Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of Phosphotyrosine Binding Domain-Containing Proteins as Novel Downstream Targets of the EphA8 Signaling Function

ABSTRACT Eph receptors and ephrins have been implicated in a variety of cellular processes, including morphology and motility, because of their ability to modulate intricate signaling networks. Here we show that the phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domain-containing proteins AIDA-1b and Odin are tightly associated with the EphA8 receptor in response to ligand stimulation. Both AIDA-1b and Odin belong to the ankyrin repeat and sterile alpha motif domain-containing (Anks) protein family. The PTB domain of Anks family proteins is crucial for their association with the juxtamembrane domain of EphA8, whereas EphA8 tyrosine kinase activity is not required for this protein-protein interaction. In addition, we found that Odin is a more physiologically relevant partner of EphA8 in mammalian cells. Interestingly, overexpression of the Odin PTB domain alone attenuated EphA8-mediated inhibition of cell migration in HEK293 cells, suggesting that it acts as a dominant-negative mutant of the endogenous Odin protein. More importantly, small interfering RNA-mediated Odin silencing significantly diminished ephrinA5-induced EphA8 signaling effects, which inhibit cell migration in HEK293 cells and retract growing neurites of Neuro2a cells. Taken together, our findings support a possible function for Anks family proteins as scaffolding proteins of the EphA8 signaling pathway.
When Corruption Begets Corruption: Welfare Analysis and the Role of Bureaucratic Wages Under Multiple Equilibria

The paper presents some empirical puzzles in the relationship between bureaucratic wages and corruption levels, and attempts to reconcile them within a general equilibrium framework that leads to multiple equilibria in the incidence of corruption. In the presence of such multiple equilibria, the relationship between bureaucratic wages and corruption is no longer monotonic, and much more complex than detailed by previous theoretical and empirical research. Further, a welfare analysis shows that social welfare is decreasing in the incidence of corruption, across such equilibria.
IL-27 Synthesis Induced by TLR Ligation Critically Depends on IFN Regulatory Factor 31

IL-27 is a heterodimeric cytokine composed of EBV-induced gene 3 and p28. Produced by dendritic cells (DCs) in response to TLR ligands, IL-27 recently emerged as a key regulator of inflammatory responses. In this study, we first demonstrate that Toll/IL-1R-containing adaptor inducing IFN-β and its associated IFN regulatory factor (IRF) 3 transcription factor are critically involved in IL-27p28 expression in mouse DCs stimulated by TLR ligands. We then show that IL-27 serum levels are dramatically reduced in IRF3−/− upon LPS injection, indicating a critical role for IRF3 in TLR4-mediated IL-27 production in vivo. We identified an IRF3-binding site within the IL-27p28 promoter region which is required for IL-27p28 gene activation in reporter gene assays. In human DCs, IL-27p28 mRNA was preferentially induced by Toll/IL-1R-containing adaptor inducing IFN-β-coupled TLR ligands and following CMV infection. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation studies demonstrate that IRF3 is recruited to the endogenous p28 promoter in TLR4-stimulated human DCs. We conclude that IRF3 activation is a master switch for IL-27 synthesis.
A New Entropy Encoding Technique for Multimedia Data Compression

Entropy encoding is a term referring to lossless coding technique that replaces data elements with coded representations. Entropy encoding in combination with the transformation and quantization results in significantly reduced data size. For any conventional multimedia coding, entropy encoding is a bit assigning and lossless module. Since entropy encoding is a lossless module, compression ratio is the only constraint. Thus this paper develops a new entropy coding technique with higher compression ratio and minimum computational complexity. Huffman encoding and Arithmetic coding are well known entropy encoding method applied in JPEG and MPEG coding standards. In this paper, an efficient entropy encoding technique for multimedia coding is proposed. This proposed algorithm uses the concept of number of occurrence in a sequence of symbols. According to the rank of its occurrence, number of bits and groups are assigned and coded effectively. Based on the available channel band width, the appropriate bit-rate can also be achieved by using recursive property of our proposed encoding algorithm. Here two level of recursion has been considered for the proposed algorithm. The experiments were conducted in various multimedia data such as text, image, audio and video sequences. It is observed that the proposed algorithm outperforms the existing entropy encoding algorithms such as Huffman and arithmetic coding in terms of compressed file size, encoding and decoding time. Thus the proposal is very much suitable for multimedia applications.
FooDroid: A Food Recommendation App for University Canteens

The goal of this semester thesis was to develop a menu recommendation system for the canteens of ETH Zurich (and University of Zurich). Existing applications mainly present the menus for the day in lists but cannot tell which menu a user would prefer. Browsing long lists to find a favorite dish however is tedious. The system should be able to recommend available menus based on the preferences of the user. Mobility was also a key feature to consider because users would most likely not have access to a computer on their way to the canteen, however mobile phones are almost ubiquitous. The final implementation consists of three parts: A crawler which downloads the necessary data and adds it to a database; a server which retrieves menu data from the database and computes ratings; and a client running on an Android-based mobile platform which presents the recommended menu to the user in a simple and convenient way.
Towards the EMU: A Need For Exchange Rate Flexibility?

We address the question of exchange rate regime for the Czech Republic before it enters the EU and the EMU. We classify macroeconomic impacts of a single currency regime according to the traditional OCA theory. Using quantitative measures, we find the degree of macroeconomic convergence between the Czech and German (EU) economies high enough not to form a major obstacle to a common currency regime. In addition, we look at transitional specificities of the Czech economy. We analyse the real appreciation of the Czech currency and its relationship to competitiveness and find that development of cost factors exercise depreciationary pressures on the exchange rate. Conversely, a fixed regime may alleviate problems of the foreign capital influx and ensuing nominal appreciation - another idiosyncrasy of the Czech economy. However, once labour market rigidities are removed, a fixed regime may become a source of a sustainable competitive advantage, growth, and convergence.
Primary human cytomegalovirus infection induces the expansion of virus-specific activated and atypical memory B cells.

BACKGROUND Although neutralizing antibodies play a central role in the control of cytomegalovirus (CMV) dissemination, little is known about the response of B lymphocytes to primary human CMV infection. METHODS The proportion, phenotype, specificity, and functionality of B-cell subsets were studied in a cohort of pregnant women with primary CMV infection. CMV-seronegative pregnant women, as well as CMV-seronegative and CMV-seropositive healthy adults, were included as controls. RESULTS Primary CMV infection was associated with a sustained expansion of activated (CD27(+)CD20(+)CD21(low)) and atypical (CD27(-)CD20(+)CD21(low)) memory B cells (MBCs). Both subsets expressed an effector phenotype, and their proportions were correlated with viremia. Activated MBCs expressed high levels of activation markers and included high frequencies of tumor necrosis α (TNF-α)-producing cells, whereas atypical MBCs expressed high levels of inhibitory receptors and had low TNF-α responses. Fluorescent-labeled antigen experiments indicated that activated and atypical MBCs were enriched in CMV-specific cells. CONCLUSIONS Primary CMV infection mobilizes a large pool of memory B cells that includes activated and atypical MBCs. The functional regulation of CMV-specific MBCs may limit the production of antibodies and the control of viral dissemination.
LTL Model Cheking of Service-Based Business Processes in the Cloud

Cloud environments are being increasingly used for deploying and executing business processes and particularly service-based business processes (SBPs). In this paper, we propose a bottom-up approach to check the correct interaction between different SBPs distributed over a Cloud environment and which may be provided by various organizations. The whole system's model being unavailable, an up-down analysis approach is not appropriate. To check the correctness of the composition of several SBPs communicating asynchronously and sharing resources (hardware, platform, and software), we consider temporal properties that can be expressed with the LTL logic. Each part of the whole composite SBP exposes its abstract model, represented by a Symbolic Observation Graph (SOG), to allow the correct collaboration with possible partners in the Cloud. The SOG is adapted in order to reduce the verification of the entire composite model to the verification of the composition of the SOG-based abstractions.
Realizing Comprehensive User Profile as the Core Element of Adaptive and Personalized Communication Environments and Systems

Challenges today in the Web personalization and adaptation research area range from heterogeneous user needs and user environment issues such as current location and time to multi-channel delivery of applications concerning Web-based content related to services, educational multimedia, entertainment, commerce, etc. Nowadays, most Web personalization systems implement various techniques to extract the user profiles, which serve as the main component of such systems. Based on given user preferences and navigation behavior, the Web-based content returns the requested personalized result. The main scope of this paper is to present the various techniques employed by such systems with regard to extraction of user profiles and to introduce a comprehensive user profilethat includes user perceptual preference characteristics. It further analyzes the main intrinsic user characteristics such as visual, cognitive and emotional-processing parameters that are incorporated as well as the ‘traditional’ user profile characteristics that together tend to give the most optimized, adapted and personalized outcome. It finally presents a Web adaptation and personalization system that implements the proposed comprehensive user profile as well as the initial evaluation results.
Optimal State Assignment to Spare Cell inputs for Leakage Recovery

This work presents a novel leakage recovery method based on optimal state assignment to spare cells in the layout during post placement stage of the physical design flow. As the technology continues to shrinks, leakage power is growing at exponential rate due to the aggressive scaling trends of channel lengths, gate oxide thickness, and doping profiles combined with an increasing number of transistors packaged in a single chip. For the high speed designs with multi threshold libraries leakage recovery is the biggest challenge apart from meeting timing goals. There is a need for reducing leakage power where ever possible in various stages of the design flow. During the physical implementation stages VLSI designs often needs be corrected due to the changes in specification or design rule constraints violations. This correction process is called Engineering Change Order (ECO). Spare cells are redundant cells introduced in the layout during early physical design stage whose inputs are traditionally tied to Power (VDD) or Ground (VSS) and will be used during ECO changes. However these spare or ECO cells in stand-by mode also contributes to a significant sub-threshold leakage power in lower technology nodes. In this paper we are proposing a method which involves assigning optimal standby at every input of spare cell gate based on state dependent leakage power tables available in library models to minimize leakage power of spare cells. The proposed method was tested on standard cell based LVDS layout created using Synopsys SAED 32/28nm and other available Synopsys Design Ware 65nm, 45nm, 40nm & 28nm standard cell libraries. With the proposed method we could observe 48% to 30% reduction in spare cell leakage power and 3.8% to 0.7% reduction in overall design leakage power. Keywords-Spare Cells; State dependent leakage power; Engineering Change Order (ECO);Constant Insertion; Liberty Standard; Subthreshold Leackage Power; Power Recovery.
Social interaction interface for performance analysis of smart grids

Socio-economical and technological developments have prompted electric power systems to move forward to an era of Smart Grids. This mainstream concept has a strong interdisciplinary nature by using state-of-the-art technologies in the fields of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), power electronics, and control systems. Modeling and simulation are fundamental steps to accomplish possible applications of this complex and integrated scheme. However, most of the existing simulation platforms, either commercial or free and open source packages, hardly adapt to this requirements of Smart Grids. This paper presents an on-going framework which integrates open source software, OpenDSS, to provide different web services for end-users. This application aims to create a robust computation platform to support customers in making decisions. Different network functions can be verified in this assessment context tool. Working as a social network, this program will empower end-users with an interaction interface to make them fully aware of Smart Grid applications.
Fair Not Flat: How to Make the Tax System Better and Simpler

Everyone knows that the current tax system is unfair. Some of the richest people in America pay no tax, while a huge share of the tax burden falls on the rest of us. A mere glance at the tax code confirms that it is far too complex, with volumes of rules that no ordinary person could possibly comprehend. What is to be done? Some conservatives have called for a so-called flat tax. But a flat tax is not necessarily a simple tax, and "flat" means "more" for most taxpayers: a rise in middle-class taxes to finance tax cuts for the rich. Is there another choice? In clear, easy-to-understand language, Edward J. McCaffery proposes a straightforward and fair alternative. A "fair not flat" tax that is consistent and progressive would tax spending, not income and savings. And if it were collected at its lower levels through a national sales tax, most people would not have to file a return. A supplemental tax on spending for the wealthiest individuals would make the national sales tax progressive. Under McCaffery's system, a family of four would pay no tax on their first $20,000 in spending, and 15 percent on the next $60,000. Only the few families who spend more than $80,000 a year would be subject to the supplemental tax. Necessities would be taxed less than ordinary and luxury items. No one would be taxed directly on savings. The estate and gift or so-called death tax would be abolished, for the simple reason that dead people don't spend. The "fair not flat" tax would fall on heirs when and as they spend their good fortune. Perhaps best of all, most Americans would not have to fill out tax returns. Simpler, more efficient, fairer, and more reflective of America's current social values, McCaffery's "fair not flat" tax could help get us out of the tax mess that politicians and special interests have gotten us into, improving the whole country in the process. Read "Fair Not Flat" to find out how. In "Fair Not Flat," Mr. McCaffery lays out the case for a consumption tax. He does so in a reader-friendly way, presenting his argument with very few footnotes, equations or technical terms. The consumption of the book, so to speak, is not at all taxing. And its argument is well worth pondering. Bruce Bartlett, "Wall Street Journal ""
Browser-based identity federation

Browserbasierte Identitatsfoderation etabliert eine Dreiparteienauthentifikation mit einem Standard-Webbrowser als Client. Ein Standard-Webbrowser ist nicht unmittelbar in der Lage, die vorherrschende Methode des sicheren Sitzungsschlusselaustausches fur Identitatsfoderation einzusetzen. Stattdessen verwendet ein Webbrowser einen bereits etablierten server-authentifizierten Kanal, um den Berechtigungsnachweis einer dritten Partei zu ubertragen. Mit diesen zwei Schritten wird ein beidseitig authentifizierter Kanal aufgebaut. Diese Arbeit fuhrt detaillierte Protokollanalysen von Foderationsstandards durch, welche eine Reihe potentieller Sicherheitslucken bei einem realistischen Angreifermodell aufzeigen. Sie zeigt den ersten rigorosen Sicherheitsbeweis fur standardisierte Identitatsfoderation mit einem formalen Browsermodell. Im Prinzip garantiert Channel Authenticity einen sicheren Kanal zwischen dem identifizierten Benutzer und einem akzeptierenden Dienstleister.
A wearable wireless system for gait analysis for early diagnosis of Alzheimer and Parkinson disease

The paper presents a wearable wireless system and a proprietary algorithm along with a preliminary study on the time gait variability analysis as a tool for early diagnosis. The system is non-invasive and it is composed by a set of Inertial Measurements Units (IMUs) positioned on the patient leg. Each unit in the set bases its operations on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) standard. Experimental results validating system capabilities are reported and discussed.
On the Control of Plants with Hysteresis: Overview and a Prandtl-Ishlinskii Hysteresis Based Control Approach

The development of control techniques to mitigate the effects of unknown hysteresis preceding with plants has recently re-attracted significant attention. In this paper, we first give a brief review of presently developed hysteresis models and hysteresis compensating control methods. Then, with the use of the Prandtl-Ishlinskii hysteresis model, we propose a robust adaptive control scheme. The novelty is that the model of hysteresis nonlinearities is firstly fused with the available control techniques without necessarily constructing a hysteresis inverse. The global stability of the adaptive system and tracking a desired trajectory to a certain precision are achieved. Simulations performed on a nonlinear system illustrate and clarify the approach.
Low Incomes in Denmark, 1980-1995

We study the prevalence of low incomes in Denmark for the years 1980-95. The income concept is disposable equivalent income. The data set is longitudinal making it possible to study both the annual incidence of low income, the entry and exit rates relative to a low income status and the risk of being in a long term low income situation.
BUILDING CONSENSUS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: PUTTING PRINCIPLES INTO PRACTICE

The acceptance of "sustainability" as a practical policy goal and the increasing use of consensus-based processes in the resolution of a broad array of resource management disputes are two important trends of the past decade. This book springs from a marriage of those trends. Experiences in Canada and elsewhere have shown that strategies for achieving sustainability generally need active involvement from, and clear understandings among, a wide array of sectors and groups. This book is a working guide to the use of consensus building in developing the policies and in implementing the programs and projects necessary to achieve a sustainable environment, economy, and society. (A)
Down-coloring acyclic digraphs

We consider vertex coloring of an acyclic digraph ~ G in such a way that two vertices which have a common ancestor in ~ G receive distinct colors. Such colorings arise in a natural way when bounding space for various genetic data for efficient analysis. We discuss the corresponding chromatic number and derive an upper bound as a function of the maximum number of descendants of a given vertex and the degeneracy of the corresponding hypergraph, which is obtained from the original digraph. 2000 MSC: 05C15, 05C20, 05C65, 05C85, 05D90, 06A05.
Ecological responses to altered flow regimes: a literature review to inform the science and management of environmental flows

SUMMARY 1. In an effort to develop quantitative relationships between various kinds of flow alteration and ecological responses, we reviewed 165 papers published over the last four decades, with a focus on more recent papers. Our aim was to determine if general relationships could be drawn from disparate case studies in the literature that might inform environmental flows science and management. 2. For all 165 papers we characterised flow alteration in terms of magnitude, frequency, duration, timing and rate of change as reported by the individual studies. Ecological responses were characterised according to taxonomic identity (macroinvertebrates, fish, riparian vegetation) and type of response (abundance, diversity, demographic parameters). A ‘qualitative’ or narrative summary of the reported results strongly corroborated previous, less comprehensive, reviews by documenting strong and variable ecological responses to all types of flow alteration. Of the 165 papers, 152 (92%) reported decreased values for recorded ecological metrics in response to a variety of types of flow alteration, whereas 21 papers (13%) reported increased values. 3. Fifty-five papers had information suitable for quantitative analysis of ecological response to flow alteration. Seventy per cent of these papers reported on alteration in flow magnitude, yielding a total of 65 data points suitable for analysis. The quantitative analysis provided some insight into the relative sensitivities of different ecological groups to alteration in flow magnitudes, but robust statistical relationships were not supported. Macroinvertebrates showed mixed responses to changes in flow magnitude, with abundance and diversity both increasing and decreasing in response to elevated flows and to reduced flows. Fish abundance, diversity and demographic rates consistently declined in response to both elevated and reduced flow magnitude. Riparian vegetation metrics both increased and decreased in response to reduced peak flows, with increases reflecting mostly enhanced non-woody vegetative cover or encroachment into the stream channel. 4. Our analyses do not support the use of the existing global literature to develop general, transferable quantitative relationships between flow alteration and ecological response; however, they do support the inference that flow alteration is associated with ecological change and that the risk of ecological change increases with increasing magnitude of flow alteration. 5. New sampling programs and analyses that target sites across well-defined gradients of flow alteration are needed to quantify ecological response and develop robust and