Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An enhanced density peak-based clustering approach for hyperspectral band selection

Recently, a fast density peak-based clustering algorithm, namely FDPC, has demonstrated its power on nonspherical clustering problems. In this paper, we propose an enhanced fast density peak-based clustering, namely E-FDPC, for hy-perspectral band selection. The main contributions of the proposed E-FDPC, in comparison with the original FDPC are two folds. First, we introduce a parameter to control the weight between the normalized local density and intra-cluster distance. The other aspect is that, we present an exponential-based learning rule to adjust the cut-off threshold for different number of selected bands, where it is empirically defined in FDPC. Furthermore, an effective strategy, called isolated-point-stopping criterion, is developed to automatically determine the appropriate number of bands. That is, the clustering process will be stopped by the emergence of the isolated point (the only point in one cluster). Experimental results on real hyperspectral data demonstrate that E-FDPC approach could achieve higher overall classification accuracies than FDPC and other state-of-the-art band selection techniques.
PIKE GTPase Signaling and Function

PIKE (PI 3-Kinase Enhancer) is a recently identified brain specific nuclear GTPase, which binds PI 3-kinase and stimulates its lipid kinase activity. Nerve growth factor treatment leads to PIKE activation by triggering the nuclear translocation of phospholipase C-γ1 (PLC-γ1), which acts as a physiologic guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for PIKE through its SH3 domain. To date, three forms of PIKE have been characterized: PIKE-S, PIKE-L and PIKE-A. PIKE-S is initially identified shorter isoform. PIKE-L, a longer isoform of PIKE gene, differs from PIKE-S by C-terminal extension containing Arf-GAP (ADP ribosylation factor-GTPase Activating Protein) and two ankyrin repeats domains. In contrast to the exclusive nuclear localization of PIKE-S, PIKE-L occurs in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. PIKE-L physiologically associates with Homer 1, an mGluR I binding adaptor protein. The Homer/PIKE-L complex couples PI 3-kinase to mGluR I and regulates a major action of group I mGluRs, prevention of neuronal apoptosis. More recently, a third PIKE isoform, PIKE-A was identified in human glioblastoma multiforme brain cancers. Unlike the brain specific PIKE-L and -S isoforms, PIKE-A distributes in various tissues. PIKE-A contains the same domains present in PIKE-L but lacks N-terminal proline-rich domain (PRD), which binds PI 3-kinase and PLC-γ1. Instead, PIKE-A specifically binds to active Akt and upregulates its activity in a GTP-dependent manner, mediating human cancer cell invasion and preventing apoptosis. Thus, PIKE extends its roles from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, mediating cellular processes from cell invasion to programmed cell death.
Post-Qualifying Education for Social Workers: A Continuing Problem or a New Opportunity?

Between 1990 and 2012 there was a national system for regulating post-qualifying social work education in England. Since then social work has been expected to take a more flexible approach to continuing professional development (CPD) which recognises the contribution played by work-based and self-directed learning alongside higher education awards. While universities can continue to offer post-qualifying courses, it is envisaged that they will work more closely with employers in deciding what should be taught and how. This article is based on a scoping review of post-qualifying social work education in England which highlights the paucity of knowledge about the topic. Although achieving a post-qualifying award is associated with improved knowledge and confidence, little is known about the long-term effects on individuals, organisations and service users. There appears to be a complete absence of evidence on cost effectiveness. As yet, we know very little about the extent of self-directed CPD among social workers and current funding constraints are likely to limit the resources that organisations invest in CPD for their workforce. In a rapidly changing context, the article seeks to provide a baseline from which an agenda for future research into CPD among social workers can be shaped.
Nearfield beamforming using nearfield/farfield reciprocity

We establish the asymptotic equivalence, up to complex conjugation, of two problems: (i) determining the nearfield performance of a farfield beampattern specification, and (ii) determining the equivalent farfield beampattern corresponding to a nearfield beampattern specification. Using this reciprocity relationship we develop a computationally simple procedure to design a beamforming array to achieve a desired nearfield beampattern response. The superiority of this approach to existing methods, both in ease of design implementation and performance obtained, is illustrated by a design example.
Wellbeing and Education: Issues of Culture and Authority.

The idea that education should equip people to lead flourishing lives and help others to do so is now becoming salient in policy-making circles. Philosophy of education can help here by clarifying what flourishing consists in. This essay examines one aspect of this. It rejects the view that well-being goods are derivable from human nature, as in the theories of Howard Gardner and Edmond Holmes. It locates them, rather, as cultural products, but not culturally-relative ones, drawing attention to the proliferating forms they have taken over the past three or four centuries. It looks to aesthetics and art criticism as a guide to a philosophical treatment of well-being goods more generally. It also takes off from aesthetics and art criticism in seeking to identify reliable authorities on the flourishing life. On this, it rejects elitist conceptions in favour of a more democratic model, emphasising its importance in education for citizenship.
Tiagabine for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a randomized, open-label, clinical trial with paroxetine as a positive control.

BACKGROUND Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) plays a central role in the pathophysiology of anxiety. Tiagabine, a selective GABA reuptake inhibitor, enhances normal GABA tone. This 10-week, randomized, open-label trial evaluated tiagabine in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), with paroxetine serving as a positive control. METHOD Adult patients with DSM-IV GAD were randomly assigned to receive either tiagabine or paroxetine. Tiagabine was initiated at 4 mg/day (2 mg morning and evening) during week 1. Between weeks 2 and 6, the dose was individually titrated in 2-mg increments (maximum increase of 4 mg/week) for optimal response to a maximum dose of 16 mg/day (8 mg morning and evening). During weeks 7 through 10, patients received the dosage determined during the titration period. Paroxetine was initiated at 20 mg nightly for the first week and similarly titrated in 10-mg increments to a maximum dose of 60 mg/day. Assessments included the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). RESULTS Forty patients were enrolled (tiagabine, N = 20; paroxetine, N = 20). Mean final doses were tiagabine 10 mg/day (range, 4-16 mg/day) or paroxetine 27 mg/day (range, 20-40 mg/day). Tiagabine and paroxetine significantly reduced anxiety (HAM-A and HADS total and anxiety subscales). Although patients were not diagnosed with a mood disorder, both tiagabine and paroxetine reduced comorbid depressive symptoms (HAM-D total and HADS total and depressive subscale). Tiagabine and paroxetine significantly improved sleep quality (PSQI) and functioning (SDS). Both tiagabine and paroxetine were well tolerated. CONCLUSION The selective GABA reuptake inhibitor tiagabine and the positive control paroxetine significantly reduced anxiety and comorbid depressive symptoms, improved sleep quality and functioning, and were well tolerated in patients with GAD. Tiagabine may be a therapeutic option for the treatment of anxiety disorders.
Morphological and Genetic Variation along a North-to-South Transect in Stipa purpurea, a Dominant Grass on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: Implications for Response to Climate Change

Estimating the potential of species to cope with rapid environmental climatic modifications is of vital importance for determining their future viability and conservation. The variation between existing populations along a climatic gradient may predict how a species will respond to future climate change. Stipa purpurea is a dominant grass species in the alpine steppe and meadow of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Ecological niche modelling was applied to S. purpurea, and its distribution was found to be most strongly correlated with the annual precipitation and the mean temperature of the warmest quarter. We established a north-to-south transect over 2000 km long on the QTP reflecting the gradients of temperature and precipitation, and then we estimated the morphological by sampling fruited tussocks and genetic divergence by using 11 microsatellite markers between 20 populations along the transect. Reproductive traits (the number of seeds and reproductive shoots), the reproductive-vegetative growth ratio and the length of roots in the S. purpurea populations varied significantly with climate variables. S. purpurea has high genetic diversity (He = 0.585), a large effective population size (Ne >1,000), and a considerable level of gene flow between populations. The S. purpurea populations have a mosaic genetic structure: some distant populations (over 1000 km apart) clustered genetically, whereas closer populations (< 100 km apart) had diverged significantly, suggesting local adaptation. Asymmetrical long-distance inter-population gene flow occurs along the sampling transect and might be mediated by seed dispersal via migratory herbivores, such as the chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii). These findings suggest that population performance variation and gene flow both facilitate the response of S. purpurea to climate change.
Managing the challenges of e-waste recycling in Nigeria

To effectively reduce and deal with the adverse effects from the recycling of e-wastes, there is the need to employ appropriate technologies. Presently in Nigeria, technological and infrastructural efforts employed to collect and recycle e-waste materials are insufficient, unhealthy, and unscientific. Consequently, there is an urgent need for an in-depth evaluation and modification of the current e-waste management scenario in Nigeria. This paper emphasizes related issues; approaches employed presently to address e-waste complexities and propose an efficient take-back system that involves the activities of users, manufacturers and policy makers in the entire recycling processes.
An estimate of minimum number of brain stem neurons required for inhibition of a flexion reflex.

The tail-flick reflex elicited by noxious heat in lightly anesthetized rats is known to be prevented by trains of low-amplitude current pulses passed through a monopolar microelectrode in the rostromedial medulla ( RMM ). The effect of the distance from such an electrode on the threshold of cell bodies was described in the preceding paper (11). This paper estimates the density of cell bodies in the RMM and, subsequently, estimates the number of cell bodies excited by the aforementioned pulses, a figure whose upper bound is between 30 and 75. The mean chronaxy for suppression of tail flick was found to be 162 microS. Correspondingly, for activation of spikes in somata of the RMM , it was found to be 170 microS. The axons belonging to these somata, located in the spinal lateral columns, had mean chronaxies of 360 microS. These comparisons favor the idea that cell bodies in the RMM , not axons, mediate the suppression of tail flick. Other evidence for this conclusion is given in the text. Resting activity in the RMM was found to average 6.33 Hz. Thus if the inhibitory process depends only on the instantaneous sum of activity in the many thousands of RMM neurons, all nocifensive reflexes should be continuously suppressed. But since this is not so, the relative timing of spikes in the population may also be critical. The synchronizing effect of electrical stimulation then explains the low number of cells needed to prevent the reflex.
Lessons Learned from Pilot Site Implementation of an Ambulatory Electronic Health Record

As ambulatory care practices face increasing pressure to implement electronic health records (EHRs), there is a growing need to determine the essential elements of a successful implementation strategy. HealthTexas Provider Network is in the process of implementing an EHR system comprising GE Centricity Physician Office–EMR 2005, Clinical Content Consultants (now part of GE), and Kryptiq Secure Messaging throughout all 88 practices in the Dallas–Fort Worth area and is hoping to extend the system to other practices affiliated with Baylor Health Care System as well. We describe the preimplementation clinical process redesign and quality improvement training that has been conducted networkwide in preparation for the introduction of the EHR, as well as the specific steps taken to prepare and train clinic staff for the integration of the EHR into daily workflows. The first pilot site, Family Medical Center at North Garland, implemented the system in May 2006. Based on both the positive aspects of this experience and the challenges we encountered, we identified 20 essential elements for successful implementation in the areas of site selection, implementation strategy, staff education and preparation, team project management, content, hardware and software, and workflow process. Broadly, we determined that 1) a pilot site's understanding of and willingness to work within the fluid nature of the implementation process during what is essentially a testing phase is a key ingredient in achieving success at the pilot site and in improving the process for later sites; 2) input from and representation of viewpoints of all types of EHR users during preimplementation decision making enables customization of the system and sufficient preplanning to ensure minimal workflow disruptions during and after implementation; and 3) a high level of technical and training support during the early days of implementation is invaluable.
Genetic control of immunoregulatory circuits. Genes linked to the Ig locus govern communication between regulatory T-cell sets

Antigen-stimulated Ly1:Qa1+ cells induce a nonimmune set of T-acceptor cells (surface phenotype Ly123+Qa1+) to participate in the generation of specific suppressive activity. The experiments reported here were designed to test the possibility that the interaction between T-inducer and T-acceptor cells might be governed by genes linked to the Ig locus. We find that inducer:acceptor interactions occur only if the inducer and acceptor T-cell sets are obtained from donor that are identical at the Ig locus and are independent of the Ig locus expressed on the B cells used for assay of T-helper activity. In addition, experiments using inducer and acceptor T cells from the congenic recombinant BAB. 14 strain show that T-T interactions are not governed by Ig-CH genes, per se. These data indicate that T-inducer: T-acceptor interactions are governed by Ig-linked genes that may control expression of VH-like structures on T cells, or control expression of as yet unidentified cell-surface molecules.
Interaction of amyloid precursor protein with contactins and NgCAM in the retinotectal system

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) plays a central role in Alzheimer's disease, but its actions in normal development are not well understood. Here, a tagged APP ectodomain was used to identify extracellular binding partners in developing chick brain. Prominent binding sites were seen in the olfactory bulb and on retinal axons growing into the optic tectum. Co-precipitation from these tissues and tandem mass spectrometry led to the identification of two associated proteins: contactin 4 and NgCAM. In vitro binding studies revealed direct interactions among multiple members of the APP and contactin protein families. Levels of the APP processing fragment, CTFα, were modulated by both contactin 4 and NgCAM. In the developing retinotectal system, APP, contactin 4 and NgCAM are expressed in the retina and tectum in suitable locations to interact. Functional assays revealed regulatory effects of both APP and contactin 4 on NgCAM-dependent growth of cultured retinal axons, demonstrating specific functional interactions among these proteins. These studies identify novel binding and functional interactions among proteins of the APP, contactin and L1CAM families, with general implications for mechanisms of APP action in neural development and disease.
The interplay between collective memory and the erosion of nation states – the paradigmatic case of Belgium: Introduction to the special issue

The main goal of the special issue on ‘the interplay between collective memory and the erosion of nation states: The paradigmatic case of Belgium’ is to examine the erosion of the Belgian State as an exemplary illustration of the way memories of past events can influence current attitudes, emotions, representations and behaviours. We believe that the recent political crisis in Belgium, with no government for more than one year after the 2010 general elections, could be partly illuminated by the diverging and sometimes contradictory memories each linguistic group (Dutch- vs. French-speakers) in Belgium holds about the past. These issues will be examined through different disciplines from the social sciences and humanities: social psychology, history, psychoanalysis, political sciences, and literature.
Determining linkages between consumer choices in a social context and the consumer's values: a means–end approach

This paper presents a conceptual model of means–end theory. The proposed model, built on Gutman's (1982) contributions to means–end theory, consists of four conceptual categories that are linked together. The conceptual categories are context-nested consumer choices, attributes of the consumer choices, consequences and values. The discussion uses results of four cases to illustrate the conceptual categories of the proposed explanatory means–end model. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications Ltd.
Value and Misinformation in Collaborative Investing Platforms

It is often difficult to separate the highly capable “experts” from the average worker in crowdsourced systems. This is especially true for challenge application domains that require extensive domain knowledge. The problem of stock analysis is one such domain, where even the highly paid, well-educated domain experts are prone to make mistakes. As an extremely challenging problem space, the “wisdom of the crowds” property that many crowdsourced applications rely on may not hold. In this article, we study the problem of evaluating and identifying experts in the context of SeekingAlpha and StockTwits, two crowdsourced investment services that have recently begun to encroach on a space dominated for decades by large investment banks. We seek to understand the quality and impact of content on collaborative investment platforms, by empirically analyzing complete datasets of SeekingAlpha articles (9 years) and StockTwits messages (4 years). We develop sentiment analysis tools and correlate contributed content to the historical performance of relevant stocks. While SeekingAlpha articles and StockTwits messages provide minimal correlation to stock performance in aggregate, a subset of experts contribute more valuable (predictive) content. We show that these authors can be easily identified by user interactions, and investments based on their analysis significantly outperform broader markets. This effectively shows that even in challenging application domains, there is a secondary or indirect wisdom of the crowds. Finally, we conduct a user survey that sheds light on users’ views of SeekingAlpha content and stock manipulation. We also devote efforts to identify potential manipulation of stocks by detecting authors controlling multiple identities.
Wnt regulation of limb mesenchymal chondrogenesis is accompanied by altered N‐cadherin‐related functions

It has been suggested that Wnt proteins play essential roles in the regulation of limb development and morphogenesis. We have analyzed the effects of RCAS retroviral‐mediated misexpression of Wnt‐5a and Wnt‐7a, two Wnt genes expressed during normal limb development, on chondrogenesis in high‐density micromass cultures of chick limb bud mesenchymal cells. Wnt‐ 7a misexpression inhibited chondrogenesis in vitro, whereas Wnt‐5a did not. Analysis of cellular condensation and precartilage aggregate formation revealed that the inhibitory effect of Wnt‐7a is unlikely to act at the cellular condensation step but, instead, influences the actual chondrogenic differentiation process. During early condensation, N‐cadherin expression within the cellular aggregates in Wnt‐7a cultures was slightly delayed, whereas Wnt‐5a cultures appeared similar to control cultures. With the initiation of differentiation, Wnt‐5a and control cultures showed down‐ regulation of N‐cadherin and up‐regulation of collagen type II expression, whereas Wnt‐7a cultures showed persistent, high levels of N‐cadherin expression both at the mRNA and protein levels, up to 72 h, and nearly no collagen type II expression. Wnt‐7a misexpression was also accompanied by an initial increase in the serine/threonine phosphorylation of β‐catenin and N‐ cadherin, events known to affect N‐cadherin turnover and stabilization of β‐catenin/N‐cadherin cell adhesion complex, during chondrogenic differentiation. Wnt regulation of limb mesenchymal chondrogenesis is thus likely to involve modulation of N‐cadherin expression and function. In addition, Wnt‐7a misexpression stimulates the proliferation of limb mesenchymal cells in vitro, possibly contributing to its chondro‐inhibitory effect. Finally, the differences between Wnt‐5a and Wnt‐7a effects suggest functional diversity within the Wnt family.
Interplexiform cells of the mammalian retina and their comparison with catecholamine-containing retinal cells

Retinal interplexiform cells have processes that branch within both the inner and outer plexiform layers. Their morphology is described from Golgi-preparations of cat, rhesus macaque and squirrel monkey retinae. Comparisons are made with similar cells, known to be catecholamine-containing, which have been observed histofluorometrically in the teleost fish and New World monkeys. It is concluded that there may be more than one pharmacological type of interplexiform cell. In addition an inner nuclear layer plexus of fibres is described for the first time from Golgi-material of the squirrel monkey’s retina. Electron microscopy reveals that this plexus synapses within the inner nuclear layer on to bipolar and amacrine cells. It is compared with the catecholamine-containing inner nuclear layer plexus of New World monkeys.
Communicative and task-based language teaching in East Asian classrooms

As educators and governments in East Asia aim to increase the number of people in their population who can communicate effectively in English, national policies and syllabuses have moved increasingly towards various versions of communicative language teaching (CLT) and task-based language teaching (TBLT). This paper reviews, on the basis of published reports, some of the practical and conceptual concerns that have affected the implementation of CLT and TBLT in primary and secondary schools of East Asia. It discusses some ways in which teachers have responded to the challenges by adapting new ideas and developing methodologies suited to their own situations. It proposes a methodological framework which may help such adaptation. The experiences and concerns described in the paper may be shared by teachers anywhere who move from a teacher-centred approach to one in which the learners play a more active, independent role.