Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A system for compressive sensing signal reconstruction

An architecture for hardware realization of a system for sparse signal reconstruction is presented in the paper. The threshold based reconstruction method is considered. Noise, appearing in the signal as consequence of the missing signal samples, is used to derive the threshold. The threshold is then used in order to separate signal and non-signal components, and it is dependent on the number of missing samples. The algorithm is modified in this paper with an aim to reduce the system complexity, and to provide easier hardware realization. Instead of using the partial random Fourier transform matrix, the minimization problem is reformulated using only the triangular R matrix from the QR decomposition. The triangular R matrix can be efficiently implemented in hardware without calculating the orthogonal Q matrix. A flexible and scalable realization of matrix R is proposed, such that the size of R changes with the number of available samples and sparsity level.
Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of lamB encoding outer membrane maltose-inducible porin of Aeromonas hydrophila

Aeromonas hydrophila is a significantly important pathogen causing major diseases in humans and fresh water fish. The outer membrane proteins (OMP) which are strong immunogens have been reported to act as adhesins aiding in the attachment of enteropathogenic bacteria. It is of interest to investigate the role of OMP in pathogenesis and their potential as vaccine candidates. In our laboratory, we cloned the gene encoding channel protein LamB porin of A. hydrophila. DNA sequence analysis revealed a full length gene of 1345 bp having a high level of homology with the lamB gene of different bacteria. Open reading frame of A. hydrophila lamB consists of a signal peptide of 25 amino acids, two protein translation start sites ATG present at the 31st and 37th base pairs, a translation termination codon, TAA at 1333rd base pair.
Can Motion Features Inform Video Aesthetic Preferences?

We explore a novel approach to evaluate aesthetic qualities of video clips by analyzing key motion features. With a growing number of videos and more interest in sorting through media, evaluating aesthetics is increasingly important. Our approach examines high-level motion-based features in video that account for distribution, trajectory, ﬂuidity, completeness, as well as smooth camera and subject motion. We introduce six fundamental motion features which are derived from basic guidelines in ﬁlm and then conduct a comprehensive viewer study to examine the correlations between the features and viewer preference
Towards unravelling the confounding of deviant driving, drink driving and traffic accident liability

Existing methods for assessing the effect of alcohol consumption on traffic accident risk do not generally take account of confounding variables such as driver characteristics. Drinking and driving is known to be linked with social deviance and deviant driving practices. Also recent evidence has confirmed a clear relationship between social deviance and accident risk. This raises the possibility that part of the link between 'drink driving' (driving after having drunk alcohol) and accident risk is due to general carelessness or recklessness that would occur even without alcohol. This paper reports findings from two studies examining the link between deviance, drink driving and accident rates. The first study involved novice drivers and revealed that self-reported accident rates were associated with self-confessed drink driving even once deviant driving and other confounding factors were controlled for. The second study involved experienced drivers and failed to show a statistical association between self-reported drink driving and accident rates using measures identical to those used in the first study. There was a clear link between tendency to drive fast and accident rates in this sample. The results support the idea of a direct link between drink driving and accident risk in novice drivers and suggest that the link is weaker in experienced drivers where the individual difference factors of general carelessness and recklessness may make a greater contribution to accident rates. Limitations of the methods used and suggestions for possible future lines of research are discussed.
Shifts in symbiotic associations in plants capable of forming multiple root symbioses across a long‐term soil chronosequence

Abstract Changes in soil nutrient availability during long‐term ecosystem development influence the relative abundances of plant species with different nutrient‐acquisition strategies. These changes in strategies are observed at the community level, but whether they also occur within individual species remains unknown. Plant species forming multiple root symbioses with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, and nitrogen‐(N) fixing microorganisms provide valuable model systems to examine edaphic controls on symbioses related to nutrient acquisition, while simultaneously controlling for plant host identity. We grew two co‐occurring species, Acacia rostellifera (N2‐fixing and dual AM and ECM symbioses) and Melaleuca systena (AM and ECM dual symbioses), in three soils of contrasting ages (c. 0.1, 1, and 120 ka) collected along a long‐term dune chronosequence in southwestern Australia. The soils differ in the type and strength of nutrient limitation, with primary productivity being limited by N (0.1 ka), co‐limited by N and phosphorus (P) (1 ka), and by P (120 ka). We hypothesized that (i) within‐species root colonization shifts from AM to ECM with increasing soil age, and that (ii) nodulation declines with increasing soil age, reflecting the shift from N to P limitation along the chronosequence. In both species, we observed a shift from AM to ECM root colonization with increasing soil age. In addition, nodulation in A. rostellifera declined with increasing soil age, consistent with a shift from N to P limitation. Shifts from AM to ECM root colonization reflect strengthening P limitation and an increasing proportion of total soil P in organic forms in older soils. This might occur because ECM fungi can access organic P via extracellular phosphatases, while AM fungi do not use organic P. Our results show that plants can shift their resource allocation to different root symbionts depending on nutrient availability during ecosystem development.
JaPaFi: A Novel Program for the Identification of Highly Conserved DNA Sequences

We describe the use of Java Pattern Finder (JaPaFi) to identify short (<100 nt) highly conserved sequences in a series of poxvirus genomes. The algorithm utilizes pattern matching to identify approximate matches appearing at least once in each member of a set of genomes; a key feature is that the genomes do not need to be aligned. The user simply specifies the genomes to search, minimum length of sequences to find and the maximum number of mismatches and indels allowed. Many of the most highly conserved segments contain poxvirus promoter elements.
Parenting Orders: The Parents Attend Yet the Kids Still Offend

Despite the extended availability of the Parenting Order in England and Wales since its introduction by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, there is limited research on its impact and effectiveness; particularly in regard to its aim of reducing offending. This article presents results from an empirical case study and examines the circumstances of parents attending programmes, their attendance and the young people’s recorded offending before and after the intervention, considering the type of intervention and number of sessions attended. Although the imposition of the order ‘persuaded’ reluctant parents to attend programmes, an argument is advanced that a parent’s engagement in support should remain voluntary.
Innovative human resource management and corporate performance in the context of economic liberalization in India

The Indian economy was forced to adopt a structural adjustment programme at the beginning of 1991. The structural adjustment programme or liberalization initiated the process of the opening up of an otherwise closed economy of India. Liberalization created a hyper-competitive environment and to respond to this turbulence, Indian organizations adopted innovative changes in their HRM practices. Current research shows that HRM practices are important for enhanced corporate performance but little has been reported on the effect of HRM practices and corporate performance in the context of economic liberalization of India. This study tries to understand the role of innovative HRM practices and specifically questions how HRM practices, such as the role of HR department, recruitment, retraining and redeployment, performance appraisal and compensation, enhance corporate performance during the change process. A multiple-respondent survey of 69 Indian organizations was undertaken to study the impact of innovative HRM practices on firm performance. The survey found that the innovative recruitment and compensation practices have a positive significant relationship with firm performance. It was observed that recruitment, the role of the HR department and compensation practices seem to be significantly changing within the Indian firms in the context of India's economic liberalization. The synergy between innovative HRM practices was not significant in enhancing corporate performance during the liberalization process.
Are Rotations in Perceived Visual Vertical and Body Axis After Stroke Caused by the Same Mechanism?

Background and Purpose— The aim of this study was to investigate whether allocentric and egocentric coordinate systems are congruently biased after hemisphere stroke, which would suggest a single underlying mechanism. Methods— The perception of the long body axis (LBA), an egocentric reference, and that of the subjective visual vertical (SVV), an allocentric reference, was assessed in both the upright position and with 30° lateral body tilts in 15 patients with a hemisphere stroke and 12 control subjects. Results— In control subjects, estimates were accurate in upright but rotated in tilted positions (LBA 7°±6° overestimation and SVV 8.8°±7.8° toward the body). In patients, SVV (−4.4°±4.6°) and LBA (−4.8°±5.3°) were congruent in upright positions and when patients were ipsilesionally tilted (1.5°±7° and 1.9°±7°, respectively). In contrast, SVV and LBA were dissociated when the body was tilted to the contralesional side with overestimation of the LBA (−9.2°±4.6°) but no effect on SVV (−4.1°±6.4°). Conclusions— Because rotations in egocentric and allocentric reference systems found after stroke are differently modulated by lateral tilts, they are not due to a single underlying mechanism. However, they share common bases and can be simultaneously reduced by ipsilesional body tilt. Differences in the way somesthetic information is integrated may explain the differences in LBA and SVV.
Personal knowledge: a clinical perspective from the value and evince projects in health library and information services

The progress of initiatives concerned with implementing evaluated clinical research (such as evidence based medicine and clinical effectiveness) is dependent on the way individual health professionals actually acquire, use and value clinical knowledge in routine practice. The findings of two research projects, the Value and EVINCE projects, are compared with studies of the consolidation and application of clinical knowledge in clinical decision making. The Value project was concerned with the ways in which information from NHS libraries might be used in present and future clinical decision making. EVINCE was a similar impact study for nursing professionals. Both studies confirmed the importance of personal clinical knowledge. Health information services need to use a variety of strategies and knowledge management skills to ensure that the evaluated research evidence is assimilated and implemented into practice.
The Evolution of Lipophilin Genes from Invertebrates to Tetrapods: DM-20 Cannot Replace Proteolipid Protein in CNS Myelin

The proteolipid protein (PLP) gene encodes two myelin-specific protein isoforms, DM-20 and PLP, which are members of the highly conserved lipophilin family of transmembrane proteins. While the functions of this family are poorly understood, the fact that null mutations of the PLP gene cause leukodystrophy in man is testament to the importance of DM-20 and PLP in normal CNS function. PLP differs from DM-20 by the presence of a 35 amino acid domain exposed to the cytoplasm, which is not encoded by other lipophilin genes and appears to have arisen in amphibians ∼300 million years before present. However, the lipophilin gene family can be traced back at least 550 million years and is represented inDrosophila and silkworms. Thus, from an evolutionary perspective PLP can reasonably be anticipated to perform functions in CNS myelin that cannot be accomplished by other lipophilins. Herein we use a novel knock-in strategy to generate mice expressing wild-type levels of a Plp gene that has been modified to encode only DM-20. Although DM-20 is incorporated into functional compact myelin sheaths in young animals, our data show that the 35 amino acid PLP-specific peptide is required to engender the normal myelin period and to confer long-term stability on this multilamellar membrane.
When could global warming reach 4°C?

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) assessed a range of scenarios of future greenhouse-gas emissions without policies to specifically reduce emissions, and concluded that these would lead to an increase in global mean temperatures of between 1.6°C and 6.9°C by the end of the twenty-first century, relative to pre-industrial. While much political attention is focused on the potential for global warming of 2°C relative to pre-industrial, the AR4 projections clearly suggest that much greater levels of warming are possible by the end of the twenty-first century in the absence of mitigation. The centre of the range of AR4-projected global warming was approximately 4°C. The higher end of the projected warming was associated with the higher emissions scenarios and models, which included stronger carbon-cycle feedbacks. The highest emissions scenario considered in the AR4 (scenario A1FI) was not examined with complex general circulation models (GCMs) in the AR4, and similarly the uncertainties in climate–carbon-cycle feedbacks were not included in the main set of GCMs. Consequently, the projections of warming for A1FI and/or with different strengths of carbon-cycle feedbacks are often not included in a wider discussion of the AR4 conclusions. While it is still too early to say whether any particular scenario is being tracked by current emissions, A1FI is considered to be as plausible as other non-mitigation scenarios and cannot be ruled out. (A1FI is a part of the A1 family of scenarios, with ‘FI’ standing for ‘fossil intensive’. This is sometimes erroneously written as A1F1, with number 1 instead of letter I.) This paper presents simulations of climate change with an ensemble of GCMs driven by the A1FI scenario, and also assesses the implications of carbon-cycle feedbacks for the climate-change projections. Using these GCM projections along with simple climate-model projections, including uncertainties in carbon-cycle feedbacks, and also comparing against other model projections from the IPCC, our best estimate is that the A1FI emissions scenario would lead to a warming of 4°C relative to pre-industrial during the 2070s. If carbon-cycle feedbacks are stronger, which appears less likely but still credible, then 4°C warming could be reached by the early 2060s in projections that are consistent with the IPCC’s ‘likely range’.
Uncovering a Latent Multinomial: Analysis of Mark–Recapture Data with Misidentification

Summary Natural tags based on DNA fingerprints or natural features of animals are now becoming very widely used in wildlife population biology. However, classic capture–recapture models do not allow for misidentification of animals which is a potentially very serious problem with natural tags. Statistical analysis of misidentification processes is extremely difficult using traditional likelihood methods but is easily handled using Bayesian methods. We present a general framework for Bayesian analysis of categorical data arising from a latent multinomial distribution. Although our work is motivated by a specific model for misidentification in closed population capture–recapture analyses, with crucial assumptions which may not always be appropriate, the methods we develop extend naturally to a variety of other models with similar structure. Suppose that observed frequencies f are a known linear transformation f=A′x of a latent multinomial variable x with cell probability vector π=π(θ). Given that full conditional distributions [θ | x] can be sampled, implementation of Gibbs sampling requires only that we can sample from the full conditional distribution [x | f, θ], which is made possible by knowledge of the null space of A′. We illustrate the approach using two data sets with individual misidentification, one simulated, the other summarizing recapture data for salamanders based on natural marks.
PAC-Bayesian Generalization Bound for Density Estimation with Application to Co-clustering

We derive a PAC-Bayesian generalization bound for density estimation. Similar to the PAC-Bayesian generalization bound for classication, the result has the appealingly simple form of a tradeo between empirical performance and the KL-divergence of the posterior from the prior. Moreover, the PACBayesian generalization bound for classication can be derived as a special case of the bound for density estimation. To illustrate a possible application of our bound we derive a generalization bound for co-clustering. The bound provides a criterion to evaluate the ability of co-clustering to predict new co-occurrences, thus introducing the notion of generalization to this traditionally unsupervised task.
Aeroallergen and food IgE sensitization and local and systemic inflammation in asthma

We recently reported an independent association between IgE sensitization to food allergens and increased airway inflammation, assessed by fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), in a population‐based study (J Allergy Clin Immunol, 130, 2012, 397). Similar studies have not been performed in populations with asthma. The aim of the present study was to investigate the allergic sensitization profile in asthmatics and examine FeNO, airway responsiveness and blood eosinophilia in relation to type and degree of IgE sensitization.
Attraction-based receding horizon path planning with temporal logic constraints

Our goal in this paper is to plan the motion of a robot in a partitioned environment with dynamically changing, locally sensed rewards. The robot aims to accomplish a high-level temporal logic surveillance mission and to locally optimize the collection of the rewards in the visited regions. These two objectives often conflict and only a compromise between them can be reached. We address this issue by taking into consideration a user-defined preference function that captures the trade-off between the importance of collecting high rewards and the importance of making progress towards a surveyed region. Our solution leverages ideas from the automata-based approach to model checking. We demonstrate the utilization of the suggested framework in an illustrative example.
Inhibition of Intermediate-Conductance Calcium-Activated K Channel (KCa3.1) and Fibroblast Mitogenesis by α-Linolenic Acid and Alterations of Channel Expression in the Lysosomal Storage Disorders, Fabry Disease, and Niemann Pick C

The calcium/calmodulin-gated KCa3.1 channel regulates normal and abnormal mitogenesis by controlling K+-efflux, cell volume, and membrane hyperpolarization-driven calcium-entry. Recent studies suggest modulation of KCa3.1 by omega-3 fatty acids as negative modulators and impaired KCa3.1 functions in the inherited lysosomal storage disorder (LSD), Fabry disease (FD). In the first part of present study, we characterize KCa3.1 in murine and human fibroblasts and test the impact of omega-3 fatty acids on fibroblast proliferation. In the second, we study whether KCa3.1 is altered in the LSDs, FD, and Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC). Our patch-clamp and mRNA-expression studies on murine and human fibroblasts show functional expression of KCa3.1. KCa currents display the typical pharmacological fingerprint of KCa3.1: Ca2+-activation, potentiation by the positive-gating modulators, SKA-31 and SKA-121, and inhibition by TRAM-34, Senicapoc (ICA-17043), and the negative-gating modulator, 13b. Considering modulation by omega-3 fatty acids we found that α-linolenic acid (α-LA) and docosahexanenoic acid (DHA) inhibit KCa3.1 currents and strongly reduce fibroblast growth. The α-LA-rich linseed oil and γ-LA-rich borage oil at 0.5% produce channel inhibition while α-LA/γ-LA-low oils has no anti-proliferative effect. Concerning KCa3.1 in LSD, mRNA expression studies, and patch-clamp on primary fibroblasts from FD and NPC patients reveal lower KCa3.1-gene expression and membrane expression than in control fibroblasts. In conclusion, the omega-3 fatty acid, α-LA, and α-LA/γ-LA-rich plant oils, inhibit fibroblast KCa3.1 channels and mitogenesis. Reduced fibroblast KCa3.1 functions are a feature and possible biomarker of cell dysfunction in FD and NPC and supports the concept that biased lipid metabolism is capable of negatively modulating KCa3.1 expression.
A Mobile Programming Course Based on Computational Thinking Process for Elementary IT-Gifted Students

In this research, we examined previous works on Computational Thinking (CT) to identify the essential stages of CT and developed a 6-week programming course with jQuery Mobile that follows the identified CT process. This CT process-oriented programming course aims to help IT-gifted students in the fifth and sixth year of primary school understand the problem solving process. In our mobile programming course, students mostly work with straightforward pre-built widgets and layouts rather than writing many lines of logical codes. After completing the course, feedback from the participated 34 students was gathered online. In their comments, words such as “making my own decisions,” “achievement,” “confidence,” and “more interested in the subject I chose” were commonly found. In addition, some students wrote that the experience of developing a web app that runs on their own smartphones makes them have the ambition to become a professional software developer.