Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The predictive impact of socio-demographic and behavioural factors on professionals' e-commerce attitudes

This paper first reviews the e-commerce issues in general and then gives a detailed report of the findings of a survey concerning how sociodemographic (gender and income) and behavioural (computer experience and average daily use of the Internet) factors influence e-commerce attitude of professionals. The survey was conducted among professionals from the government and private sectors. The results indicated that income is significantly related to the usage of e-commerce. Additionally, computer experience and average daily use of the internet were found to be significant in explaining usage reason for e-commerce users whereas the variable income was found to be significant in explaining nonusage reason for e-commerce nonusers.
Smart Grid automation: Distributed protection application with IEC61850/IEC61499

This paper proposes solutions for distributed protection applications, to improve current and design of future protection schemes. This solution utilises advantages of fast and reliable peer-to-peer communication of IEC 61850 and interoperability and configurability of IEC 61499. The integration of the two standards improves protection schemes by decreasing fault clearing times and minimizes the effect of short circuit faults on sensitive loads. Additional advantages include the reductions of the number of hard-wired connections, especially in a large substation where all protection IEDs has a significant number of binary inputs and relay outputs. IEC 61499 is an open standard for designing distributed control systems to promote portability, interoperability and configurability, i.e. vendor independent, flexible and robust solutions. IEC 61499 can be used to represent programmable logic of power system devices, in a standard form and in a vendor independent way. The proposed distributed protection system is implemented and simulated using the developed co-simulation environment.
Relationship between the Phases of Sensory and Motor Activity during a Looming-Evoked Multistage Escape Behavior

The firing patterns of visual neurons tracking approaching objects need to be translated into appropriate motor activation sequences to generate escape behaviors. Locusts possess an identified neuron highly sensitive to approaching objects (looming stimuli), thought to play an important role in collision avoidance through its motor projections. To study how the activity of this neuron relates to escape behaviors, we monitored jumps evoked by looming stimuli in freely behaving animals. By comparing electrophysiological and high-speed video recordings, we found that the initial preparatory phase of jumps occurs on average during the rising phase of the firing rate of the looming-sensitive neuron. The coactivation period of leg flexors and extensors, which is used to store the energy required for the jump, coincides with the timing of the peak firing rate of the neuron. The final preparatory phase occurs after the peak and takeoff happens when the firing rate of the looming-sensitive neuron has decayed to <10% of its peak. Both the initial and the final preparatory phases and takeoff are triggered when the approaching object crosses successive threshold angular sizes on the animal's retina. Our results therefore suggest that distinct phases of the firing patterns of individual sensory neurons may actively contribute to distinct phases of complex, multistage motor behaviors.
N-dimensional Finite Element Package

In this paper we describe a general n-dimensional nite element package NDFEM for numerical approximation of partial diierential equations. All the routines in the package have been developed in the recur-sive way, such that both the dimension and the order of the nite element approximation are just the input parameters limited only by the hardware. This package can be used for simulation of a wide variety of multi-dimensional initial-boundary value problems arising in science and engineering. To our knowledge this is the only existing nite element package with such properties .
Swarm Intelligence and Evolutionary Computation based Cryptography and Cryptanalysis of 4-round DES algorithm

Over the past decade, there has been an increasing research in the application of Fuzzy Logic and Evolutionary Computation methods to problems in the field of cryptography and cryptanalysis. This is primarily due to the effectiveness of application of these methods to handle hard problems, and to the resulting automated designs pertaining to cryptanalysis of cryptosystems. This paper begins with a brief introduction to cryptography and fuzzy-evolutionary computation methods. A short survey of the applications of these computational intelligence techniques to cryptographic problems follows, and then our contribution is presented. Specifically, we have viewed some cryptographic problems as discrete/continuous optimization problems and are addressed using Evolutionary Computation methods, particularly swarm intelligence and particle swarm optimization. Furthermore, the effectiveness of Swarm Intelligence to optimize the search space of some of the cryptographic functions is studied. Finally, theoretical issues of image cryptography are presented. The experimental results suggest that the discrete optimization problem formulation and representation are critical factors that determine the performance of Evolutionary Computation methods to cryptography. Moreover, strong cryptosystems must not reveal the inherent patterns of the encrypted messages, their decryption keys and the encryption algorithm structure, it is reported that swarm intelligence and evolutionary computation methods constitute a strong measure of the cryptosystems' security.
The Neurophysiology and Pathology of Brain Zinc

Our understanding of the roles played by zinc in the physiological and pathological functioning of the brain is rapidly expanding. The increased availability of genetically modified animal models, selective zinc-sensitive fluorescent probes, and novel chelators is producing a remarkable body of exciting new data that clearly establishes this metal ion as a key modulator of intracellular and intercellular neuronal signaling. In this Mini-Symposium, we will review and discuss the most recent findings that link zinc to synaptic function as well as the injurious effects of zinc dyshomeostasis within the context of neuronal death associated with major human neurological disorders, including stroke, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's disease.
Mergers of Binary Compact Objects

We work out the effects of hypercritical accretion, which transfers mass from the secondary to the primary (older) neutron star (NS) in a binary, showing that such accretion would cause the mass of the primary to end up ≳0.6 M☉ greater than the secondary NS, in contradiction with the very nearly equal masses measured in binary neutron stars to date. We point out that the primary NS will evolve into a low-mass black hole (LMBH) as a consequence of hypercritical accretion. Using a flat distribution in the mass ratio q (≡Msecondary/Mprimary), favored by Duquennoy & Mayor, we calculate the ratio of LMBH-NS to NS-NS systems to be ~5, in rough agreement with the result of Pinsonneault & Stanek. The latter authors emphasized the importance of "twins," which we discuss. The two neutron stars in twin systems would be close in mass and further increase the number of mergers.
Values-First SE: Research Principles in Practice

The realization that software has a far reaching impact on politics, society and the environment is not new. However, only recently software impact has been explicitly described as `systemic' and framed around complex social problems such as sustainability. We argue that `wicked' social problems are consequences of the interplay between complex economical, technical and political interactions and their underlying value choices. Such choices are guided by specific sets of human values that have been found in all cultures by extensive evidence-based research. The aim of this paper is to give more visibility to the interrelationship between values and SE choices. To this end, we first introduce the concept of Values-First SE and reflect on its implications for software development. Our contribution to SE is embedding the principles of values research in the SE decision making process and extracting lessons learned from practice.
Kisspeptin Signaling Is Required for Peripheral But Not Central Stimulation of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Neurons by NMDA

NMDA and kisspeptins can stimulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release after peripheral or central administration in mice. To determine whether these agonists act independently or through a common pathway, we have examined their ability to stimulate GnRH/luteinizing hormone (LH) release after peripheral or central administration in Kiss1- or Gpr54 (Kiss1r)-null mutant mice. Peripheral injection of NMDA failed to stimulate GnRH/LH release in prepubertal or gonadally intact mutant male mice. Dual-labeling experiments indicated a direct activation of Kiss1-expressing neurons in the arcuate nucleus. In contrast, central injection of NMDA into the lateral ventricle increased plasma LH levels in both Kiss1 and Gpr54 mutant male mice similar to the responses in wild-type mice. Central injection of NMDA stimulated c-Fos expression throughout the hypothalamus but not in GnRH neurons, suggesting an action at the nerve terminals only. In contrast, kisspeptin-10 stimulated LH release after both central and peripheral injection but induced c-Fos expression in GnRH neurons only after central administration. Finally, central injection of NMDA induces c-Fos expression in catecholamine- and nitric oxide-producing neurons in the hypothalamus of mutant mice, indicating a possible kisspeptin-independent GnRH/LH release by NMDA through activation of these neurons. Thus, NMDA may act at both GnRH cell bodies (kisspeptin-independent) and nerve terminals (kisspeptin-dependent) in a dual way to participate in the GnRH/LH secretion in the male mouse.
The Impact of Media on Employees Self-Confidence and Performance (Case Study: Islamic Azad University of Babol Branch)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of media on employees self-confidence and performance in Islamic Azad University of Babol. The statistical population of this research is all employees of Islamic Azad University of Babol Branch which are 550 people. Of this population, 225 people have been selected using the sample size table of Krejcie & Morgan. The research method is applied and descriptive of survey type. In this analysis, to obtain the validity of the questionnaire from confirmatory factor analysis and to study the hypotheses of the research, the path analysis was used and to evaluate the fit of the model, the models fitness was used. The results of the data analysis indicate that knowledge-based advantage variables, knowledge network richness information and information flow have positive and significant effects on the dependent variable of employees self- confidence and performance.
A Fusion Algorithm for Traffic Density Estimation using Sensors and Floating Car Data

This paper deals with data fusion of multiple sources of information for density estimation in traffic networks. A macroscopic approach is adopted by partitioning the network in cells and considering as state of the network the dynamically evolving vehicle densities in the cells. Estimation of the state of the network is of crucial importance in modern ITSs, but direct measurements can be obtained via expensive sensors only. To overcome this problem, this paper presents an algorithm for fusion of sensor measurements with Floating Car Data, which on the contrary have become recently available in large quantity and are relatively inexpensive. Furthermore, the paper provides methods for calibration of splitting ratios and of the Fundamental Diagram, and a discussion on optimal sensor placement. The prowess of the algorithm is shown in a real scenario using data from the sensor network along the Rocade Sud in Grenoble and INRIX Floating Car Data.
Building the Ladder: Developing Leadership Skills Without the Title

The leap to library leadership can be difficult if you have no experience in supervision. While larger library systems may have a deep structure that allows employees to start on step one of the ladder and progress one rung at a time to that director position, most of us in Oregon work for smaller libraries where there are few or no successive steps between circulation clerk and director. In these types of organizations, how does someone gain the experience necessary to make one a viable candidate for the job? Because of the diversity of functions from library to library and position to position, experience with a specific set of tasks really does not assess someone’s success in a job. The viable candidate, especially in supervisory positions, does not necessarily have a specific operational skill set as much as a set of characteristics that will help one succeed as a leader. There is a distinction between management and leadership. While both are necessary, management tends to focus on hard skills while leadership is more about the soft skills. Leadership establishes a direction for the organization by creating a vision, by aligning people to the vision through superb communication and team-building skills, and by motivating and inspiring the team to follow the vision (Kotter, 2008). Managers plan and budget, establish rules and procedures, develop incentives, and take corrective action. John Kotter (2008) separated the two in this way: management produces order and consistency; leadership produces change and movement. While libraries tend to value order and consistency, those individuals who can produce change and movement will be of the most value to the 21st-century library.
Bayesian inference for discretely sampled Markov processes with closed-form likelihood expansions

This article proposes a new Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methodology for estimation of a wide class of multidimensional jump-diffusion models. Our approach is based on the closed-form (CF) likelihood approximations of Ait-Sahalia (2002, 2008). The CF likelihood approximation does not integrate to 1; it is very close to 1 when in the center of the distribution but can differ markedly from 1 when far in the tails. We propose an MCMC algorithm that addresses the problems that arise when the CF approximation is applied in a Bayesian context. The efficacy of our approach is demonstrated in a simulation study of the Cox--Ingersoll--Ross and Heston models and is applied to two well-known datasets. Copyright The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org, Oxford University Press.
Chromosome orientation

Precise chromosome segregation during cell division results from the attachment of chromosomes to microtubules emanating from both poles of the spindle apparatus. The molecular machinery involved in establishing and maintaining properly oriented microtubule attachments remains murky. Some clarity is now emerging with the identification of Bod1 (Biorientation Defective 1), a protein that promotes chromosome biorientation by unleashing chromosomes from improperly oriented microtubule attachments.
On training radial basis function neural networks using optimal fuzzy clustering

The major issues in developing radial basis functions neural networks are the determination of the appropriate number of hidden nodes and the kernel parameter values. Both of them are directly related to the underlying structure of the training data. To discover this structure we propose a new training algorithm that uses, in sequence, hierarchical fuzzy clustering and optimal clustering. The result is a network topology with a small number of nodes without significant loss of the accurate modeling performance. To verify the efficiency of the method we test three well-known cluster validity indices. Finally, the simulation results demonstrate the modeling capabilities of the proposed method.
Depositor discipline at failing banks

Uninsured depositors, whose deposits are not fully protected by federal deposit insurance, have an incentive to monitor banks' activities and impose additional funding costs on risky banks. This pricing is a form of market discipline, since the market penalizes banks for taking on greater risk. For banks that become troubled, market discipline can take a more severe form: Market participants may become unwilling to supply uninsured funds at any reasonable price. This study examines the effectiveness of depositor discipline at banks that failed in New England in the early 1990s. ; The empirical analysis examines whether failing banks in New England faced depositor discipline as they became troubled in the early 1990s, and whether these banks attempted to shield themselves from this discipline. Failing banks in New England experienced a 70 percent decline in their uninsured deposits in their final two years of operation. The author finds that despite the magnitude of the gap to fill, and despite the presence of close regulatory scrutiny, many failing banks increased their use of insured deposits enough to offset much of the shortfall created by the decline in uninsured deposits, diminishing the effectiveness of market discipline by depositors.
Metamaterial thermal emitters based on nanowire cavities for high-efficiency thermophotovoltaics

Metamaterial thermal emitters based on gold nanowire cavities on a gold substrate are designed to achieve a narrowband emission spectrum with the emission peak located slightly above the bandgap of photovoltaic (PV) cells, in order to improve the overall efficiency of thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems. The metamaterial emitter made of gold nanowires embedded in an alumina host exhibits an effective permittivity with extreme anisotropy, which supports cavity resonant modes of both electric dipole and magnetic dipole. The impedance match between the cavity modes and free space leads to strong thermal emission with the desired frequency range slightly above the bandgap of PV cells. Simulation results show that the designed metamaterial emitters are polarization-insensitive and have nearly omnidirectional emission angles. Moreover, theoretical analysis predicts that the overall efficiency of the TPV system can reach Shockley–Queisser limit at a low emitter temperature of Te = 940 K.
Privacy Knowledge Modelling for Internet of Things: A Look Back

Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing together give us the ability to sense, collect, process, and analyse data so we can use them to better understand behaviours, habits, preferences and life patterns of users and lead them to consume resources more efficiently. In such knowledge discovery activities, privacy becomes a significant challenge due to the extremely personal nature of the knowledge that can be derived from the data and the potential risks involved. Therefore, understanding the privacy expectations and preferences of stakeholders is an important task in the IoT domain. In this paper, we review how privacy knowledge has been modelled and used in the past in different domains. Our goal is not only to analyse, compare and consolidate past research work but also to appreciate their findings and discuss their applicability towards the IoT. Finally, we discuss major research challenges and opportunities.
Performance and Ease Influence Perceived Speed

According to the action-specific perception account, perception is a function of optical information and the perceiver's ability to perform the intended action. While most of the evidence for the action-specific perception account is on spatial perception, in the current experiments we examined similar effects in the perception of speed. Tennis players reproduced the time the ball traveled from the feeder machine to when they hit it. The players judged the ball to be moving faster on trials when they hit the ball out-of-bounds than on trials where they successfully hit the ball in-bounds. Follow-up experiments in the laboratory showed that participants judged virtual balls to be moving slower when they played with a bigger paddle in a modified version of Pong. These studies suggest that performance and task ease influence perceived speed.
Electromagnetic Energy Harvesting Circuit With Feedforward and Feedback DC–DC PWM Boost Converter for Vibration Power Generator System

This paper presents an integrated vibration power generator system. The system consists of a mini electromagnetic vibration power generator and a highly efficient energy harvesting circuit implemented on a minute printed circuit board and a 0.35-mum CMOS integrated chip. By introducing a feedback control into the dc-dc pulsewidth modulation (PWM) boost converter with feedforward control, the energy harvesting circuit can adjust the duty ratio of the converter following the variation of the input voltage and the voltage of energy storage element to get high energy conversion efficiency. The energy harvesting circuit rectifies the input ac voltage, steps up the dc output of the rectifier by the dc-dc PWM boost converter with feedforward and feedback control and stores the electric energy into a super capacitor, which can be used as a small electrical power supply for an intelligent micro sensor network
A New Module in Neural Differentiation Control: Two MicroRNAs Upregulated by Retinoic Acid, miR-9 and -103, Target the Differentiation Inhibitor ID2

The transcription factor ID2 is an important repressor of neural differentiation strongly implicated in nervous system cancers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are increasingly involved in differentiation control and cancer development. Here we show that two miRNAs upregulated on differentiation of neuroblastoma cells – miR-9 and miR-103 – restrain ID2 expression by directly targeting the coding sequence and 3′ untranslated region of the ID2 encoding messenger RNA, respectively. Notably, the two miRNAs show an inverse correlation with ID2 during neuroblastoma cell differentiation induced by retinoic acid. Overexpression of miR-9 and miR-103 in neuroblastoma cells reduces proliferation and promotes differentiation, as it was shown to occur upon ID2 inhibition. Conversely, an ID2 mutant that cannot be targeted by either miRNA prevents retinoic acid-induced differentiation more efficient than wild-type ID2. These findings reveal a new regulatory module involving two microRNAs upregulated during neural differentiation that directly target expression of the key differentiation inhibitor ID2, suggesting that its alteration may be involved in neural cancer development.
Natural Single-Nucleosome Epi-Polymorphisms in Yeast

Epigenomes commonly refer to the sequence of presence/absence of specific epigenetic marks along eukaryotic chromatin. Complete histone-borne epigenomes have now been described at single-nucleosome resolution from various organisms, tissues, developmental stages, or diseases, yet their intra-species natural variation has never been investigated. We describe here that the epigenomic sequence of histone H3 acetylation at Lysine 14 (H3K14ac) differs greatly between two unrelated strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using single-nucleosome chromatin immunoprecipitation and mapping, we interrogated 58,694 nucleosomes and found that 5,442 of them differed in their level of H3K14 acetylation, at a false discovery rate (FDR) of 0.0001. These Single Nucleosome Epi-Polymorphisms (SNEPs) were enriched at regulatory sites and conserved non-coding DNA sequences. Surprisingly, higher acetylation in one strain did not imply higher expression of the relevant gene. However, SNEPs were enriched in genes of high transcriptional variability and one SNEP was associated with the strength of gene activation upon stimulation. Our observations suggest a high level of inter-individual epigenomic variation in natural populations, with essential questions on the origin of this diversity and its relevance to gene x environment interactions.