Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Village-level agricultural development evaluation in South-middle Chinese Loess Plateau

In this study, relevance and dynamics of views on agricultural sustainability development at the South-middle Chinese Loess Plateau was examined. It has the goal to evaluate if the village-level agricultural development evaluation (VADE) indicators are sufficient to measure the village-level agricultural sustainability. The process emphasis: 1. According to field investigation and indoor laboratory analysis about 3 test villages — Xipo, Feimahe and Nangou which all located at South-middle Chinese Loess Plateau, specific data was collected and inputted to a GISystem; 2. Based on agricultural development situation, with the help of GISystem and expert system, VADE indicators were abstracted and deducted; 3. In accordance with 7 detailed steps of VADE process, summary ecological, economic, social benefits were calculated; 4. Overall agricultural development evaluation about these 3 villages was discussed. It shows that 19 indicators selected for VADE are proved to be reasonable and computable. This paper introduces a methodological framework of VADE that integrates AHP and DM to evaluate the effect of agricultural development.
Genomics Approaches for Crop Improvement against Abiotic Stress

As sessile organisms, plants are inevitably exposed to one or a combination of stress factors every now and then throughout their growth and development. Stress responses vary considerably even in the same plant species; stress-susceptible genotypes are at one extreme, and stress-tolerant ones are at the other. Elucidation of the stress responses of crop plants is of extreme relevance, considering the central role of crops in food and biofuel production. Crop improvement has been a traditional issue to increase yields and enhance stress tolerance; however, crop improvement against abiotic stresses has been particularly compelling, given the complex nature of these stresses. As traditional strategies for crop improvement approach their limits, the era of genomics research has arisen with new and promising perspectives in breeding improved varieties against abiotic stresses.
The Realized Volatility of Ftse-100 Futures Prices

Five‐minute returns from FTSE‐100 index futures contracts are used to obtain accurate estimates of daily index volatility from January 1986 to December 1998. These realized volatility measures are used to obtain inferences about the distributional and autocorrelation properties of FTSE‐100 volatility. The distribution of volatility measured daily is similar to lognormal while the volatility time series has persistent positive autocorrelation that displays long‐memory effects. The distribution of daily returns standardized using the measures of realized volatility is shown to be close to normal, unlike the unconditional distribution. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 22:627–648, 2002
Optimization to Low Temperature Activity in Psychrophilic Enzymes

Psychrophiles, i.e., organisms thriving permanently at near-zero temperatures, synthesize cold-active enzymes to sustain their cell cycle. These enzymes are already used in many biotechnological applications requiring high activity at mild temperatures or fast heat-inactivation rate. Most psychrophilic enzymes optimize a high activity at low temperature at the expense of substrate affinity, therefore reducing the free energy barrier of the transition state. Furthermore, a weak temperature dependence of activity ensures moderate reduction of the catalytic activity in the cold. In these naturally evolved enzymes, the optimization to low temperature activity is reached via destabilization of the structures bearing the active site or by destabilization of the whole molecule. This involves a reduction in the number and strength of all types of weak interactions or the disappearance of stability factors, resulting in improved dynamics of active site residues in the cold. Considering the subtle structural adjustments required for low temperature activity, directed evolution appears to be the most suitable methodology to engineer cold activity in biological catalysts.
Towards future method hotness prediction for Virtual Machines

Application profiling is a popular technique that attempts to understand program behavior to improve its performance. Offline profiling, although beneficial for several applications, fails in cases where prior program runs may not be feasible, or if changes in input cause the profile to not match the behavior of the actual program run. Managed languages, like Java and C#, provide a unique opportunity to overcome the drawbacks of offline profiling by generating the profile information online during the current program run. Indeed, online profiling is extensively used in current VMs, especially during selective compilation to improve program startup performance, as well as during other feedback-directed optimizations. In this thesis we illustrate the drawbacks of the current reactive mechanism of online profiling during selective compilation. Current VM profiling mechanisms are slow – thereby delaying associated transformations, and estimate future behavior based on the program’s immediate past – leading to potential misspeculation that limit the benefits of compilation. We show that these drawbacks produce an average performance loss of over 14.5% on our set of benchmark programs, over an ideal offline approach that accurately compiles the hot methods early. We then propose and evaluate the potential of a novel strategy to achieve similar performance benefits with an online profiling approach. Our new online profiling strategy uses early determination of loop iteration bounds to predict future method hotness. We explore and present promising results on the potential, feasibility, and other issues involved for the successful implementation of this approach.
Artificial Intelligence-embrace It or Fear It

The aim of this paper is to explore the question of why the development of AI is viewed with fear by many people. The paper also aims to support the development of this technology. It is found that there is an increased interest in AI from governments, large companies and the academia, therefore the paper recommends a mechanism, which can facilitate safe development of AI and restrict its use.
Protein domains and conformational changes in the activation of RepA, a DNA replication initiator

RepA is the DNA replication initiator protein of the Pseudomonas plasmid pPS10. RepA has a dual function: as a dimer, it binds to an inversely‐repeated sequence acting as a repressor of its own synthesis; as a monomer, RepA binds to four directly‐repeated sequences to constitute a specialized nucleoprotein complex responsible for the initiation of DNA replication. We have previously shown that a Leucine Zipper‐like motif (LZ) at the N‐terminus of RepA is responsible for protein dimerization. In this paper we characterize the existence in RepA of two protein globular domains C‐terminal to the LZ. We propose that dissociation of RepA dimers into monomers results in a conformational change from a compact arrangement of both domains, competent for binding to the operator, to an extended species that is suited for iteron binding. This model establishes the structural basis for the activation of DNA replication initiators in plasmids from Gram‐negative bacteria.
Beyond Memory, Navigation, and Inhibition: Behavioral Evidence for Hippocampus-Dependent Cognitive Coordination in the Rat

Injecting tetrodotoxin (TTX) into one hippocampus impaired avoidance of a place defined by distal cues while rats were on a slowly rotating arena. The impairment could be explained by a deficit in memory, navigation, or behavioral inhibition. Here, we show that the TTX injection abolished the ability of rats to organize place-avoidance behavior specifically when distal room and local arena cues were continuously dissociated. The results provide evidence that injecting TTX into one hippocampus specifically impaired the coordination of representations that support organized behavior because of the following: (1) rats normally coordinate separate room and arena avoidance memories; (2) the TTX injection spared spatial, relational, and representational memory, navigation, and behavioral inhibition; and (3) the TTX-induced impairment of place avoidance depended on the need to coordinate representations of local and distal stimuli.
Exploiting p-fold symmetries for faster polynomial equation solving

Numerous geometric problems in computer vision involve the solution of systems of polynomial equations. This is true for problems with minimal information, but also for finding stationary points for overdetermined problems. The state-of-the-art is based on the use of numerical linear algebra on the large but sparse coefficient matrix that represents the expanded original equation set. In this paper we present two simplifications that can be used (i) if the zero vector is one of the solutions or (ii) if the equations display certain p-fold symmetries. We evaluate the simplifications on a few example problems and demonstrate that significant speed increases are possible without loosing accuracy.
IMPERVIOUS SURFACES IN URBAN WATERSHEDS

Urbanization causes profound changes in the hydrology of the area, specifically the timing of the runoff, the water use, runoff volume and flow rates, channel complexity, and especially pollution in receiving waters. Water quality problems increase with increasing imperviousness of the watershed. Impervious areas cause increased runoff and contaminated discharges from these areas and also contribute to receiving water contamination. Although much interest has been expressed concerning impervious areas in urban areas, actual data for the patterns of use of these surfaces is generally lacking. In this study, 125 neighborhoods were surveyed to determine the critical development characteristics representing 16 major land use areas located in the Little Shades Creek Watershed, near Birmingham, AL. The details of the impervious surfaces in these areas are described in this paper. Future project activities will include detailed stormwater modeling of each of these areas so that the expected variations of important stormwater attributes can be quantified. A parallel study is investigating six drainage areas that have been extensively monitored as part of the Jefferson County, AL, stormwater permit program. The surfaces making up the drainage areas are described in detail and that information is being used to re-verify the WinSLAMM stormwater model for these local conditions. The final local version of the model will be used to measure the variation of the stormwater from the Little Shades Creek land use areas.
Role of the ceramide-signaling pathway in cytokine responses to P- fimbriated Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli express fimbriae-associated adhesins through which they attach to mucosal cells and activate a cytokine response. The receptors for E. coli P fimbriae are the globoseries of glycosphingolipids; Gal alpha 1-->4Gal beta-containing oligosaccharides bound to ceramide in the outer leaflet of the lipid bilayer. The receptors for type 1 fimbriae are mannosylated glycoproteins rather than glycolipids. This study tested the hypothesis that P-fimbriated E. coli elicit a cytokine response through the release of ceramide in the receptor-bearing cell. We used the A498 human kidney cell line, which expressed functional receptors for P and type 1 fimbriae and secreted higher levels of interleukin (IL)-6 when exposed to the fimbriated strains than to isogenic nonfimbriated controls. P-fimbriated E. coli caused the release of ceramide and increased the phosphorylation of ceramide to ceramide 1-phosphate. The IL-6 response to P-fimbriated E. coli was reduced by inhibitors of serine/threonine kinases but not by other protein kinase inhibitors. In contrast, ceramide levels were not influenced by type 1-fimbriated E. coli, and the IL-6 response was insensitive to the serine/threonine kinase inhibitors. These results demonstrate that the ceramide-signaling pathway is activated by P- fimbriated E. coli, and that the receptor specificity of the P fimbriae influences this process. We propose that this activation pathway contributes to the cytokine induction by P-fimbriated E. coli in epithelial cells.
Vertical Power Semiconductor Devices on Bulk GaN Substrates

Power electronics is the interface between an electrical source and a load that can differ in frequency, amplitude, number of phases, and where voltages and currents are converted from one form to another [1]. A power electronics system comprises power semiconductor devices, gate drivers, controller circuits and the like. The power semiconductor components of this system have been well served by silicon (Si) diodes and transistors (FETs, IGBTs). The performance of Si-based power semiconductor devices have improved over the past several decades resulting in tremendous improvements in efficiency, size, weight, and power density of power electronic systems for power supply, solar, wind, motor drive, ship propulsion, rail, and grid applications. However, these devices are approaching the material limits of Si. This has resulted in a rapid expansion of efforts to develop wide-bandgap semiconductor alternatives (SiC, GaN) [2-4].
An Empirical Investigation of Value Ordering for Finding All Solutions

Traditional backtracking search algorithms for solving constraint satisfaction problems select a variable and then construct a separate branch for each value in the variable’s domain: the order in which the values are assigned then has no effect on the overall search, when finding all solutions. Constraint solvers such as ILOG Solver and ECLPS instead use binary branching in constructing search trees: each node represents a choice between assigning a value to a variable and not assigning that value. The value ordering does then affect the search effort when finding all solutions. We show how this can happen by analysing search trees formed under opposite value orders and investigate empirically the effect on search from different value orders. The mechanism by which a good value order can prune the search suggests what we should aim for in choosing a value order. We suggest that for some classes of problem, lexicographic order may still be a priori a reasonable choice.
Task modeling for collaborative authoring

Motivation -- Task analysis for designing modern collaborative work needs a more fine grained approach. Especially in a complex task domain, like collaborative scientific authoring, when there is a single overall goal that can only be accomplished only by collaboration between multiple roles, each requiring its own expertise. We analyzed and re-considered roles, activities, and objects for design for complex collaboration contexts. Our main focus is on a generic approach to design for multiple roles and subtasks in a domain with a shared overall goal, which requires a detailed approach. Collaborative authoring is our current example. This research is incremental: an existing task analysis approach (GTA) is reconsidered by applying it to a case of complex collaboration. Our analysis shows that designing for collaboration indeed requires a refined approach to task modeling: GTA, in future, will need to consider tasks at the lowest level that can be delegated or mandates. These tasks need to be analyzed and redesigned in more in detail, along with the relevant task object.
Risk Tolerance and Alcohol Demand Among Adults and Older Adults

This study has two primary goals. These are the examination of the effect of risk tolerance on individuals' demand for alcohol and second, the examination of the demand for alcohol by older adults over the age of 55. The data sets employed are multiple waves from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). While risk tolerance can impact the level of alcohol consumption, it may also affect the sensitivity of demand to prices. There are parallels between the economist's and the psychologist's concept of risk tolerance. Research on attitudes towards risk by psychologists is part of a larger theoretical and empirical literature on personality traits. Psychologists have found risk tolerance to be an important determinant of alcohol consumption. The empirical results indicate that risk aversion has a significant negative effect on alcohol consumption, with the prevalence and consumption among risk-tolerant individuals being six to eight percent higher. Furthermore, the tax elasticity is similar across both risk-averse and risk-tolerant individuals. This suggests that tax policies may be effective in deterring alcohol consumption even among those who have a higher propensity for alcohol use. The significance of research on alcohol demand by individuals ages 55 and older is highlighted by the increased potential for alcohol-related adverse consequences among this demographic group. Comparing younger adults (ages 21-54) with older adults, responses to taxes and prices are higher among the older sub-population. The tax elasticity is estimated at -0.05 for younger adults, compared to -0.20 for older adults.
An Economic Model for Relative Importance

The theory of competing causes involves assessing a cause of failure, such as death due to heart disease or cancer, in the presence of other competing causes. In this paper, we develop a fundamental economic model for examining the degree and order of importance in a competing cause framework. In particular, we demonstrate the usefulness of Von Neumann-Morgenstern utility theory in economics by evaluating the effect of a cause when its economic loss is eliminated. A quantity called the ratio of relative importance (RRI) is defined to measure the relative importance of a competing cause. We find that this quantity is a function of several factors that do indeed affect the “riskiness” of a competing cause relative to the other causes. These factors include the amounts of economic loss, the probabilities of failure associated with each cause, and the utility function that defines the risk aversion behavior of the decision maker. We are able to further demonstrate that using the ratio, we can develop intuitive explanations as to how one would assess the order of importance of one cause relative to another. ∗
When You Eat Matters: 60 Years of Franz Halberg's Nutrition Chronomics

Franz Halberg revolutionalized the field of nutrition by his demonstration that "when" we eat can make the difference between life and death in the experimental laboratory, and between weight gain or weight loss in everyday life. His critical contributions have far-reaching implications, whether for feeding the under-nourished in populations stricken by starvation, or for managing one of today's great scourges in the more opulent countries, namely obesity. The use of a calorie consumed in the morning differs from that of one ingested in the evening, contributing, as he also showed, to different hormonal relations prevailing when a single daily meal is taken as breakfast-only or dinner-only. Important mechanisms underlying metabolism as they relate to health and longevity uncovered by Franz in the innumerable studies he designed and conducted on several continents remain beyond the frontier of current scientific investigations, attesting to his visionary leadership, his ability to look at the facts without any preconceived ideas, and his truly amazing humility and eagerness to serve.
Estimating Demand Elasticities for a Small Island Economy: Fiji

An understanding of the responsiveness of food demand to price changes is critical to decision making in the area of food policy. The estimation of these elasticities is difficult in developing countries, such as Fiji, due to a lack of reliable data. We review the existing data on food demand elasticities in Fiji and examine alternative approaches to their estimation given the data constraints present. We use a stated preference approach to provide a new set of estimates of food demand elasticities for Fiji using cross section data.
Mitochondrial dysfunction in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) represents a group of idiopathic disorders characterized by chronic or recurring inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. While the exact etiology of disease is unknown, IBD is recognized to be a complex, multifactorial disease that results from an intricate interplay of genetic predisposition, an altered immune response, changes in the intestinal microbiota, and environmental factors. Together, these contribute to a destruction of the intestinal epithelial barrier, increased gut permeability, and an influx of immune cells. Given that most cellular functions as well as maintenance of the epithelial barrier is energy-dependent, it is logical to assume that mitochondrial dysfunction may play a key role in both the onset and recurrence of disease. Indeed several studies have demonstrated evidence of mitochondrial stress and alterations in mitochondrial function within the intestinal epithelium of patients with IBD and mice undergoing experimental colitis. Although the hallmarks of mitochondrial dysfunction, including oxidative stress and impaired ATP production are known to be evident in the intestines of patients with IBD, it is as yet unclear whether these processes occur as a cause of consequence of disease. We provide a current review of mitochondrial function in the setting of intestinal inflammation during IBD.
Privacy-preserving distributed association rule mining based on the secret sharing technique

Due to privacy law and motivation of business interests, privacy is concerned and has become an important issue in data mining. This paper explores the issue of privacy-preserving distributed association rule mining in vertically partitioned data among multiple parties, and proposes a collusion-resistant algorithm of distributed association rule mining based on the Shamir's secret sharing technique, which prevents effectively the collusive behaviors and conducts the computations across the parties without compromising their data privacy. Additionally, analyses with regard to the security, efficiency and correctness of the proposed algorithm are given.