Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Shortest Path Challenging Problem - Context of Mobile Devices in Urban Area Considering Weakened GPS Signal and Data Network Traffic

The shortest path problem is a well know routing problem which received a considerable amount of attention for several decades. This problem is the cornerstone of any real-world routing problem including the VRP or the Hub Location. The majority of efficient methods dedicated to these problems consist in computing first the matric of shortest path between nodes. Furthermore, there has been a renaissance of interest in the shortest path problem in recent year for use in various transportation engineering applications. This paper relates to the conception of efficient routing algorithms tuned for mobility. More precisely, it is targeted to the field of pedestrian mobility in an urban environment. In a mobile environment, specific constraints as the treatment of wireless network traffic disturbances must be taken into account. The architecture that we tune for the project is based on an active monitoring system, which dynamically required new shortest path calculation using the exposed web service API. The web service is performed when a specific constraint appears or a new part of the path is required. Using of such architecture offers a new approach in spreading operational research algorithms and our contribution stands at the crossroads of optimization research community and the web service community expectations.
The Final Hours: A Linguistic Analysis of the Final Words of a Suicide

A journal, two suicide notes, and two tape recordings from a young man who took his own life were analyzed by applying a computer program to analyze texts. The analysis indicates a calming trend from the journal entries to the suicide notes to the tape recordings, with an additional increase in positive emotions expressed from the first recorded message to the second recording made just an hour or two before his death. The usefulness of this approach for understanding the psychodynamics of suicidal behavior is discussed.
Dynamic visual acuity training in cricket players

Background: Dynamic visual acuity (DVA) is the ability of an observer to correctly identify details of a moving target and is considered to be important for tasks like driving. Dynamic Visual Acuity is better in athletes involved in sports such as basketball and baseball; however, no previous studies have considered the sport of cricket. We conducted a study to determine whether there was any difference in DVA between cricket and non-cricket players. Method: Dynamic visual acuity was measured by asking subjects to identify the orientation of the gap of a moving Landolt C target as a four-alternative forced-choice task. The Landolt C targets had confusion bars surrounding them. The participants in the study were tested twice with a break of seven weeks. In between the two measurements, participants underwent two training sessions (similar to the testing sessions), each three weeks apart. Results: The initial mean DVA for cricket players was 107.7 deg/sec, and the mean DVA for non-cricket players was 105.5 deg/sec, with a target size of 6/15. The subjects who participated in training (cricketers and non-cricketers) improved in DVA by 41 deg/sec in contrast to the improvement in the non-training subjects of 18 deg/sec (p=0.0032). The cricketers who participated in the training improved in DVA by 44 deg/sec, whereas the cricketers who did not participate in the training improved by 19 deg/sec (p=0.0167). Conclusions: We found no significant difference in initial DVA between the cricket players and the non-cricket players. The training resulted in an extremely significant improvement in DVA performance by both the cricketers and non-cricketers.
Using Sensors and Deep Learning to Enable On-Demand Balance Evaluation for Effective Physical Therapy

In traditional physical therapy, balance evaluation is performed by the physical therapist (PT) intermittently during clinic visits, which is subjective, inconvenient, and time-consuming. In this paper, we use sensors and deep learning to propose an automated balance evaluation system for home and clinical use. First, we propose a deep learning-based model to estimate the subject’s Center of Mass (CoM) position using a depth camera, which outperforms other CoM estimation methods with high accuracy and ease of use. Then we propose a balance evaluation system to evaluate the subject’s dynamic balance in a Gait Initiation (GI) task. The subject’s CoM position is estimated by the proposed CoM estimation model and the Center of Pressure (CoP) position is measured by a Wii balance board. The CoP-CoM trajectory during the GI task is used to assess and quantify the patient’s dynamic balance control. Using data collected from both healthy subjects and patients with Parkinson’s Disease, the proposed balance evaluation model is able to quantify the subject’s balance level which is consistent with the human PT’s assessments in traditional balance evaluation tests. The proposed balance evaluation system can be used as a portable and low-cost tool for on-demand balance evaluation.
Petróleo y minería: ¿bendición o maldición?

"El libro muestra, en primer lugar, que la llamada maldicion de la abundancia de petroleo y mineria es claramente evitable, y que sus efectos sobre el desarrollo economico dependen de manera critica de la calidad de las instituciones. Asi, por ejemplo, la calidad de las instituciones sectoriales y fiscales condicionan el diseno y manejo apropiado de los contratos de exploracion y explotacion, y, en consecuencia, los niveles de inversion y produccion, asi como la captura de rentas vinculadas a estas actividades con el proposito de financiar inversiones de desarrollo. Las instituciones macro, como aquellas que afectan la tasa de cambio, y las instituciones fiscales, que recaudan y usan eficiente o ineficientemente los recursos provenientes de las rentas de recursos naturales, determinan en buena medida su impacto sobre el desarrollo. Asimismo, la calidad de las instituciones regionales y locales determina el buen o mal uso de las rentas que perciben los departamentos y municipios colombianos. Instituciones politicas que determinan el grado de competencia politica y de transparencia, evitan o permiten la apropiacion y uso indebido de las rentas provenientes de la mineria y el petroleo. En fin, los diferentes capitulos del libro muestran como la abundancia de mineria y petroleo puede ser una bendicion o maldicion, dependiendo en buena medida de la calidad de estas instituciones. Y extrae en cada uno de los capitulos lecciones para Colombia, especialmente para aprovechar el presente boom minero-energetico. Dejamos en manos de los lectores y de las autoridades colombianas este libro para contribuir al mejor aprovechamiento de esta bonanza. "
Characterization of the sppA gene coding for protease IV, a signal peptide peptidase of Escherichia coli

The sppA gene codes for protease IV, a signal peptide peptidase of Escherichia coli. Using the gene cloned on a plasmid, we constructed an E. coli strain carrying the ampicillin resistance gene near the chromosomal sppA gene and an sppA deletion strain in which the deleted portion was replaced by the kanamycin resistance gene. Using these strains, we mapped the sppA gene at 38.5 min on the chromosome, the gene order being katE-xthA-sppA-pncA. Although digestion of the signal peptide that accumulated in the cell envelope fraction was considerably slower in the deletion mutant than in the sppA+ strain, it was still significant, suggesting the participation of another envelope protease(s) in signal peptide digestion.
Deciphering the underlying genetic and epigenetic events leading to gastric carcinogenesis

Gastric cancer is a common aggressive malignancy. Although its incidence shows considerable variation among different countries, gastric cancer is still a major health problem worldwide. The causes of stomach cancer are not completely understood. What is clear is that gastric cancer is a multi‐stage process involving genetic and epigenetic factors. This review is an in‐depth study of the known genetic and epigenetic processes in the development of this tumor, and delineates possible approaches in gene and epigenetic therapy. J. Cell. Physiol. 211: 287–295, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Choice for Europe: Social Purpose and State Power from Messina to Maastricht

Introduction: The choice for Europe 1. Theorizing European Integration 2. Finding the Thread: The Treaties of Rome, 1955-1958 3. Grain and Grandeur: Consolidating the Common Market, 1958-1969 4. Divergence and Convergence: Toward Monetary Integration, 1969-1983 5. Relaunching Intergration: The Single European Act, 1984-1988 6. Economic and Monetary Union: Negotiating the Maastricht Treaty, 1988-1991 7. European Integration in Retrospect
Associations Between Physical Activity, Physical Fitness, and Falls Risk in Healthy Older Individuals

ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, PHYSICAL FITNESS, AND FALLS RISK IN HEALTHY OLDER INDIVIDUALS Christopher Deane Vaughan Old Dominion University, 2016 Chair: Dr. John David Branch Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess relationships between objectively measured physical activity, physical fitness, and the risk of falling. Methods: A total of n=29 subjects completed the study, n=15 male and n=14 female age (mean±SD)= 70± 4 and 71±3 years, respectively. In a single testing session, subjects performed pre-post evaluations of falls risk (Short-from PPA) with a 6-minute walking intervention between the assessments. The falls risk assessment included tests of balance, knee extensor strength, proprioception, reaction time, and visual contrast. The sub-maximal effort 6-minute walking task served as an indirect assessment of cardiorespiratory fitness. Subjects traversed a walking mat to assess for variation in gait parameters during the walking task. Additional center of pressure (COP) balance measures were collected via forceplate during the falls risk assessments. Subjects completed a Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES) falls confidence survey. Subjects’ falls histories were also collected. Subjects wore hip mounted accelerometers for a 7-day period to assess time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Results: Males had greater body mass and height than females (p=0.001, p=0.001). Males had a lower falls risk than females at baseline (p=0.043) and post-walk (p=0.031). MFES scores were similar among all subjects (Median = 10). Falls history reporting revealed; fallers (n=8) and non-fallers (n=21). No significant relationships were found between main outcome measures of MVPA, cardiorespiratory fitness, or falls risk. Fallers had higher knee extensor strength than non-fallers at baseline (p=0.028) and post-walk (p=0.011). Though not significant (p=0.306), fallers spent 90 minutes more time in MVPA than non-fallers (427.8±244.6 min versus 335.7±199.5). Variations in gait and COP variables were not significant. Conclusions: This study found no apparent relationship between objectively measured physical activity, indirectly measured cardiorespiratory fitness, and falls risk.
Shift and scale-invariant anamorphic Fourier correlator using multiple circular harmonic filters.

A position and scale-invariant method of pattern recognition using an anamorphic Fourier correlator is presented. A modified matched filtering technique is used to obtain scale invariance. The spectrum of the scene is obtained with the nonsymmetric Fourier transform; the nonsymmetric scene spectrum matches the symmetric filter through a wedge mask. Object spectra of different sizes match the filter along different angular directions; a mask rotation search is thus substituted for a scale search. The use of a few circular harmonic filters of a target followed by a discrimination decision in feature space assures good performance. Results of a computer experiment are presented.
Phosphorylation of Heterochromatin Protein 1 by Casein Kinase II Is Required for Efficient Heterochromatin Binding inDrosophila *

Heterochromatin-associated protein 1 (HP1) is a nonhistone chromosomal protein with a dose-dependent effect on heterochromatin mediated position-effect silencing. It is multiply phosphorylated in vivo. Hyperphosphorylation of HP1 is correlated with heterochromatin assembly. We report here that HP1 is phosphorylated by casein kinase II in vivo at three serine residues located at the N and C termini of the protein. Alanine substitution mutations in the casein kinase II target phosphorylation sites dramatically reduce the heterochromatin binding activity of HP1, whereas glutamate substitution mutations, which mimic the charge contributions of phosphorylated serine, have apparently wild-type binding activity. We propose that phosphorylation of HP1 promotes protein-protein interaction between HP1 and target binding proteins in heterochromatin.
Réflexions autour des migrations forcées en Afrique sub-saharienne

L'Afrique au sud du Sahara est une terre de mobilite depuis des temps immemoriaux et les migrations internes au sous-continent ont toujours ete les plus developpees. Parmi la diversite des pratiques migratoires internes a l'Afrique, les migrations dites forcees occupent une place particuliere et ne cessent de s'amplifier, produisant des espaces particuliers. Par migration forcee, il faut entendre un deplacement collectif qui survient dans un contexte de crise, violence politique le plus souvent, mais aussi famine et epidemie, catastrophe ou destruction environnementale ou encore, intervention coercitive des Etats a des fins d'amenagement du territoire. Si cet article apporte un eclairage sur la diversite des migrations forcees il developpe tout particulierement la situation des refugies, deplaces ou encore des refugies climatiques. Enfin, il insiste, a travers des etudes de cas, sur les territoires generes par ces situations, camps de refugies (Mozambicains en Zambie), peripheries urbaines (refugies Liberiens a Conakry) et zones frontalieres (frontiere entre Zambie et Mozambique).
Dual‐Chamber Pacemakers as Long‐Term Telemetry Devices: Ready for Prime‐Time in Diagnosing Unsuspected Atrial Fibrillation?

The link between atrial fibrillation (AF) and the risk of embolic stroke and death has been well established.1-4 AF increases with age and a number of other cardiovascular conditions, including hypertension, valvular heart disease, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and conduction system disorders.1 Pacing (especially ventricular pacing) represents a proposed iatrogenic cause of AF.5,6 The efficacy of anticoagulation to reduce AF-related risk, now firmly established by randomized clinical trials, emphasizes the importance of recognizing AF so that preventive strategies can be considered.1,7,8 A major challenge in this regard is that AF is frequently asymptomatic, and it is believed that this “silent” AF could represent an important cause of cryptogenic strokes.1,4 Because episodes of AF can occur at widely spaced time intervals, diagnosis by 24–48-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic recordings or by 1–4-week event monitoring often is diagnostically inadequate. Patients with contemporary permanent pacemakers (PPMs) that have arrhythmia detection and storage capability represent a relatively recently available “captive” population to explore the prevalence and long-term incidence of cryptic AF. Although other studies have used contemporary pacemaker technology to explore AF incidence, their studied populations often have been characterized by a high prevalence of preexisting AF, demonstrated to be a strong predictor of future AF.9-11 Hence, the question of AF incidence in patients without known AF, who nevertheless are at risk for AF-related adverse sequelae, has not been adequately addressed.
Induction of Isoforms of Tetrapyrrole Biosynthetic Enzymes, AtHEMA2 and AtFC1, under Stress Conditions and Their Physiological Functions in Arabidopsis12[W][OA]

In the tetrapyrrole biosynthetic pathway, isoforms of glutamyl-tRNA reductase (HEMA2) and ferrochelatase1 (FC1) are mainly expressed in nonphotosynthetic tissues. Here, using promoter-β-glucuronidase constructs, we showed that the expressions of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) HEMA2 (AtHEMA2) and FC1 (AtFC1) were induced in photosynthetic tissues by oxidative stresses such as wounding. Transcript levels and β-glucronidase activity were rapidly induced within 30 min, specifically in the wound area in a jasmonate-independent manner. Transcriptome analysis of wound-specific early inducible genes showed that AtHEMA2 and AtFC1 were coinduced with hemoproteins outside plastids, which are related to defense responses. Ozone fumigation or reagents generating reactive oxygen species induced the expression of both genes in photosynthetic tissues, suggesting that reactive oxygen species is involved in the induction. Since cycloheximide or puromycin induced the expression of both genes, inhibition of cytosolic protein synthesis is involved in the induction of these genes in photosynthetic tissues. The physiological functions of AtHEMA2 and AtFC1 were investigated using insertional knockout mutants of each gene. Heme contents of the roots of both mutants were about half of that of the respective wild types. In wild-type plants, heme contents were increased by ozone exposure. In both mutants, reduction of the ozone-induced increase in heme content was observed. These results suggest the existence of the tetrapyrrole biosynthetic pathway controlled by AtHEMA2 and AtFC1, which normally functions for heme biosynthesis in nonphotosynthetic tissues, but is induced in photosynthetic tissues under oxidative conditions to supply heme for defensive hemoproteins outside plastids.
Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease independently predicts prediabetes during a 7‐year prospective follow‐up

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is suspected to confer an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes (DM). However, only a few prospective studies evaluated NAFLD as a predictor for DM, most did not adjust for the full range of potential cofounders and none used an objectively quantified degree of steatosis. Our aim was to evaluate the independent role of NAFLD in predicting the development of pre‐DM in a 7‐year prospective follow‐up of healthy volunteers.
A variable gain amplifier with variable input impedance and auto-zero feedback for spin torque oscillators

This work presents a highly adaptive circuit for amplifying a signal of a spin torque oscillator (STO). For achieving power matching with respect to the STO's variable output resistance, the input impedance of the amplifier can be tuned in the range of 50 Ω to more than 500 Ω. Multiple amplifier stages are deployed leading to accumulated gain of >60 dB at 1 GHz. The -3 dB bandwidth of 1.5 GHz makes this amplifier suitable for vortex STO. A fully integrated and adjustable auto-zero feedback for compensating the DC-offset has been implemented in order to convert the single ended signal into a differential one. The circuit was realized in a 180nm BiCMOS process and includes an I2C-slave interface to adjust on-chip currents and control signal switches.
Low-Temperature Adaptation of the Snow Alga Chlamydomonas nivalis Is Associated With the Photosynthetic System Regulatory Process

The alga Chlamydomonas nivalis thrives in polar snow fields and on high-altitude mountain tops, and contributes significantly on primary production in the polar regions, however, the mechanisms underlying this adaptation to low temperatures are unknown. Here, we compared the growth, photosynthetic activity, membrane lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant activity of C. nivalis with those of the model alga C. reinhardtii, under grow temperature and low temperatures. C. nivalis maintained its photosynthetic activity in these conditions by reducing the light-harvesting ability of photosystem II and enhancing the cyclic electron transfer around photosystem I, both of which limited damage to the photosystem from excess light energy and resulted in ATP production, supporting cellular growth and other physiological processes. Furthermore, the increased cyclic electron transfer rate, carotenoid content, and antioxidant enzyme activities jointly regulated the reactive oxygen species levels in C. nivalis, enabling recovery from excess excitation energy and reduced photooxidative damage to the cell. Therefore, we propose a model in which adaptive mechanisms related to photosynthetic regulation promote the survival and even blooming of C. nivalis under polar environment, suggesting that C. nivalis can provide organic carbon sources as an important primary producer for other surrounding life in the polar regions for maintaining ecosystem.
An Empirical Study on the Relationship between Entrepreneur's Reputation and Financing Constraints

Information asymmetry is an important reason that causes external financing constraints. Because reputation has the function of signal transmission, a better reputation of an entrepreneur can reduce the degree of the firm information asymmetry and alleviate financing constraints of the firm. Based on the grouped sample of 94 listed companies of China from 2007 to 2009, this paper did empirical study on the relationship between entrepreneur’s reputation and financing constraints. The results show that entrepreneur’s reputation has a significant effect on firm financing activity. In other words, higher entrepreneur’s reputation leads to lower financing constraints. This study has a significant impact in helping managers and investors realize the importance of signaling effect of a good reputation in capital market. Meanwhile, it helps motivate entrepreneurs to establish good reputation, increasing the efficiency of capital market.
Electrode materials: a challenge for the exploitation of protonic solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract High temperature proton conductor (HTPC) oxides are attracting extensive attention as electrolyte materials alternative to oxygen-ion conductors for use in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operating at intermediate temperatures (400–700 °C). The need to lower the operating temperature is dictated by cost reduction for SOFC pervasive use. The major stake for the deployment of this technology is the availability of electrodes able to limit polarization losses at the reduced operation temperature. This review aims to comprehensively describe the state-of-the-art anode and cathode materials that have so far been tested with HTPC oxide electrolytes, offering guidelines and possible strategies to speed up the development of protonic SOFCs.