Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The X Protein of Borna Disease Virus Serves Essential Functions in the Viral Multiplication Cycle

ABSTRACT The X gene of Borna disease virus (BDV) encodes a nonstructural 10-kDa protein that can interact with viral polymerase cofactor P, thus regulating polymerase activity. It remained unknown whether X is essential for virus multiplication. All our attempts to generate mutant BDV with a nonfunctional X gene proved unsuccessful. However, a mutant virus with an inactive X gene was able to replicate in Vero cells if an artificial gene cassette encoding X was inserted at a site near the 5′ end of the viral genome. These results indicate that X performs essential viral functions.
Differences in Forestry Students Perceptions across Study Years

J. Arevalo, S. Pitkänen, and L. Tahvanainen, School of Forest Sciences, Univ. of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101 Joensuu, Finland; B. Jarschel, Dep. of Forest Sciences, Federal Univ. of Paraná, 80210-170 Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil; J. Enkenberg, School of Applied Educational Science and Teacher Education, Univ. of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 55, 57101 Savonlinna, Finland. Received 11 Jan. 2010. *Corresponding author (javier.arevalo@uef.fi).
Sleep Spindles Mixed with Spikes. Any Clinical Significance?

ABSTRACT. Spikes are commonly found in association with K complexes in patients with primary generalized epilepsy. A mixture of spikes and (unusually abundant) sleep spindles, however, is rather unique in clinical EEG. Such a blend of spikes and spindles was the hallmark of a sleep tracing in a 10-year-old boy with recent onset of seizures. Seizure type and the waking EEG suggested frontal (especially left frontal) origin of the seizures. The history and clinical findings revealed a mild encephalopathy, presumably caused by prematurity and associated with a moderate type of autism. Computed tomography (CT) findings were unremarkable. The combination of frontal lobe epilepsy with mixed spindles and spikes is not readily understood and deserves attention. The overabundance of spindles could be related to the pattern known as “extreme spindles. ”
Application of information expression technology based on XML in E-learning systems

E-learning is being increasingly viewed as an important activity in the field of distance and continuing education. Web-based courses offer obvious advantages for learners by making access to educational resources very fast, real-time and relevant, at any time or place. With the rapid development of network, the resources of E-learning systems get richer and richer. However, the rapid development of the networks makes the existing network technology face challenges of all sorts too, and there is no exception in E-learning systems. XML is referred to “Secondgeneration of Web language” by the features of its own scalability, openness and interoperability. XML enjoys obvious advantages in E-learning systems by providing the data description language which is cross-platform and cross-network, and it can also divide data from data structure and provide more precise and meaningful search. This paper focuses on the information expression technology based on XML in E-learning systems. In addition, a three-tier model based on XML and the process to achieve is described.
Multiple perspectives on the self in SLA

1. Sarah Mercer and Marion Williams: Introduction to Multiple Perspectives on the Self 2. Nicole Mills: Self-efficacy in SLA 3. Sinthujaa Sampasivam and Richard Clement: The Dynamics of Second Language Confidence: Contact and Interaction 4. Fernando Rubio: Self-Esteem and Self-Concept in Foreign Language Learning 5. Bonny Norton: Identity and Poststructuralist Theory in SLA 6. Chantal Hemmi: Dual Identities Perceived by Bilinguals 7. Florentina Taylor: Relational Views of the Self in SLA 8. Stephen Ryan and Kay Irie: Imagined and Possible Selves: Stories We Tell Ourselves About Ourselves 9. Ema Ushioda: Motivational Perspectives on the Self in SLA: A Developmental View 10. Georg Northoff: Brain and Self: A Neurophilosophical Account 11. Sarah Mercer: The Self from a Complexity Perspective 12. Sarah Mercer and Marion Williams: Concluding Reflections
A Robust Real-Time Vision System for Autonomous Cargo Transfer by an Unmanned Helicopter

Motivated by the 2013 International UAV Innovation Grand Prix, we design and implement a real-time vision system for an unmanned helicopter autonomously transferring cargoes between two platforms. In the competition, four cargoes are initially placed inside four circles on one platform, respectively. They are required to be transferred one by one into the four circles on the other platform. This paper presents the core algorithms of the proposed vision system on ellipse detection, ellipse tracking, and single-circle-based position estimation. Experiments and the great success of our team in the competition have verified the efficiency, accuracy, and robustness of the algorithms. Our team was ranked first in the final round competition.
Tuberculosis case finding in first-degree relative contacts not living with index tuberculosis cases in Kampala, Uganda

Purpose To assess the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis among first-degree relative (FDR) contacts not living with tuberculosis (TB) cases. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of household contacts living with an index TB case and FDR contacts living outside of households in Kampala, Uganda, is presented. Results A total of 177 contacts (52 FDRs and 125 index household contacts) of 31 TB cases were examined. Compared with index household contacts, FDR contacts were older, more likely to be TB symptomatic (50% vs 33%), had a higher percentage of abnormal chest X-rays (19% vs 11%), sputum smear positive (15% vs 5%), and many similar epidemiologic risk factors, including HIV infection (13% vs 10%). Contact groups had similar pulmonary tuberculosis prevalence: 9.6% in FDR vs 10.4% in index household contacts and similar Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection: 62% in FDR vs 61% in index households. Conclusion TB is common among FDR contacts. High TB prevalence justifies targeting FDRs during household contact investigations. Combining TB active-case finding among FDR contacts with household contact investigation in low-income setting is feasible. This should be part of national TB control program strategies for increasing TB case-detection rates and reducing community TB transmission and death.
Reading and Lexicalization in Opaque and Transparent Orthographies: Word Naming and Word Learning in English and Spanish

Do skilled readers of opaque and transparent orthographies make differential use of lexical and sublexical processes when converting words from print to sound? Two experiments are reported, which address that question, using effects of letter length on naming latencies as an index of the involvement of sublexical letter–sound conversion. Adult native speakers of English (Experiment 1) and Spanish (Experiment 2) read aloud four- and seven-letter high-frequency words, low-frequency words, and nonwords in their native language. The stimuli were interleaved and presented 10 times in a first testing session and 10 more times in a second session 28 days later. Effects of lexicality were observed in both languages, indicating the deployment of lexical representations in word naming. Naming latencies to both words and nonwords reduced across repetitions on Day 1, with those savings being retained to Day 28. Length effects were, however, greater for Spanish than English word naming. Reaction times to long and short nonwords converged with repeated presentations in both languages, but less in Spanish than in English. The results support the hypothesis that reading in opaque orthographies favours the rapid creation and use of lexical representations, while reading in transparent orthographies makes more use of a combination of lexical and sublexical processing.
Lessons from a transplantation of zebra mussels into a small urban river: An integrated ecotoxicological assessment

It is often difficult to evaluate the level of contamination in small urban rivers because pollution is mainly diffuse, with low levels of numerous substances. The use of a coupled approach using both chemical and biological measurements may provide an integrated evaluation of the impact of micro‐pollution on the river. Zebra mussels were transplanted along a metal and organic pollution gradient in spring 2008. For two months, mussels and water samples were collected from two sites every two weeks and analyzed for metal and PAH content as well as water physicochemical parameters. Diffusive gradients in thin film (DGT) were also used to assess levels of labile metals. Exposure of mussels to contaminants and potential impact were evaluated using physiological indices and various biomarkers including condition index (CI), defense mechanisms (glutathione‐S‐transferase: GST), digestive enzymes (amylase and cellulase) and genotoxicity (micronucleus test: MN and comet assay: CA). For most contaminants, the water contamination was significantly higher downstream. Bioaccumulation in zebra mussels was related to water contamination in the framework of the biodynamic model, which allowed us to take into account the biological dilution that was caused by the growth of soft tissue downstream. Thus, metal influxes were on average two times higher downstream than upstream in particular for Zn, Cr, Cu and Cd. Significant differences in condition index were observed (final CI was 0.42 ± 0.03 downstream and 0.31 ± 0.03 upstream) reflecting a better food availability downstream. Moreover a significant decrease of GST activity and digestive enzymes activity in the cristalline style was observed downstream. Interpreting this decrease requires considering not only micro‐pollution but also the trophic status related to the water's physicochemistry. The MN test and the CA on gill cells highlighted genotoxicity in mussels transplanted downstream compared to upstream. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2010.
Towards Autonomous UAV Flight in Forests

This paper presents results demonstrating real-time six degree of freedom localization, mapping, navigation and obstacle avoidance in an outdoor environment using only a lowcost o-the-shelf inertial measurement unit and a monocular camera. This navigation system is intended for operation of small unmanned aerial vehicles when GPS signals are unavailable due to obstructions or jamming and when operating in cluttered environments such as urban canyons or forests. A small radio-controlled car is used as a test bed. A bearings-only Simultaneous Localization and Mapping algorithm was implemented to localize both the vehicle and obstacles. This paper describes: (a) the hardware used; (b) a two-step approach for data association (image frame to image frame followed by image frame to map); (c) a technique for landmark initialization for the case where landmarks are located on the ground. Hardware test results demonstrating navigation to a goal in an obstacle strewn environment are presented. The eect of unmodelled sensor biases is examined in simulation.
Dilaton domain walls and dynamical systems

Domain wall solutions of d-dimensional gravity coupled to a dilaton field σ with an exponential potential Λ e−λσ are shown to be governed by an autonomous dynamical system, with a transcritical bifurcation as a function of the parameter λ when Λ < 0. All phase-plane trajectories are found exactly for λ = 0, including separatrices corresponding to walls that interpolate between AdSd and , and the exact solution is found for d = 3. Janus-type solutions are interpreted as marginal bound states of these ‘separatrix walls’. All flat domain wall solutions, which are given exactly for any λ, are shown to be supersymmetric for some superpotential W, determined by the solution.
Estimating the number of cases of podoconiosis in Ethiopia using geostatistical methods

Background: In 2011, the World Health Organization recognized podoconiosis as one of the neglected tropical diseases. Nonetheless, the magnitude of podoconiosis and the geographical distribution of the disease is poorly understood. Based on a nationwide mapping survey and geostatistical modelling, we predict the prevalence of podoconiosis and estimate the number of cases across Ethiopia. Methods: We used nationwide data collected in Ethiopia between 2008 and 2013. Data were available for 141,238 individuals from 1,442 communities in 775 districts from all nine regional states and two city administrations. We developed a geostatistical model of podoconiosis prevalence among adults (individuals aged 15 years or above), by combining environmental factors. The number of people with podoconiosis was then estimated using a gridded map of adult population density for 2015. Results: Podoconiosis is endemic in 345 districts in Ethiopia: 144 in Oromia, 128 in Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s [SNNP], 64 in Amhara, 4 in Benishangul Gumuz, 4 in Tigray and 1 in Somali Regional State. Nationally, our estimates suggest that 1,537,963 adults (95% confidence intervals, 290,923-4,577,031 adults) were living with podoconiosis in 2015. Three regions (SNNP, Oromia and Amhara) contributed 99% of the cases. The highest proportion of individuals with podoconiosis resided in the SNNP (39%), while 32% and 29% of people with podoconiosis resided in Oromia and Amhara Regional States, respectively. Tigray and Benishangul Gumuz Regional States bore lower burdens, and in the remaining regions, podoconiosis was almost non-existent. Conclusions: The estimates of podoconiosis cases presented here based upon the combination of currently available epidemiological data and a robust modelling approach clearly show that podoconiosis is highly endemic in Ethiopia. Given the presence of low cost prevention, and morbidity management and disability prevention services, it is our collective responsibility to scale-up interventions rapidly.
Perception of socio-culture impacts of tourism: a sociological review.

Tourism is a short term temporary movement of people from one place to another place far away from where they work and residence, for leisure pleasure, recreation and business purposes etc. as primary purpose. The tourist will not involve in any remunerative activity at the destination. It is the natural phenomenon the host and guest will come interact with each other at the destination, which will influence mainly on host culture. At present tourism has become an area of social science analyses. Tourism is a multidisciplinary and now become complex phenomena, which has been investigated from a various perspectives of social science, including sociology. The sociological literature is mainly concerned with the range of different areas which have been approached mainly from applied customs, traditions, faith, ceremonies and way of living of a culture at a destination in the form social science. These are also concerned with the social roles of tourist, tourist impact on society, tourist behaviour, and factors affects the society norms, beliefs, thoughts and traditions etc. at the destination. This study investigates the socio-cultural and sociological effects of contact between tourists from developed nations on the host of a developing country. The study is mainly conceptual in nature, a review paper and based on available literature on tourism impacts. The primary objective of the study is to highlight the positive and negative impacts of tourism on the basis of findings and researches available in the form of cultural impacts of tourism at a destination. The discuss how tourism development can be helpful for social and cultural development at a destination and how negative impacts can be minimize at the destination.
Test Vector Ordering For Power Reduction During Transmission of Compressed Test Patterns To Embedded System-On-Chip

This paper considers the problem of test-bus power reduction in system-on-chip testing. It has been seen that while the cores are fitted with P1500 wrapper, transitions occurring in the bypass registers can be comparable to those in the scan chain. Unlike bus encoding the proposed solution using test vector reordering does not use any extra hardware. It neither affects the compression ratio nor test application time. Experimental results on ISCAS89 benchmark circuits show up to 75% saving in flip count occurring in test bus in a dictionary based test data compression
Public Speaking: Concepts and Skills for a Diverse Society

1. Introduction to Public Speaking and Culture. 2. Giving Your First Speech: Developing Confidence. 3. Ethics and Diversity. 4. Effective Listening. 5. Selecting Your Topic and Purpose. 6. Audience Analysis. 7. Researching Your Speech in an Electronic Culture. 8. Choosing Supporting Materials. 9. Organizing Your Speech. 10. Completing Your Speech. 11. Outlining Your Speech. 12. Choosing Effective Language. 13. Visual Aids: From Chalkboard to Computer. 14. Delivering Your Speech. 15. Telling Narratives. 16. Informative Speaking. 17. Persuasive Speaking. 18. Persuasive Reasoning Methods. Appendix A: Speaking in Small Groups. Appendix B: Speaking on Special Occasions. Appendix C: Sample Speeches.
On the asymptotics of penalized spline smoothing

Abstract: This paper performs an asymptotic analysis of penalized spline estimators. We compare P -splines and splines with a penalty of the type used with smoothing splines. The asymptotic rates of the supremum norm of the difference between these two estimators over compact subsets of the interior and over the entire interval are established. It is shown that a Pspline and a smoothing spline are asymptotically equivalent provided that the number of knots of the P-spline is large enough, and the two estimators have the same equivalent kernels for both interior points and boundary points.
THE CIVIC SELL

This article is based on newly completed research looking at the role of the internet as a means of promoting civic engagement and participation among young people aged 15–25. It focuses on one specific aspect of this phenomenon, namely the use of websites to promote ‘ethical consumption’ among young people. This paper begins by briefly examining several intersecting works discussing not-for-profit marketing, commercial marketing, youth cultures and subcultures, politics, and ethical consumerism. It then moves on to examine the rhetorical constructions of youth identity and ethical consumerism on a range of civic websites, exploring the identifications and disavowals implicit in the language, layout, and imagery, and the conceptualizations civic-orientated Web producers have of their audiences and of consumption per se. This is achieved by taking a case-study approach involving a qualitative textual analysis of web-pages taken from UK and US-based sites such as Adbusters, Oxfam's Generation Why, Ethics Girls, Adili and Amnesty International, which advertise or promote the buying of ethical goods by young people. It also involves an analysis of the aims of the site producers, as exemplified on the sites’ mission statements and in in-depth interviews. By means of this analysis, the article seeks to identify and assess the actually or potentially ‘civic’ aspects of these sites and to question the notion of ethical consumption in particular.
Narrative journalism as complementary inquiry

Narrative journalism is a method to craft stories worth reading about real people. In this article, we explore the ability of that communicative power to produce insights complementary to those obtainable through traditional qualitative and quantitative research methods. With examples from a study of journalistic narrative as patient involvement in professional rehabilitation, interview data transcribed as stories are analyzed for qualities of heterogeneity, sensibility, transparency, and reflexivity. Building on sociological theories of thinking with stories, writing as inquiry, and public journalism as ethnography, we suggest that narrative journalism as a common practice might unfold dimensions of subjective otherness of the self. Aspiring to unite writing in both transparently confrontational and empathetically dialogic ways, the narrative journalistic method holds a potential to expose dynamics of power within the interview.
Degraded Multicasting with Network Coding over the Combination Network

In this paper, we give a characterization of the rate region for the degraded two message set problem, applied to a combination network with erasure channels. We also provide an algorithm that uses topological information in order to deliver the two messages to the receivers, and we show that our algorithm is optimal, in the sense that it achieves any rate pair in the region. We compare our algorithm analytically with a naive approach oblivious to the network structure, and we give an insight on what beneﬁts should be expected for different classes of networks.
Asymptotic validity of the Bayes-inspired Indifference Zone procedure: The non-normal known variance case

We consider the indifference-zone (IZ) formulation of the ranking and selection problem in which the goal is to choose an alternative with the largest mean with guaranteed probability, as long as the difference between this mean and the second largest exceeds a threshold. Conservatism leads classical IZ procedures to take too many samples in problems with many alternatives. The Bayes-inspired Indifference Zone (BIZ) procedure, proposed in Frazier (2014), is less conservative than previous procedures, but its proof of validity requires strong assumptions, specifically that samples are normal, and variances are known with an integer multiple structure. In this paper, we show asymptotic validity of a slight modification of the original BIZ procedure as the difference between the best alternative and the second best goes to zero, when the variances are known and finite, and samples are independent and identically distributed, but not necessarily normal.
The Context of Contact: White Attitudes Toward Interracial Marriage

THE CONTEXT OF CONTACT: WHITE ATTITUDES TOWARD INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE Bryan R. Johnson Department of Sociology Master of Science Using a year 2000 national racial poll conducted by the New York Times, I analyze Whites’ approval of interracial marriage. I utilize the contact hypothesis, as originally formulated by Gordon Allport, to develop a conceptual model of White’s attitudes toward interracial marriage. Specifically I propose and develop an additional dimension of the contact hypothesis, which accounts for the context in which interracial contacts occur. I do so by examining several specific social settings in which White respondents report experiencing contact with Blacks. The contexts examined are ordered in terms of the type of contact they likely provide, from close, personal contact to superficial and hierarchical contact. The results indicate that the type of contact engendered by a variety of contexts is an important factor in determining attitudes about interracial marriage. The contacts in most of the social settings are associated with friendship, yet a majority of the contexts are also related to approval of interracial marriage even when extraneous factors such as friendship, age, gender, income, political party, frequency of religious service attendance, and region are controlled for statistically. The findings provide support for the consideration and utilization of the context of contact as an additional dimension of the contact hypothesis.