Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Working towards a future on alternative fuels : the role of the automotive industry

Complementarity of vehicles and fuels has posed significant barrier for increasing the use of alternative fuels in place of traditional ones. An initial positive number of either alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) users or alternative fueling stations are needed for the diffusion of both. This research examines the incentive of the automotive industry, in particular automobile companies focusing on AFVs, to create a positive number of AFV users by demand-side promotion which increases environmental awareness of consumers, and a positive number of alternative fueling stations by supply-side promotion including funding part of the upfront or operating costs of alternative fueling stations. I first build a static microeconomic model of the vehicle and fuel market and find that the demand-side promotion is helpful in creating a positive number of AFVs and alternative fueling stations under a wider range of situations than is supply-side promotion. AFV companies are found to have incentive to do these promotions given affordable promotion costs. Furthermore, using data on vehicle purchase and characteristics of U.S. consumer units from 2005 to 2010 merged with information on state-level fuel prices, fueling stations, and designation of clean cities, I find that the addition of 1 clean city or 100 refueling stations of E85, an alternative fuel used in flex-fuel vehicles, is equivalent to a reduction of $0.04 or $0.19 in the E85 price on the effect of increasing flex-fuel vehicle choice probability respectively. Both the theoretical and empirical results suggest that AFV companies evaluate business opportunities in supply- and demand-side promotions, and that policy makers consider potential contributions of the market to bringing about a future on alternative fuels.
Characterization and Functional Analysis of Extracellular Vesicles and Muscle-Abundant miRNAs (miR-1, miR-133a, and miR-206) in C2C12 Myocytes and mdx Mice

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive neuromuscular disorder. Here, we show that the CD63 antigen, which is located on the surface of extracellular vesicles (EVs), is associated with increased levels of muscle-abundant miRNAs, namely myomiRs miR-1, miR-133a, and miR-206, in the sera of DMD patients and mdx mice. Furthermore, the release of EVs from the murine myoblast C2C12 cell line was found to be modulated by intracellular ceramide levels in a Ca2+-dependent manner. Next, to investigate the effects of EVs on cell survival, C2C12 myoblasts and myotubes were cultured with EVs from the sera of mdx mice or C2C12 cells overexpressing myomiRs in presence of cellular stresses. Both the exposure of C2C12 myoblasts and myotubes to EVs from the serum of mdx mice, and the overexpression of miR-133a in C2C12 cells in presence of cellular stress resulted in a significant decrease in cell death. Finally, to assess whether miRNAs regulate skeletal muscle regeneration in vivo, we intraperitoneally injected GW4869 (an inhibitor of exosome secretion) into mdx mice for 5 and 10 days. Levels of miRNAs and creatine kinase in the serum of GW4869-treated mdx mice were significantly downregulated compared with those of controls. The tibialis anterior muscles of the GW4869-treated mdx mice showed a robust decrease in Evans blue dye uptake. Collectively, these results indicate that EVs and myomiRs might protect the skeletal muscle of mdx mice from degeneration.
ARANDJELOVIĆ : ACCURATE AND EFFICIENT FACE RECOGNITION FROM VIDEO 1 Accurate and Efficient Face Recognition from Video

As a problem of high practical appeal but outstanding challenges, computer-based face recognition remains a topic of extensive research attention. In this paper we are specifically interested in the task of identifying a person from multiple training and query images. Thus, a novel method is proposed which advances the state-of-the-art in setbased face recognition. Our method is based on a previously described invariant in the form of generic shape-illumination effects. The contributions include: (i) an analysis of computational demands of the original method and a demonstration of its practical limitations, (ii) a novel representation of personal appearance in the form of linked mixture models in image and pose-signature spaces, and (iii) an efficient (in terms of storage needs and matching time) manifold re-illumination algorithm based on the aforementioned representation. An evaluation and comparison of the proposed method with the original generic shape-illumination algorithm shows that comparably high recognition rates are achieved on a large data set (1.5% error on 700 face sets containing 100 individuals and extreme illumination variation) with a dramatic improvement in matching speed (over 700 times for sets containing 1600 faces) and storage requirements (independent of the number of training images).
Community detection algorithm using the definition of community

On the basis of discussing the definitions of community in complex network, a new method is to put forward for the community detection. This method initially marks all nodes as unvisited, and then searches these unvisited nodes and seeks some so-called strong structures made up of a core node with a maximal degree and most of its neighbors, and marks them as visited. Subsequently the unvisited nodes are assigned to different strong structures according to some criteria. At last the existing strong structures are perhaps optimized and then different communities generate. The experiment results show that the algorithm is stable and reliable and can accurately obtain the division of community structure. In addition, the algorithm is fast and its time complexity is approximately O(n+m).
SpaRClus: Spatial Relationship Pattern-Based Hierarchial Clustering

For the past decade, the need of multimedia mining has increased tremendously, especially in image data due to inexpensive digital technologies and fast mounting of image data. In this paper, we, first, show an algorithm, SpIBag (Spatial Item Bag Mining), which discovers frequent spatial patterns in images. Due to the properties of image data, SpIBag considers a bag of items together with a spatial information as a pattern which persists over geometrical transformations, such as scaling, translation, and rotation. Then, based on SpIBag, we propose SpaRClus (Spatial Relationship Pattern-Based Hierarchical Clustering) to cluster image data. Our performance study shows that the method is effective and efficient.
Coarse-grained Cross-lingual Alignment of Comparable Texts with Topic Models and Encyclopedic Knowledge

We present a method for coarse-grained cross-lingual alignment of comparable texts: segments consisting of contiguous paragraphs that discuss the same theme (e.g. history, economy) are aligned based on induced multilingual topics. The method combines three ideas: a two-level LDA model that filters out words that do not convey themes, an HMM that models the ordering of themes in the collection of documents, and language-independent concept annotations to serve as a cross-language bridge and to strengthen the connection between paragraphs in the same segment through concept relations. The method is evaluated on English and French data previously used for monolingual alignment. The results show state-of-the-art performance in both monolingual and cross-lingual settings.
POVERTY, INEQUALITY AND CONFLICT

While there is a general view that poverty and inequality can lead to conflict and are therefore in this sense security issues, the precise nature of the links is less well appreciated. Focusing on conflicts within states, this paper draws out the links based on the recent economics literature, and discusses their implications for policy. It is argued that while inequality is a natural concomitant of economic processes, particularly those driven by the market, its implications for security emerge when unequal outcomes align with socio-political cleavages. Such an alignment can turn a benign outcome, in which increasing inequality might even help economic efficiency, into one in which conflict worsens the climate for investment even before, in the extreme, a collapse of the social order. A careful assessment of the intersection between economic outcomes and social divisions is necessary in designing policies and interventions for growth and poverty reduction.
Preschool Education in Portugal: Development, Innovation and Changes. A True Mobilising Contract.

Changes in the preschool education system are provided for by a new federal law in Portugal, Law 5/97, Law for Preschool Education. This law calls for a new role for the State that involves fewer direct services, less bureaucracy, more efficient supervision, and a greater regulating and compensating role. The law requires parents to participate in preschool education, including participating in running the kindergartens, building a cooperative relationship with teachers and staff; and bringing input to the development of the educational process. In addition, the law considers the role of preschool education as contributing to the whole development of the child and as a support for families. The aims of preschool education and the development of curriculum guidelines are carried out through a participatory process. The development of curriculum guidelines is meant to be a "true mobilizing contract" involving hundreds of professionals. (JPB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
Using Hopfield to Solve Resource-Leveling Problem

Although the traditional permute matrix coming along with Hopfield is able to describe many common problems, it seems to have limitation in solving more complicated problem with more constrains, like resource leveling which is actually a NP problem. This paper tries to find a better solution for it by using neural network. In order to give the neural network description of resource leveling problem, a new description method called Augmented permute matrix is proposed by expending the ability of the traditional one. An Embedded Hybrid Model combining Hopfield model and SA are put forward to improve the optimization in essence in which Hopfield servers as State Generator for the SA. The experiment results show that Augmented permute matrix is able to completely and appropriately describe the application. The energy function and hybrid model given in this study are also highly efficient in solving resource leveling problem.
Relation of Serum Leptin and Adiponectin Level to Serum C-Reactive Protein: The INTERLIPID Study

Objective. Despite considerable study, the relevance of leptin and adiponectin for atherosclerosis development is still unsettled. We investigated relations of serum leptin and adiponectin to serum C-reactive protein (CRP), using the INTERLIPID dataset on Japanese emigrants living in Hawaii and Japanese in Japan. Design and Methods. Serum leptin, adiponectin, and CRP were measured by standardized methods in men and women of ages 40 to 59 years from two population samples, one Japanese-American in Hawaii (83 men, 89 women) and the other Japanese in central Japan (111 men, 104 women). Participants with CRP >10 mg/L were excluded. Results. Sex-specific multiple linear regression analyses, with log-transformed leptin and adiponectin (log-leptin, log-adipo), site (Hawaii = 1, Japan = 0), SBP, HbA1c, smoking (cigarettes/day), and physical activity index score of the Framingham Offspring Study as covariates, showed that log-leptin directly related and log-adipo inversely related to log-CRP for both sexes (Ps < 0.05 to <0.01). Addition to the model of BMI and interaction terms (BMI × log-leptin, BMI × log-adipo, SITE × log-leptin, SITE × log-adipo) resulted in disappearance of statistical significance except for direct relation of log-leptin to log-CRP in men (P = 0.006). Conclusions. Leptin directly related to CRP independent of BMI and other confounding factors in men but not in women.
The Effects of Varying Ankle Foot Orthosis Stiffness on Gait in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy Who Walk with Excessive Knee Flexion

Introduction Rigid Ankle-Foot Orthoses (AFOs) are commonly prescribed to counteract excessive knee flexion during the stance phase of gait in children with cerebral palsy (CP). While rigid AFOs may normalize knee kinematics and kinetics effectively, it has the disadvantage of impeding push-off power. A spring-like AFO may enhance push-off power, which may come at the cost of reducing the knee flexion less effectively. Optimizing this trade-off between enhancing push-off power and normalizing knee flexion in stance is expected to maximize gait efficiency. This study investigated the effects of varying AFO stiffness on gait biomechanics and efficiency in children with CP who walk with excessive knee flexion in stance. Fifteen children with spastic CP (11 boys, 10±2 years) were prescribed with a ventral shell spring-hinged AFO (vAFO). The hinge was set into a rigid, or spring-like setting, using both a stiff and flexible performance. At baseline (i.e. shoes-only) and for each vAFO, a 3D-gait analysis and 6-minute walk test with breath-gas analysis were performed at comfortable speed. Lower limb joint kinematics and kinetics were calculated. From the 6-minute walk test, walking speed and the net energy cost were determined. A generalized estimation equation (p<0.05) was used to analyze the effects of different conditions. Compared to shoes-only, all vAFOs improved the knee angle and net moment similarly. Ankle power generation and work were preserved only by the spring-like vAFOs. All vAFOs decreased the net energy cost compared to shoes-only, but no differences were found between vAFOs, showing that the effects of spring-like vAFOs to promote push-off power did not lead to greater reductions in walking energy cost. These findings suggest that, in this specific group of children with spastic CP, the vAFO stiffness that maximizes gait efficiency is primarily determined by its effect on knee kinematics and kinetics rather than by its effect on push-off power. Trial Registration Dutch Trial Register NTR3418
Turbo codes in DSSS systems and a method of their performance improvement in non-white additive noise

In this paper performance of turbo codes with SOVA decoder over non-white channels has been examined. Researches have shown that their performance over such channels are similar to these achieved in AWGN channels. At the same time the author proposed a method that tremendously enhances its performance in such circumstances. This method applies directly to noise and exploits its predicted character (the more colored noise, the less random noise). This method is a so-called double-matched reception. It consists in matching a receiver not only to the signal (as it is in classical receivers), but also to non-white noise. In comparison with a single-matched detection the obtained gains reach a dozen or so dBs depending on the entropy of noise.
Thermomagnetic Behavior of Magnetic Susceptibility—Heating Rate and Sample Size Effects

Thermomagnetic analysis of magnetic susceptibility k(T) was carried out for a number of natural powder materials from soils, baked clay and anthropogenic dust samples using fast (11oC/min) and slow (6.5oC/min) heating rates available in the furnace of Kappabridge KLY2 (Agico). Based on the additional data for mineralogy, grain size and magnetic properties of the studied samples, behaviour of k(T) cycles and the observed differences in the curves for fast and slow heating rate are interpreted in terms of mineralogical transformations and Curie temperatures (Tc). The effect of different sample size is also explored, using large volume and small volume of powder material. It is found that soil samples show enhanced information on mineralogical transformations and appearance of new strongly magnetic phases when using fast heating rate and large sample size. This approach moves the transformation at higher temperature, but enhances the amplitude of the signal of newly created phase. Large sample size gives prevalence of the local micro- environment, created by evolving gases, released during transformations. The example from archeological brick reveals the effect of different sample sizes on the observed Curie temperatures on heating and cooling curves, when the magnetic carrier is substituted magnetite (Mn0.2Fe2.70O4). Large sample size leads to bigger differences in Tcs on heating and cooling, while small sample size results in similar Tcs for both heating rates.
Interaction Techniques for Immersive Virtual Environments: Design, Evaluation, and Application

Immersive virtual environments (VEs) have potential in many application areas, but most successful VE systems exhibit little interactivity. This is largely due to a lack of consideration or understanding of 3D interaction tasks and techniques. This work proposes the systematic study of design, evaluation, and application of VE interaction techniques. Design and evaluation are based on a formal task analysis and categorization of techniques, using multiple performance measures. This methodology will be tested by applying the results to a complex VE application allowing users to modify the design of a space while immersed within it.
MicroRNA Function in the Profibrogenic Interplay upon Chronic Liver Disease

In chronic liver disease leading to fibrosis, hepatic stellate cells (HSC) differentiate into myofibroblasts. Myofibroblastic HSC have taken center stage during liver fibrogenesis, due to their remarkable synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins, their secretion of profibrogenic mediators and their contribution to hypertension, due to elevated contractility. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules of 19–24 nucleotides in length. By either RNA interference or inhibition of translational initiation and elongation, each miRNA is able to inhibit the gene expression of a wide panel of targeted transcripts. Recently, it was shown that altered miRNA patterns after chronic liver disease highly affect the progression of fibrosis by their potential to target the expression of extracellular matrix proteins and the synthesis of mediators of profibrogenic pathways. Here, we underline the role of miRNAs in the interplay of the profibrogenic cell communication pathways upon myofibroblastic differentiation of hepatic stellate cells in the chronically injured liver.
Analysis of Wireless Communication Systems in the Presence of Non-Gaussian Impulsive Noise and Gaussian Noise

Wireless communication systems operating in the presence of additive Gaussian noise have been well studied in the literature. The additive thermal and ambient noise in the system can be modeled by a Gaussian distribution. This model makes the analysis tractable due to the desirable analytic properties of the Gaussian distribution. However, in many situations the additive noise contains another impulsive noise component which cannot be modeled by a Gaussian approximation. The Laplacian distribution is one of the widely used distributions for modeling non-Gaussian and impulsive noise. The performance of linear diversity combining schemes corrupted by additive Gaussian-plus-Laplacian noise in a Rayleigh fading channel is analyzed.
Real time visual SLAM using cloud computing

Simultaneous localization and map-building (SLAM) continues to draw considerable attention in the robotics community due to the advantages it can offer in building autonomous robots. However, few approaches to this problem scale up to handle a large number of landmarks present in real environments. The processing resource requirement to carry out SLAM in real time can be quite high. In this paper we present a novel system which employs resources provided by infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and parallelism for effective processing. Using private cloud infrastructure employing virtualized resources based on MPI the task of global map building is performed in real time simultaneously carrying out loop detection and bundle adjustment for indoor environments. Through implementation in various challenging environments with moving obstacles, visually homogeneous areas having few features, regions with large changes in lighting and relatively fast camera motion we demonstrate our system to be one which is effective as well as robust.
Invasive Nattrassia mangiferae infections: case report, literature review, and therapeutic and taxonomic appraisal

We report on a case of subcutaneous infection of the arm caused by the coelomycetous fungus Nattrassia mangiferae (formerly Hendersonula toruloidea) in a steroid-dependent diabetic man with chronic obstructive lung disease. The man was a resident of Arizona, where the fungus is known to be endemic on Eucalyptus camaldulensis and on citrus trees. Diagnosis of fungal infection was made by observation of narrow hyphal filaments by histopathology of biopsy specimens and isolation of a fast-growing black mold which demonstrated hyphae and arthroconidia of varying widths typical of the Scytalidium synanamorph (S. dimidiatum). The formation of pycnidia, which at maturity expressed conidia with a central median dark band, allowed for the confirmation of the isolate as N. mangiferae. Remission of the lesions occurred following intravenous therapy with amphotericin B, followed by topical clotrimazole treatment. We use this patient's case report as an opportunity to review the literature on cases of deep infection caused by Scytalidium species, to evaluate the antifungal susceptibilities of a spectrum of Scytalidium isolates, and to review the taxonomy of Scytalidium species isolated from human infections.
ADOPTION INHIBITORS AND FACILITATORS OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS ( ERIS )

The need for Emergency Response Information Systems (ERIS) has increased in the recent past due to tragic events such as the World Trade Center disaster and hurricane Katrina. In 2004, the federal government developed the National Incident Management System (NIMS), and subsequently mandated NIMS compliance for all entities associated with disaster management. In this research-in-progress, we outline the emergence of ERIS and examine the progress that local governments and municipalities are making in terms of becoming NIMS compliant. We examine social, technical, and economic factors that serve to either inhibit or facilitate the adoption of ERIS in the public sector.
Deletions at short direct repeats and base substitutions are characteristic mutations for bleomycin-induced double- and single-strand breaks, respectively, in a human shuttle vector system.

Using the radiomimetic drug, bleomycin, we have determined the mutagenic potential of DNA strand breaks in the shuttle vector pZ189 in human fibroblasts. The bleomycin treatment conditions used produce strand breaks with 3'-phosphoglycolate termini as > 95% of the detectable dose-dependent lesions. Breaks with this end group represent 50% of the strand break damage produced by ionizing radiation. We report that such strand breaks are mutagenic lesions. The type of mutation produced is largely determined by the type of strand break on the plasmid (i.e. single versus double). Mutagenesis studies with purified DNA forms showed that nicked plasmids (i.e. those containing single-strand breaks) predominantly produce base substitutions, the majority of which are multiples, which presumably originate from error-prone polymerase activity at strand break sites. In contrast, repair of linear plasmids (i.e. those containing double-strand breaks) mainly results in deletions at short direct repeat sequences, indicating the involvement of illegitimate recombination. The data characterize the nature of mutations produced by single- and double-strand breaks in human cells, and suggests that deletions at direct repeats may be a 'signature' mutation for the processing of DNA double-strand breaks.