Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unknown input observer of a class of switched control systems

For a class of linear switched control systems (LSCSs) with unknown inputs, we study in this paper the unknown input observer (UIO) design problem. To design a full (reduced) order UIO, we first design for each subsystem a full (reduced) order UIO, and then we construct a full (reduced) order UIO for the whole system via picking the corresponding full (reduced) order UIO of the active subsystem according to the switching rule. Sufficient conditions for the existence of both full order and reduced order UIOs are derived. The design procedures of full order UIOs and reduced order UIOs are presented. Several stability results regarding to the state estimation error dynamics are established. Examples are given to show how to design UIOs for particular switched systems, and simulation results are given to show the effect of the designed UIOs.
A novel 4 DOF eye-camera positioning system for Androids

We present a novel eye-camera positioning system with four degrees-of-freedom (DOF). The system has been designed to emulate human eye movements, including saccades, for anatomically accurate androids. The architecture of our system is similar to that of a universal joint in that a hollowed sphere (the eyeball), hosting a miniature CMOS color camera, takes the part of the cross shaft that connects a pair of hinges that are oriented at 90 degrees of each other. This concept allows the motors to remain static, enabling placing them in multiple configurations during the mechanical design stage facilitating the inclusion of other robotic parts into the robots head. Based on our evaluations, the robotic eye-camera has been shown to be suitable for perception experiments that require human-like eye motion.
Localised knowledge spillovers vs. innovative milieux: Knowledge “tacitness” reconsidered

Abstract. This article provides a critical discussion of the recent econometric literature on “localised knowledge spillovers” and the related notion of tacit knowledge. The basic claim of the article is that the increasing, and more or less automatic reliance of industrial geographers upon such econometric evidence and theoretical concepts to support their work on industrial districts, hi-tech agglomerations and, more broadly, local innovation systems is not well placed and risks to ge nerate conceptual confusion and to distort research agendas. Following some recent advances in the economics of knowledge, the article also suggests that more research efforts should instead be devoted to exploring how knowledge is actually transmitted, among whom, at what distance, and on the basis of which codebooks.
NOTCH Pathway Blockade Depletes CD133‐Positive Glioblastoma Cells and Inhibits Growth of Tumor Neurospheres and Xenografts

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are thought to be critical for the engraftment and long‐term growth of many tumors, including glioblastoma (GBM). The cells are at least partially spared by traditional chemotherapies and radiation therapies, and finding new treatments that can target CSCs may be critical for improving patient survival. It has been shown that the NOTCH signaling pathway regulates normal stem cells in the brain, and that GBMs contain stem‐like cells with higher NOTCH activity. We therefore used low‐passage and established GBM‐derived neurosphere cultures to examine the overall requirement for NOTCH activity, and also examined the effects on tumor cells expressing stem cell markers. NOTCH blockade by γ‐secretase inhibitors (GSIs) reduced neurosphere growth and clonogenicity in vitro, whereas expression of an active form of NOTCH2 increased tumor growth. The putative CSC markers CD133, NESTIN, BMI1, and OLIG2 were reduced following NOTCH blockade. When equal numbers of viable cells pretreated with either vehicle (dimethyl sulfoxide) or GSI were injected subcutaneously into nude mice, the former always formed tumors, whereas the latter did not. In vivo delivery of GSI by implantation of drug‐impregnated polymer beads also effectively blocked tumor growth, and significantly prolonged survival, albeit in a relatively small cohort of animals. We found that NOTCH pathway inhibition appears to deplete stem‐like cancer cells through reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis associated with decreased AKT and STAT3 phosphorylation. In summary, we demonstrate that NOTCH pathway blockade depletes stem‐like cells in GBMs, suggesting that GSIs may be useful as chemotherapeutic reagents to target CSCs in malignant gliomas. STEM CELLS 2010;28:5–16
The Anticipated Capitalisation Effect of a New Metro Line on Housing Prices

Housing units with closer access to public transportation enjoy a higher market value than those with similar characteristics but poorer access. This difference can be explained by the lower cost of transport to the main workplaces and shopping areas in town. For this reason, investments in public transport infrastructure, such as building a new metro line, are capitalised totally or partially into land and housing prices. Copyright (c) 2008 The Authors Journal compilation (c) Institute for Fiscal Studies, 2008.
The Attempt to Globalize Hegemony

This is a schematic, even crude, treatment of a very large topic: the history of inter-American relations before and after 9/11, with special reference to the meanings that can now be read into it retrospectively in the light of the significance of 9/11. It will focus on the role of the United States in Latin America, rather than on the relations of the Latin American countries with each other.
Phylotastic: An Experiment in Creating, Manipulating, and Evolving Phylogenetic Biology Workflows Using Logic Programming

Abstract Evolutionary Biologists have long struggled with the challenge of developing analysis workflows in a flexible manner, thus facilitating the reuse of phylogenetic knowledge. An evolutionary biology workflow can be viewed as a plan which composes web services that can retrieve, manipulate, and produce phylogenetic trees. The Phylotastic project was launched two years ago as a collaboration between evolutionary biologists and computer scientists, with the goal of developing an open architecture to facilitate the creation of such analysis workflows. While composition of web services is a problem that has been extensively explored in the literature, including within the logic programming domain, the incarnation of the problem in Phylotastic provides a number of additional challenges. Along with the need to integrate preferences and formal ontologies in the description of the desired workflow, evolutionary biologists tend to construct workflows in an incremental manner, by successively refining the workflow, by indicating desired changes (e.g., exclusion of certain services, modifications of the desired output). This leads to the need of successive iterations of incremental replanning, to develop a new workflow that integrates the requested changes while minimizing the changes to the original workflow. This paper illustrates how Phylotastic has addressed the challenges of creating and refining phylogenetic analysis workflows using logic programming technology and how such solutions have been used within the general framework of the Phylotastic project.
Coping with Complex Leadership Roles: The Problematic Redefinition of Government-owned Enterprises

Inspired by New Public Management, many countries have changed their central public apparatus from an integrated to a more segregated structural model. A central element in this process is structural devolution and the establishment of new or reorganized state-owned companies with increased business autonomy and new formal control systems. This paper focuses on how this development, as exemplified by the case of Norway, is affecting the role of central executive political and administrative leaders. The study, based on elite interviews, shows that corporatization has made the role of central leaders more complex and ambiguous and undermined traditional political control. We interpret this development from a transformative perspective, underlining how structural devolution is filtered through the dynamic context of environmental pressure and internal structural and cultural factors; in addition, experiences from New Zealand are used to contrast the Norwegian case.
Option or Obligation? The Determinants of Labour Supply Preferences in Britain

We examine persistence in work hour constraints using subjective data from the British Household Panel Survey, and investigate the role of job and employer changes in alleviating these constraints. Evidence suggests that 40 per cent of employees prefer to work a different number of hours at their current wage, and the majority of these prefer to work fewer hours. Our estimates also indicate that, although these constraints persist over time, job and employer changes alleviate over-employment particularly among men. Work time preferences are determined by observed job and employer related characteristics, individual demographics, local labour demand and time-invariant unobserved individual-specific effects.
The Changing Relationship between Education and Marriage in the United States, 1940–2000

In 1940, when gender specialization was high, there was a negative relationship between education and marriage for women. College-educated women were least likely to be currently married and most likely to be never married. Declines in specialization were accompanied by a transition in this relationship. By 2000, when gender specialization was low, there was a positive relationship between education and marriage for women. College-educated women were most likely to be currently married, in part because they were more likely to stay married or remarry after divorce or widowhood. This transition occurred earlier and more completely for black women than for white women. These changes suggest that the relationship between education and marriage is shaped in part by the gender-role context.
Trazodone Effects on Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Non-REM Arousal Threshold.

RATIONALE A low respiratory arousal threshold is a physiological trait involved in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) pathogenesis. Trazodone may increase arousal threshold without compromising upper airway muscles, which should improve OSA. OBJECTIVES We aimed to examine how trazodone alters OSA severity and arousal threshold. We hypothesized that trazodone would increase the arousal threshold and improve the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) in selected patients with OSA. METHODS Subjects were studied on two separate nights in a randomized crossover design. Fifteen unselected subjects with OSA (AHI ≥ 10/h) underwent a standard polysomnogram plus an epiglottic catheter to measure the arousal threshold. Subjects were studied after receiving trazodone (100 mg) and placebo, with 1 week between conditions. The arousal threshold was calculated as the nadir pressure before electrocortical arousal from approximately 20 spontaneous respiratory events selected randomly. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Compared with placebo, trazodone resulted in a significant reduction in AHI (38.7 vs. 28.5 events/h, P = 0.041), without worsening oxygen saturation or respiratory event duration. Trazodone was not associated with a significant change in the non-REM arousal threshold (-20.3 vs. -19.3 cm H2O, P = 0.51) compared with placebo. In subgroup analysis, responders to trazodone spent less time in N1 sleep (20.1% placebo vs. 9.0% trazodone, P = 0.052) and had an accompanying reduction in arousal index, whereas nonresponders were not observed to have a change in sleep parameters. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that trazodone could be effective therapy for patients with OSA without worsening hypoxemia. Future studies should focus on underlying mechanisms and combination therapies to eliminate OSA. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials. gov (NCT 01817907).
On the spectral radius of a random matrix: An upper bound without fourth moment

Consider a square matrix with independent and identically distributed entries of zero mean and unit variance. It is well known that if the entries have a finite fourth moment, then, in high dimension, with high probability, the spectral radius is close to the square root of the dimension. We conjecture that this holds true under the sole assumption of zero mean and unit variance, in other words that there are no outliers in the circular law. In this work we establish the conjecture in the case of symmetrically distributed entries with a finite moment of order larger than two. The proof uses the method of moments combined with a novel truncation technique for cycle weights that might be of independent interest.
Greenhouse Gas and Climate Change Assessment

Problem: Mitigating the production of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and developing strategies to prepare for changes in climate is an important challenge to the transportation planning profession. Purpose: This article identifies the research needed to inform planning practice on the relationship between transportation and climate change. Methods: I chaired the panel that prepared a recent Transportation Research Board special report on research needs related to reducing GHG emissions from the transportation sector and adapting transportation systems to climate change. The report considered needs both for short-term policy guidance and for longer-term research into fundamental relationships between GHG emissions, climate change, and transportation. Here, I review those findings and highlight the questions of greatest importance to planning. Results and conclusions: Additional research is needed on: the range of GHG impacts; how and whether to consider indirect GHG impacts; the sensitivity of GHG emission estimates to variations in critical assumptions; the range of GHG reduction strategies that should normally be analyzed; the level of GHG analysis appropriate for small-scale planning studies; whether to use lifecycle or operational GHG; how to define a preferred scenario; the extent to which reducing GHG emissions affects other goals and priorities; and the costs and tradeoffs associated with options for mitigating GHG emissions. This research should yield policy direction for planning practice on: how to rank GHG reduction compared to other transportation goals; what state or federal requirements for GHG planning will be and how they will relate to regional and local policy goals and constraints; what new information analysis and evaluation should produce; what changes will be needed in data collection, models, and methodologies to yield this; and whether changes will be needed in interagency consultation and public involvement. Takeaway for practice: I recommend a comprehensive research program that addresses these questions, reduces uncertainty about relationships between transportation and GHG emissions, and informs planners and others about the consequences of potential transportation strategies. Research support: None.
Factors Affecting Malaysian Household Purchase Decisions of Food-Away-from-Home

Abstract The dichotomous-choice Logit model is applied on data from the Malaysian Household Expenditure Survey (1998/99) to examine household purchase decisions of food-away-from-home (FAFH). Results indicate that younger, higher educated, wealthier, smaller-sized families, urban residents, or Malay and Chinese households have a significantly higher likelihood to purchase FAFH, ceteris paribus. In addition, gender does not impact FAFH purchase decisions in a statistically significant manner. Based on these findings, several observations are noted to provide policymakers and food industry analysts with a better understanding of the habits and attitudes of Malaysian households visa-vis FAFH.
The seven deadly sins of strategic change

Despite the best of intentions, efforts to improve organizational performance do not always pan out. This article gives examples and shows how, in their pursuit of excellence in an often-challenging environment, even the most respected organizations are tempted to commit one or more of the seven deadly sins of strategic change. They are: forgetting about value for the customer, focusing solely on greater profits or market share, treating improvements as “just another program,” neglecting to make continual improvement and learning part of the corporate culture, lacking discipline in the pursuit of growth, favoring training over application, and losing constancy of purpose. Being aware of these pitfalls is the first step in avoiding them, so organizational improvement efforts can stay on the right path to success. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Feedback Regulation of Murine Pantothenate Kinase 3 by Coenzyme A and Coenzyme A Thioesters*

Pantothenate kinase catalyzes a key regulatory step in coenzyme A biosynthesis, and there are four mammalian genes that encode isoforms of this enzyme. Pantothenate kinase isoform PanK3 is highly related to the previously characterized PanK1β isoform (79% identical, 91% similar), and these two almost identical proteins are expressed most highly in the same tissues. PanK1β and PanK3 had very similar molecular sizes, oligomeric form, cytoplasmic cellular location, and kinetic constants for ATP and pantothenate. However, these two PanK isoforms possessed distinct regulatory properties. PanK3 was significantly more sensitive to feedback regulation by acetyl-CoA (IC50 = 1 μm) than PanK1β (IC50 = 10 μm), and PanK3 was stringently regulated by long-chain acyl-CoA (IC50 = 2 μm), whereas PanK1β was not. Domain swapping experiments localized the difference in the two proteins to a 48-amino-acid domain, where they are the most divergent. Consistent with these more stringent regulatory properties, metabolic labeling experiments showed that coenzyme A (CoA) levels in cells overexpressing PanK3 were lower than in cells overexpressing an equivalent amount of PanK1β. Thus, the distinct regulatory properties exhibited by the family of the pantothenate kinases allowed the rate of CoA biosynthesis to be controlled by regulatory signals from CoA thioesters involved in different branches of intermediary metabolism.
Defective lipid metabolism in sickle cell anaemia subjects in vaso-occlusive crisis

Background: Abnormal lipid homeostasis has been reported in sickle cell anaemia (SCA) as well as in other haematological disorders. However, there is little information on the lipid profile of SCA subjects in vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC). This study determined the lipid profile of adult SCA subjects in VOC and in steady state (SSCA). Materials and Methods: Fifty-eight (58) adults with HbSS (30 in steady state and 28 in vaso-occlusive crisis) and 24 age-matched healthy individuals with HbAA genotype were recruited into this study. Standard methods were used for the determination of blood pressure (BP), packed cell volume (PCV), total white blood cell count (WBC) and haemoglobin phenotype. After an overnight fast, 5 ml of venous blood was obtained from each SSCA and the controls while samples were collected upon admission in the VOC group. Plasma lipid profile was determined using enzymatic method. Differences between two groups were determined using independent Student's t-test or Man-Whitney U as appropriate. P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: Plasma total cholesterol (TC) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) were significantly lower while the ratio of triglyceride (TG) to HDL (TG/HDL) was significantly higher in SSCA compared with the controls. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) and TC were significantly lower in SCA subjects in VOC compared with controls. However, TC, TG, LDL and TG/HDL were significantly lower while HDL was significantly higher in VOC compared with SSCA. Conclusion: Sickle cell anaemia subjects have defective fasting lipid metabolism which becomes pronounced with VOC.
Platform to Build the Knowledge Base by Combining Sensor Data and Context Data

Sensor data is structured and generally lacks of meaning by itself, but life-logging data (time, location, etc.) out of sensor data can be utilized to create lots of meaningful information combined with social data from social networks like Facebook and Twitter. There have been many platforms to produce meaningful information and support human behavior and context-awareness through integrating diverse mobile, social, and sensing input streams. The problem is that these platforms do not guarantee the performance in terms of the processing time and even let the accuracy of output data be addressed by new studies in each area where the platform is applied. Thus, this study proposes an improved platform which builds a knowledge base for context awareness by applying distributed and parallel computing approach considering the characteristics of sensor data that is collected and processed in real-time, and compares the proposed platform with existing platforms in terms of performance. The experiment shows the proposed platform is an advanced platform in terms of processing time. We reduce the processing time by 40% compared with existing platform. The proposed platform also guarantees the accuracy compared with existing platform.
Correlates of New Graduate Nurses’ Experiences of Workplace Mistreatment

OBJECTIVE: This study explores correlates of new graduate nurses’ experiences of workplace mistreatment. BACKGROUND: New graduate nurses’ experiences of workplace mistreatment, such as bullying, coworker incivility, and supervisor incivility, negatively influence nurses’ work and health. It is unclear whether these forms of workplace mistreatment have similar precipitating factors and outcomes. METHODS: We surveyed 342 new graduate nurses in Ontario to explore correlates of 3 forms of workplace mistreatment. RESULTS: Workplace incivility and bullying were significantly related to authentic leadership, structural empowerment, worklife fit, and psychological capital. Bullying was more strongly related to job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion, and mental and physical health outcomes than supervisor and coworker incivility. CONCLUSIONS: New graduate nurses’ experiences of 3 types of workplace mistreatment are related to organizational and health factors, although bullying appears to have stronger negative effects.
Increased expression of atrial natriuretic peptide in the kidney of rats with bilateral ureteral obstruction.

BACKGROUND Whether the postobstructive diuresis can be related to an altered regulation of local atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in the kidney was investigated. METHODS Three groups of rats had both of their ureters obstructed for 48 hours. The kidneys were taken without releasing the obstruction in one group [bilateral ureteral obstruction (BUO)]. The obstruction was released in the other two groups and the animals were kept for 4 and 24 hours thereafter to collect urinary data (BUR-4 and BUR-24, respectively). Plasma and urine ANP levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. The mRNA expression of ANP, natriuretic peptide receptor-A (NPR-A), and NPR-C was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. ANP receptors were also quantitated by in vitro autoradiography. The activity of guanylyl cyclase was determined by the amount of cGMP generated in response to ANP. RESULTS Urinary volume and sodium excretion increased in BUR-4, along with the ANP mRNA expression in the kidney and the urinary ANP excretion. The ANP excretion positively correlated with the urinary volume and sodium excretion. The mRNA expression of both NPR-A and NPR-C was decreased by BUO, the latter being far more prominently affected. The maximal binding capacity of radiolabeled ANP was decreased in the glomerulus and papilla in BUO. Not only the urinary parameters but also the mRNA expression of ANP, NPR-A, and NPR-C were comparable between BUR-24 and control rats. ANP-stimulated cGMP generation was reduced in the glomerulus and papilla in BUO animals, which was rapidly resumed following the release of the obstruction. CONCLUSIONS Postobstructive diuresis may be due partially to an increased ANP activity in the kidney.