Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Real Exchange Rate Changes on Turkey's Foreign Trade Performance within the Framework of the Extended Marshall-Lerner Condition: Time Series Analysis with Multiple Structural Breaks

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between real exchange rate and the balance of external trade of Turkey by using the intermediate goods, capital goods, consumption goods and total external trade data, within the extended Marshall-Lerner Condition framework, for 1989Q1-2012Q2 period by means of unit root test and cointegration methods with multiple structural breaks. In this study, the stationarity of series were tested with unit root test with multiple structural breaks of Carrion-i-Silvestre (2009). Cointegration relationship between series was tested via cointegration test with multiple structural breaks of Maki (2012). Cointegration coefficients were estimated by means of dynamic ordinary least square method. As a result of the analysis, extended Marshall-Lerner Condition is valid for all production groups in Turkey.
Controlling Self-Renewal and Differentiation of Stem Cells via Mechanical Cues

The control of stem cell response in vitro, including self-renewal and lineage commitment, has been proved to be directed by mechanical cues, even in the absence of biochemical stimuli. Through integrin-mediated focal adhesions, cells are able to anchor onto the underlying substrate, sense the surrounding microenvironment, and react to its properties. Substrate-cell and cell-cell interactions activate specific mechanotransduction pathways that regulate stem cell fate. Mechanical factors, including substrate stiffness, surface nanotopography, microgeometry, and extracellular forces can all have significant influence on regulating stem cell activities. In this paper, we review all the most recent literature on the effect of purely mechanical cues on stem cell response, and we introduce the concept of “force isotropy” relevant to cytoskeletal forces and relevant to extracellular loads acting on cells, to provide an interpretation of how the effects of insoluble biophysical signals can be used to direct stem cells fate in vitro.
Hierarchical Cell Structure System for MBMS in UMTS Networks

To support the great demand of wireless bandwidth resource in the future, a high density microcell structure will be adopted. Among radio technologies, multipleinput multiple-output (MIMO) systems have attracted wide research interests in recent years. It is widely recognized that MIMO systems can be employed for achieving a high capacity and a high diversity order, for mitigating the effects of various types of interfering signals, and for supporting space-division multiple-access (SDMA). In this study a MIMO assisted cellular system using distributed antennas is proposed and investigated, where a big number of antennas are distributed in the area covered by the system. The proposed system is capable of providing a platform for possibly integrating the conventional cellular systems into the future advanced, high-flexibility, adhoc and cooperative wireless networks. This system is considered for MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service) that enables mobile operators to deliver rich multimedia to a huge number of subscribers by broadcasting over the radio frequencies assigned to WCDMA.
Parametric and Nonparametric FDR Estimation Revisited

Summary Nonparametric and parametric approaches have been proposed to estimate false discovery rate under the independent hypothesis testing assumption. The parametric approach has been shown to have better performance than the nonparametric approaches. In this article, we study the nonparametric approaches and quantify the underlying relations between parametric and nonparametric approaches. Our study reveals the conservative nature of the nonparametric approaches, and establishes the connections between the empirical Bayes method and p‐value‐based nonparametric methods. Based on our results, we advocate using the parametric approach, or directly modeling the test statistics using the empirical Bayes method.
Optimization algorithms for home energy resource scheduling in presence of data uncertainty

Smart Home Energy Management is a very hot topic for the scientific community and some interesting solutions have also recently appeared on the market. One key issue is represented by the capability of planning the usage of energy resources in order to reduce the overall energy costs. This means that, considering the dynamic electricity price and the availability of adequately sized storage system, the expert system is supposed to automatically decide the more convenient policy for energy management from and towards the grid. In this work a comparison among different linear and nonlinear methods for home energy resource scheduling is proposed, considering the presence of data uncertainty into account. Indeed, whereas the employment of advanced optimization frameworks can take advantage by their inherent offline approach, the need to forecast the energy price and the amount of self-generated power. A residential scenario, in which a system storage and renewable resources are available and exploitable to match the user load demand, has been considered for performed computer simulations: obtained results show how the offline approaches provide good performance also in presence of uncertain data.
Use of Maximum Entropy Modeling in Wildlife Research

Maximum entropy (Maxent) modeling has great potential for identifying distributions and habitat selection of wildlife given its reliance on only presence locations. Recent studies indicate Maxent is relatively insensitive to spatial errors associated with location data, requires few locations to construct useful models, and performs better than other presence-only modeling approaches. Further advances are needed to better define model thresholds, to test model significance, and to address model selection. Additionally, development of modeling approaches is needed when using repeated sampling of known individuals to assess habitat selection. These advancements would strengthen the utility of Maxent for wildlife research and management.
Paying Back Your Country through Income Contingent Student Loans

This article uses the case of paying for a college education to study broad issues of equity, both between families and between generations. As a normative matter, I argue that we should subsidize the education of those who are disadvantaged, but that is because a college education generally 'pays off,' society as a whole should not subsidize most students. Rather, the government can serve the valuable function of simply ensuring that students have access to sufficient loans to finance their education. Congress recently enacted President Clinton's proposal to convert the federal role from a guarantor of student loans to a direct lender (for a phased-in portion of student loans). Direct lending will allow a novel repayment option: the graduate can elect to repay the government out of a modest percentage of her future income. Much of the article explores the difficulties of trying to determine an individual's financial resources, so that the government can best target its subsidies. When do we view the child separately from his family? When is it proper to look to a student's lifetime rather than current resources? Using the public finance literature, I examine the limitations of our governmental redistributive tools. Happily, most of the conceptual difficulties melt away in the face of an income-contingent repayment mechanism, which basically matches payments of principal and interest to the profits from an education. For most graduates, a percentage-of-income cap is the only real insurance they need against doing poorly in the job market. However, because President Clinton's proposal perpetuated existing federal subsidies in the guaranteed student loan program, Congress missed the opportunity to make the program fairer by applying analyses based on intergenerational equity and lifetime income.
A sub-symbolic approach to word modelling for domain specific speech recognition

In this work a sub-symbolic technique for automatic, data driven language models construction is presented. Such a technique can be used to arrange a language-modelling module, which can be easily integrated in existing speech recognition architectures, such as the well-found HTK architecture. The proposed technique takes advantages from both the traditional LSA approach and from a novel application of a probability space metric known as "Hellinger's distance". Experimental trials are also presented, in order to validate the proposed approach.
Resurrection plants of the genus Ramonda: prospective survival strategies – unlock further capacity of adaptation, or embark on the path of evolution?

Paleoendemic species of the monophyletic genus Ramonda (R. myconi, R. serbica and R.~nathaliae) are the remnants of the Tertiary tropical and subtropical flora in Europe. They are the rare resurrection plants of Northern Hemisphere temperate zone. Ramonda serbica and R. nathaliae are chorologically differentiated in the Balkan Peninsula and occupy similar habitats in calcareous, northward slopes in canyons and mountainsides. They remain well-hydrated during spring, late autumn and even in winter. In summer and early autumn when plants are subjected to drought and thermal stress, their desiccation tolerance comes into operation and they fall into anabiosis. Investigations revealed the permanent presence of ubiquitine and its conjugates, high amounts of oxalic acid and proline. Both species are homoiochlorophyllous. It enables them to rapidly resume photosynthesis upon rehydration, but also makes them susceptible to reactive oxygen species formation. Dehydration induces activation of antioxidative enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, polyphenol oxidase), increase in amounts of AsA and GSH, phenolic acids, dehydrins, sucrose, and inorganic ions. Plasma membranes, characterized by high amount of cholesterol, are subjected to decrease in membrane fluidity mostly on account of increased level of lipid saturation. Cytogenetic analysis revealed that R. nathaliae is a diploid (2n = 48) and probably evolutionary older species, while R. serbica is a hexaploid (2n = 144). Two species live together in only two localities forming hybrid individuals (2n = 96). Polyploidization is the major evolutionary mechanism in the genus Ramonda that together with hybridization ability indicates that these relict species which have preserved an ancient survival strategy are not the evolutionary “dead end. ”The species of the genus Ramonda are promising sources of data important for understanding the complex strategy of resurrection plants’ survival, appraised through a prism of their evolutionary and adaptive potential for multiple environmental stresses.
SIMULATIONS OF MAGNETOROTATIONAL TURBULENCE WITH A HIGHER-ORDER GODUNOV SCHEME

We apply a new, second-order Godunov code, Athena, to studies of the magnetorotational instability (MRI) using unstratified shearing box simulations with a uniform net vertical field and a sinusoidally varying zero net vertical field. The Athena results agree well with similar studies that used different numerical algorithms, including the observation that the turbulent energy decreases with increasing resolution in the zero net field model. We conduct analyses to study the flow of energy from differential rotation to turbulent fluctuations to thermalization. A study of the time correlation between the rates of change of different volume-averaged energy components shows that energy injected into turbulent fluctuations dissipates on a timescale of Ω−1, where Ω is the orbital frequency of the local domain. Magnetic dissipation dominates over kinetic dissipation, although not by as great a factor as the ratio of magnetic to kinetic energy. We Fourier-transform the magnetic and kinetic energy evolution equations and, using the assumption that the time-averaged energies are constant, determine the level of numerical dissipation as a function of length scale and resolution. By modeling numerical dissipation as if it were physical in origin, we characterize numerical resistivity and viscosity in terms of effective Reynolds and Prandtl numbers. The resulting effective magnetic Prandtl number is ∼2, independent of resolution or initial field geometry. MRI simulations with effective Reynolds and Prandtl numbers determined by numerical dissipation are not equivalent to those where these numbers are set by physical resistivity and viscosity. These results serve, then, as a baseline for future shearing box studies where dissipation is controlled by the inclusion of explicit viscosity and resistivity.
Analgesic Effect of Harpagophytum procumbens on Postoperative and Neuropathic Pain in Rats

Harpagophytum procumbens, also known as Devil’s Claw, has historically been used to treat a wide range of conditions, including pain and arthritis. The study was designed to investigate whether H. procumbens extracts exhibit analgesic effects in plantar incision and spared nerve injury (SNI) rats. The whole procedure was performed on male SD rats. To evaluate pain-related behavior, we performed the mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) test measured by von Frey filaments. Pain-related behavior was also determined through analysis of ultrasonic vocalization (USVs). The results of experiments showed MWT values of the group that was treated with 300 mg/kg H. procumbens extract increased significantly; on the contrary, the number of 22–27 kHz USVs of the treated group was reduced at 6 h and 24 h after plantar incision operation. After 21 days of continuous treatment with H. procumbens extracts at 300 mg/kg, the treated group showed significantly alleviated SNI-induced hypersensitivity responses by MWT, compared with the control group. These results suggest that H. procumbens extracts have potential analgesic effects in the case of acute postoperative pain and chronic neuropathic pain in rats.
Privacy-preserving authentication systems using smart devices

The paper deals with using modern smart handheld and wearable devices such as smartphones, smartwatches and microcomputers in privacy-preserving authentication and access control systems. Authentication and access control systems usually employ chip cards and smart cards as users' authentication devices. Nevertheless, current privacy-preserving authentication schemes often require more powerful devices such as smartphones and smartwatches. This paper provides the performance assessment of cryptographic and math methods on the smart devices. Further, a privacy-preserving authentication scheme is implemented in order to investigate its performance on these smart devices. Finally, the benefits and limits of deploying the smart devices in privacy preserving authentication systems are discussed.
‘Physical Activity 4 Everyone’ school-based intervention to prevent decline in adolescent physical activity levels: 12 month (mid-intervention) report on a cluster randomised trial

Background Adolescence is a recognised period of physical activity decline, particularly among low-income communities. We report the 12-month (midpoint) effects of a 2-year multicomponent physical activity intervention implemented in disadvantaged secondary schools. Methods A cluster randomised trial was undertaken in 10 secondary schools located in disadvantaged areas in New South Wales, Australia. Students in Grade 7 were recruited, with follow-up in Grade 8. The intervention was guided by socioecological theory and included seven physical activity strategies, and six implementation adoption strategies. The primary outcome was mean minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day assessed using Actigraph GT3X accelerometers. Outcome data were analysed using repeated measures linear mixed models. Results At baseline, 1150 (93%) students participated in the data collection (mean age 12 years, 48% boys) and 1050 (79%) students participated at 12-month follow-up. By the 12-month follow-up, the six implementation adoption strategies had been used to support schools to deliver four of the seven physical activity elements. There was a significant group-by-time interaction for mean minutes of MVPA per day in favour of the intervention group (adjusted difference between groups at follow-up=3.85 min, 95% CI (0.79 to 6.91), p≤0.01), including significantly more vigorous physical activity (2.45 min, p≤0.01), equating to 27 min more MVPA per week. Summary At 12-month follow-up, the intervention had reduced the decline in physical activity among adolescents from disadvantaged schools. The intervention may assist students to meet physical activity guidelines.
Trade Oo between Compression and Search times in Compact Suux Array ?

Suux array is a widely used full-text index that allows fast searches on the text. It is constructed by sorting all suuxes of the text in the lexicographic order and storing pointers to the suuxes in this order. Binary search is used for fast searches on the suux array. Compact suux array is a compressed form of the suux array that still allows binary searches, but the search times are also dependent on the compression. In this paper, we answer some open questions concerning the compact suux array, and study practical issues, such as the trade oo between compression and search times, and show how to reduce the space requirement of the construction. Experimental results are provided in comparison with other search methods. The results show that usually the size of a compact suux array is less than twice the size of the text, while the search times are still comparable to those of suux arrays.
Helminth infections prevent autoimmune diseases through Th2-type immune response.

Helminth parasites are known to elicit the immune response towards T helper 2 (Th2)type, characterized by Th2 related cytokines, that typically include interleukin-4 (IL4), IL-5 and IL-13. In this review we will describe the mechanisms involved in helminth induced Th2 immune response. Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) produce thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), which is both necessary and sufficient for the initiation of Th2 cytokine-driven inflammation. IL-33 mRNA is expressed early during parasite infection and IL-33 binds ST2 receptor, both of which are associated with optimal CD4 + Th2 polarization. Following innate immune cell recognition, basophils and mast cell can secrete Th2 type cytokines that are thought to contribute to CD4 + Th2 differentiation. Additionaly, dendritic cell conditioned with some helminth products can promote CD4 + Th2 differentiation. Alternatively activated macrophages, activated by the Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL13 in parasitic infections, contribute to the host protective response: control of Th1-type inflammation, wound healing and worm expulsion. Experimentally, helminths have been associated with protection against a number of autoimmune disorders, including inflam matory bowel diseases and type 1 diabetes. It may be a novel strategy to ameliorate autoimmune inflammation by expanding and activating the Th2 response originated from parasites.
Northern, Morphological, and Fermentation Analysis of spo0A Inactivation and Overexpression in Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824

ABSTRACT The Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 spo0A gene was cloned, and two recombinant strains were generated, an spo0A inactivation strain (SKO1) and an spo0A overexpression strain [824(pMPSOA)]. SKO1 was developed by targeted gene inactivation with a replicative plasmid capable of double-crossover chromosomal integration—a technique never used before with solventogenic clostridia. SKO1 was severely deficient in solvent formation: it produced only 2 mM acetone and 13 mM butanol, compared to the 92 mM acetone and 172 mM butanol produced by the parental strain. After 72 h of growth on solid media, SKO1 formed long filaments of rod-shaped cells that failed to septate. SKO1 cells never achieved the swollen clostridial form typical of the parental strain and did not form endospores. No spo0A transcripts were detected in SKO1, while transcription of two solvent formation operons (aad-ctfA-ctfB and adc; both containing 0A boxes in their promoter regions) was limited. Strain 824(pMSPOA) produced higher butanol concentrations than the control strain [824(pIMP1)] and dramatically elevated spo0A transcript levels and displayed a bimodal pattern of spo0A transcription similar to that of B. subtilis. Microscopic studies indicated that sporulation was both enhanced and accelerated due to spo0A overexpression compared to that of both the 824(pIMP1) and parental strains. Consistent with that, expression of the key solvent formation genes (aad-ctfA-ctfB and adc) and three sporulation-specific genes (spoIIGA, sigE, and sigG) was observed earlier in strain 824(pMSPOA) than in the plasmid control. These data support the hypothesis that Spo0A is a transcriptional regulator that positively controls sporulation and solvent production. Its effect on solvent formation is a balancing act in regulating sporulation versus solvent gene expression: its overexpression apparently tips the balance in favor of accelerated and enhanced sporulation at the expense of overall solvent production.
Testability of sequential circuits with multi-cycle false paths

This paper investigates the relationship between multi-cycle false paths and the testability of sequential circuits. We show that removal of multi-cycle false paths (either by circuit restructuring or by proper state encoding) improves circuit testability, though not as significantly as one would expect. We then investigate the use of partial scan. We demonstrate the inability of current structure-based scan register selection techniques to select the minimum possible set of registers. We propose a novel and efficient way to exploit the causes of multi-cycle false paths to judiciously choose scan registers for maximum possible testability.
A COMPACT BEAM RECONFIGURABLE ANTENNA FOR SYMMETRIC BEAM SWITCHING

In this paper, two radiation pattern-reconflgurable antennas are designed to operate near the frequency of 1.8GHz. The geometry of the proposed antennas is symmetric with respect to the vertical center line. The electrical shapes of the antennas are composed of a monopole-loaded loop and an open wire. The open wire functions as either a director or re∞ector for the two antennas. Depending on the switching state, the antennas can select between two beam directions with no input impedance difierence. The sizes of each antenna are then optimized to achieve beam switching capability using PIN diodes and FETs. The re∞ection coe-cients and gain patterns for two bias conditions using both switches are measured and compared with the simulated results. The measured results show that the proposed antennas can clearly alternate their beam directions using the switching components.
A High-Performance Optoelectronic Interconnect Router : Using Increased Bandwidth to Enable Latency Reduction

Continuing strides in processor performance impose the need for aggressive latency hiding/reduction techniques in order to fully exploit improved capabilities at the system level. These techniques demand increased interconnection bandwidth which, ultimately, can surpass that which can be supplied by current technology. This paper addresses this problem by presenting the design and implementation of an advanced optoelectronic interconnection network router capable of supplying and efficiently utilizing higher bandwidth capacity to better enable various latency hiding/reduction techniques.