Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Saving by Default: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Rural India

Access to banks is rapidly increasing worldwide, and allows account-based instead of cash transfers. We conduct a randomized experiment documenting the impact of the payment method on savings behavior. In India, we allocate identical weekly payments into a bank account (treated) or in cash (control). Savings in the account increase by 131 percent within 3 months, and the effect is long lasting. We also show that cash payments increase consumption and that—once everyone is paid in cash again—the savings patterns no longer differ. We interpret these findings as a default effect, and we further discuss plausible mechanisms. (JEL C93, D14, D90, G21, O12, O16)
G-quadruplexes for luminescent sensing and logic gates

G-quadruplexes represent a versatile sensing platform for the construction of label-free molecular detection assays owing to their diverse structures that can be selectively recognized by G-quadruplex-specific luminescent probes. In this Survey and Summary, we highlight recent examples of the application of the label-free strategy for the development of G-quadruplex-based luminescent detection platforms with a view towards the potential application of tetraplex structures in the design of DNA logic gates.
A Technical Note on “Sample Size Determination for Achieving Stability of Double Multivariate Exponentially Weighted Moving Average Controller”

Recently, Tseng, Tang, and Lin (2007) presented an explicit formula for determining a minimum sample size (which is needed to construct the input–output predicted model) in such a way that the asymptotic stability of double multivariate exponentially weighted moving average (dMEWMA) controller can be achieved with a guaranteed probability. This formula indicates that two key components on the sample size determination are: the canonical correlation of input–output (I–O) variables and the condition number of the covariance matrix of input variables. Since this condition number is a nuisance parameter, the problem on how to minimize its effect on the sample size determination is of great practical importance. This note proposes a stable dMEWMA controller with which the sample size (required at the off-line stage) only depends on the canonical correlation of I–O variables. Hence, the sample size can be reduced significantly.
Brain mechanisms underlying sensation-seeking in humans

Sensation-seeking is a personality trait concerned with motivation for intense and unusual sensory experiences, that has been identified as risk factor for a variety of psychopathologies with high social cost; in particular gambling and substance addictions. It has previously proved difficult to tease out neural mechanisms underlying sensation-seeking in humans, due to a lack of cognitive-behavioural paradigms probing sensation-seeking-like behaviour in the lab. The first aim of this thesis was to develop such a behavioural paradigm. Within, we present evidence from this novel task and a combination of psychopharmacological, functional imaging and computational approaches to argue that sensation-seeking behaviour in humans is driven by inter-individual differences in the activation of dopaminergic approach-withdrawal tendencies, when faced with the opportunity to experience intense and unusual sensory stimulation. In a parallel research stream, we investigate the relationship between self-reported sensation-seeking, D2-type dopamine receptor function and risky decision-making, motivated by the common implication of sensation-seeking personality and D2ergic drugs in disorders involving excessive risk-taking. Together, the findings presented here may aid investigation of various psychopathologies for which more extreme sensation-seeking scores constitute a vulnerability factor. In particular, a more precise understanding of sensation-seeking behaviour might aid in the identification of at-risk individuals and the development of individualised therapies and prevention strategies.
Moderate-intensity muscle pain can be produced and sustained during cycle ergometry.

PURPOSE The aim of this experiment was to determine whether moderate-intensity quadriceps muscle pain could be produced and sustained during cycle ergometry. METHODS 12 women volunteers completed a peak cycle ergometry test during which quadriceps muscle pain-intensity ratings were obtained using a 0-10 scale. On a subsequent day, participants cycled for 20 min beginning at the power output associated with quadriceps muscle pain threshold during the peak test. Participants manipulated power output during the first 10 s of each minute to produce and sustain moderate-intensity quadriceps muscle pain. During the last 20 s of each minute, VO2, ratings of quadriceps muscle pain intensity, and ratings of perceived exertion (Borg 6-20) were obtained. RESULTS Moderate-intensity quadriceps pain ratings were achieved within 4 min, during which time the average power output was increased from 124 to 138 W. Pain-intensity ratings were unchanged from minutes 4 to 20 (F = 0.94; df = 16, 176; P = 0.52; eta2 = 0.079). Quadriceps RPE responses mimicked the pain responses. To sustain a moderate-intensity quadriceps pain participants reduced power output significantly (F = 7.75; df = 16, 176; P < 0.001; eta2 = 0.413) and in a linear fashion by 21.7 W (15.7%). The changes in % VO2peak were similar in pattern to the changes in power output but smaller in magnitude. CONCLUSIONS 1) College women can produce and sustain a moderate-intensity quadriceps muscle pain during cycle ergometry, 2) moderate-intensity quadriceps muscle pain is sustained by reducing power output, and 3) sustaining moderate-intensity quadriceps muscle pain during short duration cycling is associated with a "hard" perceptual effort and 69-74% VO2peak.
Protein comparability assessments and potential applicability of high throughput biophysical methods and data visualization tools to compare physical stability profiles

In this review, some of the challenges and opportunities encountered during protein comparability assessments are summarized with an emphasis on developing new analytical approaches to better monitor higher-order protein structures. Several case studies are presented using high throughput biophysical methods to collect protein physical stability data as function of temperature, agitation, ionic strength and/or solution pH. These large data sets were then used to construct empirical phase diagrams (EPDs), radar charts, and comparative signature diagrams (CSDs) for data visualization and structural comparisons between the different proteins. Protein samples with different sizes, post-translational modifications, and inherent stability are presented: acidic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-1) mutants, different glycoforms of an IgG1 mAb prepared by deglycosylation, as well as comparisons of different formulations of an IgG1 mAb and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF). Using this approach, differences in structural integrity and conformational stability profiles were detected under stress conditions that could not be resolved by using the same techniques under ambient conditions (i.e., no stress). Thus, an evaluation of conformational stability differences may serve as an effective surrogate to monitor differences in higher-order structure between protein samples. These case studies are discussed in the context of potential utility in protein comparability studies.
Managing Big Data with Information Flow Control

Concern about data leakage is holding back more widespread adoption of cloud computing by companies and public institutions alike. To address this, cloud tenants/applications are traditionally isolated in virtual machines or containers. But an emerging requirement is for cross-application sharing of data, for example, when cloud services form part of an IoT architecture. Information Flow Control (IFC) is ideally suited to achieving both isolation and data sharing as required. IFC enhances traditional Access Control by providing continuous, data-centric, cross-application, end-to-end control of data flows. However, large-scale data processing is a major requirement of cloud computing and is infeasible under standard IFC. We present a novel, enhanced IFC model that subsumes standard models. Our IFC model supports `Big Data' processing, while retaining the simplicity of standard IFC and enabling more concise, accurate and maintainable expression of policy.
Single Channel Speech Enhancement by Denoising Using Stationary Wavelet Transform *

A method of single channel speech enhancement is proposed by de-noising using stationary wavelet transform. The approach developed herein processes multi-resolution wavelet coefficients individually and then recovery signal is reconstructed. The time invariant characteristics of stationary wavelet transform is particularly useful in speech de-noising. Experimental results show that the proposed speech enhancement by de-noising algorithm is possible to achieve an excellent balance between suppresses noise effectively and preserves as many target characteristics of original signal as possible. This de-noising algorithm offers a superior performance to speech signal noise suppress.
Stochastic background of gravitational waves generated by a cosmological population of young, rapidly rotating neutron stars

We estimate the spectral properties of the stochastic background of gravitational radiation emitted by a cosmological population of hot, young, rapidly rotating neutron stars. Their formation rate as a function of redshift is deduced from an observation-based determination of the star formation history in the Universe, and the gravitational energy is assumed to be radiated during the spin-down phase associated with the newly discovered r-mode instability. We calculate the overall signal produced by the ensemble of such neutron stars, assuming various cosmological backgrounds. We find that the spectral strain amplitude has a maximum ≈ (2-4)× 10-26Hz-1/2 , at frequencies ≈ (30-60) Hz, while the corresponding closure density, h2ΟGW, has a maximum amplitude plateau of ≈ (2.2-3.3) × 10-8 in the frequency range (500-1700) Hz. We compare our results with a preliminary analysis done by Owen et al., and discuss the detectability of this background.
Real Estate Investments, Product Market Competition, and Stock Returns

By limiting operating flexibility, real estate investments are found to increase firm risk, thus expected returns. This study introduces product market competition as a critical determinant of the relation between real estate investments and stock returns. As part of capacity strategies, these investments are generally associated with increased market power and lower cash flow volatility in oligopolistic industries. I present a simple model of oligopolistic competition showing a negative relation between real estate holdings and firm beta, and empirically confirm this prediction. Controlling for product market competition enhances identification of the endogenous relation between real estate investments and stock returns.
Travailler autrement. Comment le cancer initie un autre rapport au travail

L’article aborde la question de la maladie au travail non comme l’effet du travail (bien que ce lien causal soit evoque dans l’un des cas relates), mais du cancer et de ses effets au travail : sur les relations de travail, l’amenagement ou non de l’activite et sur le rapport au travail. La question de la preservation de sa sante, parfois grâce au travail, parfois en depit de celui-ci, prend ici un relief particulier puisque la maladie la rend davantage consciente, s’inscrivant dans des strategies variables en fonction des individus (de leurs parcours, des negociations conjugales) et des situations de travail. L’autonomie dans le travail est une condition necessaire pour recreer un milieu en monde pour vivre, mais elle n’est pas suffisante pour vivre avec la sante. Lorsque l’autonomie dans le travail est faible, la recreation de milieu en monde pour vivre avec la sante se situe alors plus au plan des facons de faire, des gestes professionnels
Shot classification for association football from TV broadcasting

The paper presents the shot classification algorithm used to classify the scenes from football TV broadcasting, to extract only the far view scenes. The far-view scenes are important for the segmentation and tracking of the players during the game, required for devising an abstract model for the interpretation of the game. The system for developing such a platform is named ACE-Football, and is currently being developed at the PRIS-lab. Results tested using whole games of the latest FIFA's World Cup (FWC) are presented, and the classification algorithm validated using standard metrics, such as precision, recall and F1-score.
Entropy-based prioritized sampling in Deep Q-learning

Online reinforcement agents take advantage of experience replay memory that allows them to reuse experiences from the past to re-learn, thus improving the overall efficiency of the learning process. Prioritizing on specific transitions during the sampling and replay increased the performance of learning even more, but in previous approaches the priority of the transitions was determined only by its TD error property. In this work, we introduce a novel criterion for evaluating the importance of the transition which is based on the Shannon's entropy of the agents perceived state space. Furthermore, we compare the performance of different criteria for prioritizing on one of the simulation environments included in REinforcejs framework. Experimental results show that DQ-ETD which uses a combination of entropy and TD error criterion outperforms the approaches based on the TD error criterion only such as DQ-TD.
Characterization of two novel YY1 binding sites in the polyomavirus late promoter

NF-D is a ubiquitous nuclear factor that has been shown to bind specifically to a DNA element in the polyomavirus regulatory region. In this report, we demonstrate that NF-D is either identical or very similar to a transcription factor that has been variously named YY1, delta, NF-E1, UCRBP, or CF1. Moreover, we show the presence in the polyomavirus genome of a second DNA motif, located 40 bp from the first, which binds YY1/NF-D with high affinity. Both sites lie downstream of the major late transcription initiation sites. By site-directed mutagenesis, we demonstrate that both elements contribute positively to the activity of the late promoter, probably by a cooperative mechanism. We also demonstrate that the requirement of the YY1/NF-D function for late promoter activity varies with the cell line.
Soil carbon stocks and their variability across the woodlands of peninsular Spain

Doblas-Miranda and co-author r port new estimates of carbon stocks in soils of the Iberian Peninsula and investigate the drivers controlling soil organic carbon dynamics. Using a total of 942 soil profiles along with climatic and land cover information derived from a literature search, the authors model soil organic C content for this region. They conclude that changes in temperature and precipitation forecasted for this area may reduce the sink C capacity of these soils. In addition, the authors show a strong correlation between changes in land cover and variations in SOC. These results shed light on possible management practices that could alleviate the consequences of climate change in this region. Because of the vulnerability of Mediterranean ecosystems to future changes in climate, the topic is of importance and within the scope of Biogeosciences.
Anti-tissue antibodies are related to lung function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

RATIONALE Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a multicomponent disease. Autoimmunity can contribute to the pathogenesis of COPD. OBJECTIVES This study investigates the prevalence of circulating antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti-tissue (AT) antibodies, two common markers of autoimmunity, in COPD and their relationship with several components of the disease. METHODS We determined lung function, the serum titers of ANA and AT by immunofluorescence, and the serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) by high sensitivity nephelometry in 328 patients with clinically stable COPD and in 67 healthy controls recruited in the PAC-COPD study. Multiple linear and logistic regression analysis was used to analyze results. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The prevalence of abnormal ANA and AT titers was 34% and 26% in patients and 3% and 6% in controls, respectively. Levels of AT greater than or equal to 1:320 were seen in 21% of patients with COPD and were independently associated with the severity of airflow limitation and gas transfer impairment (P < 0.05). Neither ANA or AT titers was related to body mass index, current smoking status, use of inhaled steroids, the Charlson index, or serum C-reactive protein values. CONCLUSIONS Between a quarter and a third of patients with clinically stable COPD present abnormal titers of circulating ANA and AT. The observed relationship between AT and lung function supports a role for autoimmunity in the pathogenesis of COPD.
Peer to peer authentication for small embedded systems: A zero-knowledge-based approach to security for the Internet of Things

With an estimated 50 billion internet-enabled devices deployed by 2020, the arrival of the Internet of Things (IoT) or Internet of Everything (IoE) raises many questions regarding the suitability and adaptability of current computer security standards to provide privacy, data integrity and end entity authentication between communicating peers. In this paper we present a new protocol which combines zero-knowledge proofs and key exchange mechanisms to provide secure and authenticated communication in static machine-to-machine (M2M) networks. This approach addresses all of the aforementioned issues while also being suitable for devices with limited computational resources and can be deployed in wireless sensor networks. While the protocol requires an a-priori knowledge about the network setup and structure, it guarantees perfect forward secrecy.
Characterisation of a K390R ITK Kinase Dead Transgenic Mouse – Implications for ITK as a Therapeutic Target

Interleukin-2 inducible tyrosine kinase (ITK) is expressed in T cells and plays a critical role in signalling through the T cell receptor. Evidence, mainly from knockout mice, has suggested that ITK plays a particularly important function in Th2 cells and this has prompted significant efforts to discover ITK inhibitors for the treatment of allergic disease. However, ITK is known to have functions outside of its kinase domain and in general kinase knockouts are often not good models for the behaviour of small molecule inhibitors. Consequently we have developed a transgenic mouse where the wild type Itk allele has been replaced by a kinase dead Itk allele containing an inactivating K390R point mutation (Itk-KD mice). We have characterised the immune phenotype of these naive mice and their responses to airway inflammation. Unlike Itk knockout (Itk−/−) mice, T-cells from Itk-KD mice can polymerise actin in response to CD3 activation. The lymph nodes from Itk-KD mice showed more prominent germinal centres than wild type mice and serum antibody levels were significantly abnormal. Unlike the Itk−/−, γδ T cells in the spleens of the Itk-KD mice had an impaired ability to secrete Th2 cytokines in response to anti-CD3 stimulation whilst the expression of ICOS was not significantly different to wild type. However ICOS expression is markedly increased on αβCD3+ cells from the spleens of naïve Itk-KD compared to WT mice. The Itk-KD mice were largely protected from inflammatory symptoms in an Ovalbumin model of airway inflammation. Consequently, our studies have revealed many similarities but some differences between Itk−/−and Itk-KD transgenic mice. The abnormal antibody response and enhanced ICOS expression on CD3+ cells has implications for the consideration of ITK as a therapeutic target.
Estimating foliage biomass in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) plots.

Dynamic decomposition models are needed to estimate changes in the carbon stock of boreal soil because these changes are difficult to measure directly. An important aboveground carbon flux to the soil is foliage litterfall. To estimate this flux, both the amount and the turnover rate of the foliage biomass component must be known. Several methods for estimating foliage biomass of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst. ), including biomass equations and biomass expansion factors (BEFs), were compared with predicted foliage biomass based on forest inventory plot-level measurements. Measured foliage biomass was up-scaled from the branch-level to the plot-level by combining forest inventory variables (diameter, height, height at the crown base and crown base diameter) based on the assumptions of pipe model theory. Combining the foliage biomass: cross-sectional area ratio with the forest inventory variables provided accurate estimates of foliage biomass at the plot-level for plots in southern Finland. The results emphasize the need to test biomass equations with independent data, especially when the equations applied are based on neighboring regions.
Mutations in the Human Muscle LIM Protein Gene in Families With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Background—Muscle LIM protein (MLP) is an essential nuclear regulator of myogenic differentiation. Additionally, it may act as an integrator of protein assembly of the actin-based cytoskeleton. MLP-knockout mice develop a marked cardiac hypertrophy reaction and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). MLP is therefore a candidate gene for heritable forms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and DCM in humans. Methods and Results—We analyzed 1100 unrelated individuals (400 patients with DCM, 200 patients with HCM, and 500 controls) for mutations in the human CRP3 gene that encodes MLP. We found 3 different missense mutations in 3 unrelated patients with familial HCM but detected no mutation in the DCM group or the controls. All mutations predicted an amino acid exchange at highly conserved residues in the functionally important LIM1 domain, which is responsible for interaction with &agr;-actinin and with certain muscle-specific transcription factors. Protein-binding studies indicate that mutations in the CRP3 gene lead to a decreased binding activity of MLP to &agr;-actinin. All 3 index patients were characterized by typical asymmetrical septal hypertrophy. Family studies revealed cosegregation of clinically affected individuals with the respective mutations in MLP. Conclusion—Here, we present evidence that mutations in the CRP3/MLP gene can cause HCM.
Graphics and the Understanding of Perceptual Mechanisms: Analogies and Similarities

Graphics give an alternative representation model for images and graphic rewriting gives another viewpoint for image matching, image retrieval and identity of shape constancy - all subjects that have raised passionate discussion of mathematical models for both machine and human vision. Attributed graph grammars are a powerful way of describing transformations of complex structures. Attributed graph grammars have been applied to describe visual languages, distributed systems, chemical reactions, music analysis and much else. Graphics combine the geometry of human vision with the geometry of visual space. Graphic vertices model basic percept elements, graphic edges model percept and neighbour relations, attribute Sigma-algebras formalise space locations on space and transformations, while graphic grammars give rules that express perceived shapes. Graphics production can capture similarities of shapes, as a restriction of the graphic analogy reasoning on visual space. Composition of shapes by specific operations causes gradual distortions