisture conditions. The five soil moisture conditions are (1) a summer dry period, (2) a transitional fall wetting period, (3) a winter wet, low‐flux period, (4) a spring wet, high‐flux period, and (5) a transitional late‐spring drying period. Transitions between the periods are driven by changes in the water balance between rain, snow, snowmelt and evapotranspiration. Low rates of water input to the soil during the winter allow dry soil regions to persist at the soil–bedrock interface, which act as barriers to lateral flow. Once the dry‐soil flow barriers are wetted, whole‐slope hydraulic connectivity is established, lateral flow can occur, and upland soils are in direct connection with the near‐stream soil moisture. This whole‐slope connectivity can alter near‐stream hydraulics and modify the delivery of water, pressure, and solutes to the stream. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Video Surveillance for Effective Object Detection with Alarm Triggering

This paper presents a novel algorithm for detection and segmentation of foreground objects from a video which contains both stationary and moving background objects and under- goes both gradual and sudden "once-off" changes with fixed background and static cameras. Our method achieves complete detection of moving objects by involving three significant proposed modules: a background modeling (BM) module, an alarm trigger (AT) module, and an object extraction (OE) module For our proposed BM module, a unique two- phase background matching procedure is performed using rapid matching followed by accurate matching in order to produce optimum background pixels for the background model. Next, our proposed AT module eliminates the unnecessary examination of the entire background region, allowing the subsequent OE module to only process blocks containing moving objects. And the alarm triggers while a new object enters into the frame, the foreground information and background information are identified using the reference frame as background model . Here , both visual as well as quantitative measures show an improved performance and the scheme has a strong potential for applications in real time surveillance. Index Terms: Background modeling, background subtraction, video segmentation, video surveillance, Alarm Triggering ,Shadow Removal.
Semicircular Canal Afferents Similarly Encode Active and Passive Head-On-Body Rotations: Implications for the Role of Vestibular Efference

The vestibular receptors in the labyrinth receive innervation from centrifugally projecting efferent fibers. The influence of these efferents on information processing by vestibular afferents in primates has not been determined. One commonly held notion is that efferent activation during large-amplitude, active head movements would result in an increase in the resting discharge rate and in a reduction of the rotational sensitivity of afferents. Such an effect would increase the dynamic range of afferents involved in the encoding of head movements. To test this hypothesis, we recorded from afferents innervating the semicircular canals in alert macaques during passive head-on-body rotations and during active head movements that included gaze shifts and gaze pursuit. Extracellular, single-unit recordings were obtained from 24 afferent fibers innervating the horizontal, superior, and posterior canals. Based on the normalized coefficient of variation of the interspike interval for these units, our sample contained six regularly discharging, six intermediate, and 12 irregularly discharging afferents. Responses were analyzed using a least squares regression to determine the bias discharge rate of each unit and sensitivity to head velocity and acceleration. We found no difference in bias discharge rate or rotational sensitivity of the afferent responses for the different stimulus conditions tested. Our results indicate that semicircular canal afferents encode information about head rotation similarly for self generated and passively applied head-on-body movements.
Some guidelines for the experimental characterization of turbocharger compressors

While performance and efficiency measurements of turbocharger compressors are common and standardized, a comprehensive published investigation of uncertainties and repeatability is quite rare. This might be on the one hand due to individual in-house experimental developments and experiences but on the other hand caused by the great number of influencing factors. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive structured study of a variety of uncertainty sources gained at the turbocharger test facilities at Technische Universitat Darmstadt. The test facilities have been set up with the focus on turbocharger compressor investigations and a great variety of compressor configurations have been investigated during the last years. The investigations showed, that the efficiency uncertainty is dominated by the uncertainty in the temperature measurement. The efficiency uncertainty decreases with increasing wheel speed and total pressure ratio.
A Detailed Study of Molecular Clouds toward the Tev Gamma-ray Snr G347.3–0.5

The supernovae remnant G347.3–0.5 (J1713.7–3946) is known as one of the unique SNRs which emit TeV gamma-ray as well as non-thermal X-rays. We present a detailed study of molecular gas toward this SNR obtained with the 4m mm/sub-mm telescope NANTEN at an angular resolution of 2 ′ . 6. This study has revealed that several intensity peaks and the overall distribution of the molecular gas with radial velocities from −12 km s −1 to −3 km s −1 show a remarkably good correlation with the X-ray features, strongly supporting the kinematic distance around 1 kpc derived by Fukui et al. (2003), as opposed to 6 kpc previously claimed. In addition, we show that absorption of X-rays is caused by local molecular gas at softer X-ray bands. Subsequent measurements of the sub-mm J = 3–2 transition of CO made with the ASTE 10 m and CSO 10.4 m sub-mm telescopes toward three of the molecular intensity peaks have revealed higher excitation conditions, most likely higher temperatures above ∼ 30 K as compared to that of the typical gas temperature, 10 K, in low mass dark clouds. This temperature rise is most likely caused by enhanced heating by the high energy events in the SNR, where possible mechanisms include heating by X-rays, gamma-rays, and/or cosmic ray protons, although we admit additional radiative heating by young protostars embedded may be working as well. In one of the CO peaks, we have confirmed the presence of broad molecular wings of ∼ 20 km s −1 velocity extent in the CO J=3–2 transition. Two alternative interpretations for the wings are presented; one is shock acceleration by the blast wave and the other is molecular outflow driven by an embedded protostar. The SNR evolution is well explained as the free expansion phase based on the distance of 1 kpc. The molecular dataset should be valuable to make a further detailed comparison with the gamma-ray and X-ray distributions in order to examine the cosmic ray acceleration quantitatively.
Relativistic spin-density-functional theory: Robust solution of single-particle equations for open-subshell atoms

We present an approach to the solution of the collinear form of the single-particle equations of relativistic spin-density-functional theory. It is based on the use of appropriate boundary conditions for r! 0,‘ and the identification of ‘‘spin-up’’ and ‘‘spin-down’’ solutions by a node quantum number. A comparison with previous results and a complete set of reference data for atomic ground states is provided.
A phosphodiesterase 4-controlled switch between memory extinction and strengthening in the hippocampus

Established fear-related memories can undergo phenomena such as extinction or reconsolidation when recalled. Extinction probably involves the creation of a new, competing memory trace that decreases fear expression, whereas reconsolidation can mediate memory maintenance, updating, or strengthening. The factors determining whether retrieval will initiate extinction, reconsolidation, or neither of these two processes include training intensity, duration of the retrieval session, and age of the memory. However, previous studies have not shown that the same behavioral protocol can be used to induce either extinction or reconsolidation and strengthening, depending on the pharmacological intervention used. Here we show that, within an experiment that leads to extinction in control rats, memory can be strengthened if rolipram, a selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4), is administered into the dorsal hippocampus immediately after retrieval. The memory-enhancing effect of rolipram lasted for at least 1 week, was blocked by the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin, and did not occur when drug administration was not paired with retrieval. These findings indicate that the behavioral outcome of memory retrieval can be pharmacologically switched from extinction to strengthening. The cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway might be a crucial mechanism determining the fate of memories after recall.
Energy-Balanced Scheduling for Target Tracking in Wireless Sensor Networks

A novel energy-balanced task-scheduling method is proposed that extends the lifespan of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) for collaborative target tracking using an unscented Kalman filter (UKF) algorithm. It is shown that the tracking accuracy is approximately proportional to the number of active sensor nodes participating in collaborative tracking. Excessive sensor nodes thus may be put to sleep mode to conserve energy provided there are a sufficient number of active sensor nodes. It is then shown that the lifespan of a WSN is dictated by the distribution of residue energy of sensor nodes. Specifically, we have shown that an energy-balanced WSN is likely to maximize its lifespan. As such, at each step of the tracking task, the head node must judiciously select active nodes from all sensors within the sensing range to minimize residue energy variations (energy balanced) while achieving desired tracking accuracy. This is formulated as a subset selection problem, which is shown to have a complexity that is NP-hard. Several energy-balanced scheduling for tracking (EBaST) heuristic algorithms are proposed to solve this problem with polynomial execution complexities. Extensive simulations have been conducted to compare EBaST against some state-of-the-art scheduling algorithms. It is observed that EBaST is more capable of significantly extending the WSNs lifespan than competing algorithms while delivering comparable or better tracking accuracy.