Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Musicians—Same or Different?

In the neuroscience of music, musicians have traditionally been treated as a unified group, as if the demands set by their musical activities would be more or less equal in terms of perceptual, cognitive, and motor functions. However, obviously, their musical preferences differentiate them to a higher degree, for instance, in terms of the instrument they choose and the music genre they are mostly engaged with as well as their practicing style. This diversity in musicians’ profiles has been recently taken into account in several empirical endeavors. The present contribution will review the evidence available about the various neurocognitive profiles these different kinds of musicians display.
Impedance Bandwidth Performance of TM10ẟ Mode in Equilateral Triangular DRA

In this paper a method for calculating the impedance bandwidth around the resonance frequency of TM$_{10\delta}$ mode excited inside an Equilateral Triangular Dielectric Resonator Antenna (ETDRA) is reported. The method utilizes the expression of quality factor $(Q-$factor) of TM$_{10\delta}$ mode, which is obtained through curve fitting approximation technique. Q-factor is a function of aspect ratio $(a/h)$ and the material dielectric constant $(\epsilon_{r})$. The bandwidth performances of such modes around the resonance frequencies for different degrees of impedance matching are discussed. The proposed method for calculating the impedance bandwidth is also validated by comparing with the practical bandwidth of the ETDRAs reported in the literature.
DIFFERENT GENERATIONS IN THE LABOR MARKET – IMPLICATIONS FOR THE WORKPLACE: THE CASE OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

The issue of generations, namely the focus on their characteristics and the current and future impact on business practices, is the key factor for business management due to the diversity of this generations. The paper on this issue aims to analyze the current and future trend of generation groups in the Czech Republic with respect to their characteristics and to the demography development on the Czech labor market. The paper theoretically defines issues of demographic development and generations (Baby Boomers, X, Y, Z), including their often different timing anchors and qualitative characteristics. Subsequently, on the basis of statistical data analysis, the labor market situation in the Czech Republic is characterized by a focus on individual generations. The paper also analyzes the population development of individual generations with the presentation of the 5 and 10-year forecasts. In the end, there are presented possible threats (change of generation groups, occupying higher positions, similarity of generations) or opportunities (unique diversity) that companies should take into account in their business practices. There are also three areas (evaluation, communication and mentoring) where the author presents the possible management of business processes and their limitation.
Regression classifier for Improved Temporal Record Linkage

Temporal record linkage is the process of identifying groups of records which are collected over long periods of time, such as census databases or voter registration databases, that represent the same real-world entities. These datasets often contain temporal information for each record, such as the time when a record was created, or the time when it was modified. Unlike traditional record linkage, which treats differences between records from the same entity as errors or variations, temporal record linkage aims to capture records from entities where the details of these entities change over the time. This paper proposes a temporal record linkage approach that learns the probabilities for attribute values of records to change within different periods of time, which extends an existing temporal approach decay model. The proposed method uses a regression based machine learning model to predict decay with sets of attributes, where attribute values in each set could affect the decay of others. Our experimental results show that the proposed approach results in generally better recall than baseline approaches on real-world datasets.
Subversion Mechanisms by Which Leishmania Parasites Can Escape the Host Immune Response: a Signaling Point of View

SUMMARY The obligate intracellular parasite Leishmania must survive the antimicrobial activities of its host cell, the macrophage, and prevent activation of an effective immune response. In order to do this, it has developed numerous highly successful strategies for manipulating activities, including antigen presentation, nitric oxide and oxygen radical generation, and cytokine production. This is generally the result of interactions between Leishmania cell surface molecules, particularly gp63 and LPG, and less well identified macrophage surface receptors, causing the distortion of specific intracellular signaling cascades. We describe some of the signaling pathways and intermediates that are repressed in infected cells, including JAK/STAT, Ca2+-dependent protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms, and mitogen-activated protein kinases (especially ERK1/2), and proteasome-mediated transcription factor degradation. We also discuss protein tyrosine phosphatases (particularly SHP-1), intracellular Ca2+, Ca2+-independent PKC, ceramide, and the suppressors of cytokine signaling family of repressors, which are all reported to be activated following infection, and the role of parasite-secreted cysteine proteases.
Country Risk – Cost of Equity Measurement: Methodologies and Implications

Evaluating investments in international (and particularly in emerging) markets often leads to confusion and controversy among academics and practitioners. Various theories propose competing models, whereas practitioners build their own alternatives. Our study provides an assessment of the most widely used methods of assessing country risk and shows that practitioners should carefully choose their country risk model. Current models produce a wide range of cost of equity estimates that can considerably affect management decisions. Our case study of reference firms in emerging markets reveals considerable spreads in the models’ estimates of up to 25.6 percentage points for individual firms and 15.4 percentage points on average.
Electrophysiological Properties of Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla Presympathetic Neurons Modulated by the Respiratory Network in Rats

The respiratory pattern generator modulates the sympathetic outflow, the strength of which is enhanced by challenges produced by hypoxia. This coupling is due to the respiratory-modulated presympathetic neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), but the underlining electrophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. For a better understanding of the neural substrates responsible for generation of this respiratory-sympathetic coupling, we combined immunofluorescence, single cell qRT-pCR, and electrophysiological recordings of the RVLM presympathetic neurons in in situ preparations from normal rats and rats submitted to a metabolic challenge produced by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). Our results show that the spinally projected cathecholaminergic C1 and non-C1 respiratory-modulated RVLM presympathetic neurons constitute a heterogeneous neuronal population regarding the intrinsic electrophysiological properties, respiratory synaptic inputs, and expression of ionic currents, albeit all neurons presented persistent sodium current-dependent intrinsic pacemaker properties after synaptic blockade. A specific subpopulation of non-C1 respiratory-modulated RVLM presympathetic neurons presented enhanced excitatory synaptic inputs from the respiratory network after CIH. This phenomenon may contribute to the increased sympathetic activity observed in CIH rats. We conclude that the different respiratory-modulated RVLM presympathetic neurons contribute to the central generation of respiratory-sympathetic coupling as part of a complex neuronal network, which in response to the challenges produced by CIH contribute to respiratory-related increase in the sympathetic activity.
Intranasal administration of a detoxified endotoxin vaccine protects mice against heterologous Gram-negative bacterial pneumonia

When given passively or elicited actively, antibodies induced by a detoxified Escherichia coli J5 mutant lipopolysaccharide (J5dLPS)-group B meningococcal outer membrane protein (-OMP) vaccine previously protected animals from lethal sepsis. To assess the use of this vaccine for the treatment of Gram-negative bacillary pneumonia, we vaccinated mice, with or without the adjuvant CpG, by intranasal (i.n.) or intraperitoneal (i.p.) routes of administration. Local and systemic IgG levels were 2—3 logs higher following i.p. immunization compared to i.n. However, i.n. immunization elicited both local and systemic IgA, unlike i.p. administration. The addition of CpG to the vaccine, by either route of administration, elicited greater levels of antibody. Intranasal immunization protected mice against lethal heterologous Gram-negative bacillary pneumonia and post-immunization serum and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid mediated enhanced bacterial killing with peritoneal and alveolar macrophages in vitro. We conclude that further studies on the use of J5dLPS-OMP for the prevention of nosocomial pneumonia are warranted.
Coming to grips with a RISC: a report of the progress of the LOW RISC design group

The need for more than one person's effort to accomplish the work needed to formalize, gain acceptance for, fund and realize the LOW RISC led to the establishment of the LOW RISC Design Group at Arizona State University. Since the public presentation of the LOW RISC concept at the Third IEEE Symposium on Logic Programming in September 1986 an intensive effort to build the infra-structure necessary for this project has been underway, and is beginning to show results.
DECENTRALIZING PUBLIC SECTOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND THE CONTRADICTIONS OF FEDERAL PRACTICE IN NIGERIA

Economic reforms and the quest for efficiency in public administration call for the decentralization of collective bargaining and wages in the public sector in Nigeria. But the effort to decentralize has translated into both a protracted industrial relations crisis and intergovernmental conflict. This situation is traced to the failed effort at institutionalising collective bargaining and the consolidation of the unified wage structure in the public sector by the resort to ad hoc wages commissions. The distorted fiscal federalism and intergovern- mental relations under the military in Nigeria complicated the situation, such that resolving the federal question has become critical to returning stability to Nigeria's industrial relations system.
Forearm Mixed Nerve Conduction Velocity: Questionable Role in the Evaluation of Retrograde Axonal Atrophy in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Summary: The objective of this study was to determine whether forearm mixed nerve conduction velocity (Fmix) reflects the real conduction velocity of forearm motor nerve (Fmot) and forearm sensory nerve (Fsen) fibers passing through the carpal tunnel. Forearm mixed nerve conduction velocity is presumed to be indicative of the conduction velocity of the median nerve over the forearm. Therefore, Fmix is used widely to assess the causes of slowing forearm conduction velocity in carpal tunnel syndrome. However, some authors claim that Fmix comes chiefly from the undamaged fibers in carpal tunnel syndrome, and thus cannot replace Fmot or Fsen in the evaluation of retrograde axonal atrophy. Patients with clinical symptoms and signs of carpal tunnel syndrome confirmed with standard electrodiagnosis were included. Age‐matched volunteers served as control subjects. Conduction velocities across the wrist and over the forearm were measured, including those of the wrist sensory (Wsen), wrist motor (Wmot), and wrist mixed nerves (Wmix); and forearm mixed (Fmix), forearm motor (Fmot), and forearm sensory nerves (Fsen). The authors compared and correlated Wsen, Wmot, and Wmix; and Fmix, Fmot, and Fsen respectively. The mean values of Wsen, Wmot, Wmix, Fmix, Fmot, and Fsen of the control subjects less those of corresponding conduction velocity of carpal tunnel syndrome patients were designated Wsen N, Wmot N, Wmix N, Fmix N, Fmot N, and Fsen N respectively and were compared and correlated again. Wrist motor nerve conduction velocity, Wsen, and Wmix were significantly lower in carpal tunnel syndrome patients, and Fmot and Fsen but not Fmix were reduced significantly when compared with control subjects. Mean wrist sensory nerve conduction velocity, Wmot N, and Wmix N; and Fsen N and Fmot N showed good correlation except for Fmix N, suggesting that Fmix reflects the conduction velocity of undamaged fibers in carpal tunnel syndrome. Forearm mixed nerve conduction velocity cannot replace Fmot or Fsen in the assessment of retrograde axonal atrophy in carpal tunnel syndrome. In the disease state, Fmix possibly represents the conduction velocity of the palmar cutaneous branch.
Lean manufacturing awareness and its implementation status in the apparel industry in Bangladesh

Most recently the apparel manufacturing industries of Bangladesh have been greatly affected by several factors such as global competition, increased manufacturing and transportation cost, changing buyer habits and expected social compliance. However, the literature study reveals that the use of advanced manufacturing and management system such as lean manufacturing (LM) system allows manufacturing firms to be more successful even operating in a more challenging and competitive environment. To analyse the LM awareness and its current status of implementation in the apparel industry in Bangladesh, a survey was conducted. This paper addresses the awareness level of LM system, lean tools and techniques and the degree of lean implementation in the apparel industry.
Muscular strength and physical function in elderly adults 6–18 months after a 12-week resistance exercise program

Aims: Benefits of resistance exercise in elderly people are well documented; however, sustaining these benefits can be difficult and adherence is often poor. Muscular strength and physical function usually decline after a supervised resistance exercise program (REP). We investigated these changes in older adults during an observational follow-up and whether leisure time physical activity (LTPA) or unsupervised resistance exercise (RE) limit these changes. Methods: Subjects (N=236, 73.7±5.7 years, 58.2% female) had participated in a supervised 12-week REP. Quadriceps strength and timed-up-and-go performance (TUG) at follow-up were compared to values before and after REP. Multivariate statistics were used to predict changes in strength or function. Results: Two hundred and eleven (90.3%) participants completed REP and 149 (63.1%) completed follow-up (11.4±2.9 months). Quadriceps strength at follow-up decreased significantly compared to after REP (–27N), but was higher than before REP (+30N). TUG did not decrease during follow-up and was better than before REP (–0.9 seconds). LTPA (+38.0N, p<0.001) and RE (+31.6N, p=0.006) predicted strength at follow-up, although they did not completely prevent loss of strength during follow-up. Conclusions: Quadriceps strength declines after a 12-week resistance exercise program in older adults. Neither LTPA nor RE completely prevents loss of quadriceps strength during follow-up, although they limited the loss. TUG did not change during follow-up and was better at follow-up than before the start of the resistance exercise program.
Crowdsourced Smart Cities versus Corporate Smart Cities

Considering the speedy growth of smart-city promises and practices, there is an urgent need to take a critical approach and offer an integrated vision for an otherwise fragmented and sectoral concept. In particular, the literature warns about a critical deficit around the theorization of the smart city because discussions of relevant smart city theories or frameworks are few and fall short of offering alternative practical resolutions to the dominant discourse. In developing a response to such a deficit, this paper takes up the challenge to broaden theoretical insights into smart cities, by offering a bottom-up understanding of the ‘smart city’ concept with special attention to the potential of passive crowdsourcing based on the ocean of mostly untapped and unutilized available data in the public domain. Crowdsourced smart cities are proposed as an alternative to enable public engagement in smart city debates and decision-making – especially when dealing with global digital corporations.
Dimerization of Bacterial Diaminopimelate Epimerase Is Essential for Catalysis*

Background: Diaminopimelate epimerase catalyzes a key step in the synthesis of meso-diaminopimelate and lysine. Results: Solution and crystal studies show that diaminopimelate epimerase exists as an active dimer, whereas a monomeric mutant is catalytically inactive. Conclusion: The diaminopimelate epimerase dimer is essential for function with evidence suggesting that dimerization attenuates subunit dynamics. Significance: Structural insights into the design of antimicrobial agents to disrupt diaminopimelate epimerase dimerization are provided. Diaminopimelate (DAP) epimerase is involved in the biosynthesis of meso-DAP and lysine, which are important precursors for the synthesis of peptidoglycan, housekeeping proteins, and virulence factors in bacteria. Accordingly, DAP epimerase is a promising antimicrobial target. Previous studies report that DAP epimerase exists as a monomeric enzyme. However, we show using analytical ultracentrifugation, X-ray crystallography, and enzyme kinetic analyses that DAP epimerase from Escherichia coli exists as a functional dimer in solution and the crystal state. Furthermore, the 2.0-Å X-ray crystal structure of the E. coli DAP epimerase dimer shows for the first time that the enzyme exists in an open, active conformation. The importance of dimerization was subsequently probed by using site-directed mutagenesis to generate a monomeric mutant (Y268A). Our studies show that Y268A is catalytically inactive, thus demonstrating that dimerization of DAP epimerase is essential for catalysis. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the DAP epimerase monomer is inherently more flexible than the dimer, suggesting that dimerization optimizes protein dynamics to support function. Our findings offer insight into the development of novel antimicrobial agents targeting the dimeric antibiotic target DAP epimerase.
Analyse dans le plan courbure-vitesse d'un changement de direction lors de la marche

La marche est un moyen de locomotion essentiel pour l'etre humain. La marche en courbe fait partie des synergies motrices fondamentales qui permettent de se deplacer en securite lorsqu'un sujet tourne dans un couloir ou evite un obstacle. Ce travail vise a approfondir l'etude de la marche en courbe afin de definir des invariants locomoteurs fondamentaux pour l'explication biomecanique et neuroscientifique du mouvement mais aussi pour la generation de trajectoires realistes en animation et en robotique humanoide. L'originalite de ce travail est de considerer la trajectoire locomotrice humaine dans l'espace defini par la courbure et la vitesse de la trajectoire.Dans un premier temps, nous proposons une definition objective du virage qui s'appuie sur la relation discrete entre la courbure moyenne et la vitesse moyenne de la trajectoire a chaque pas du sujet en comparaison avec ces memes parametres en ligne droite. Puis, nous nous interessons aux relations de type loi de puissance entre vitesse et courbure au cours d'un virage. Nous demontrons l'existence d'une relation inter-individuelle au maximum de courbure. Enfin, nous nous interessons au cas plus complexe de l'evitement de collision entre deux marcheurs afin d'identifier les strategies mises en place. Ces strategies dependent de l'ordre de passage des sujets.
Improved Reading Skills and Behavior in Primary School Students who Used Fast ForWord ® Language at a Singapore Public School MAPS for Learning : Educator Reports

Purpose: This study investigated the use of the Fast ForWord Language product as a reading intervention for students with reading problems alone or with auditory processing disorders (APD) and reading problems. Study Design: This study used a pre-test/post-test correlational design to explore the relationship between pre-intervention status (APD or non-APD) and intervention outcomes. A battery of commercially available, standardized or criterion-referenced tests was used to evaluate outcomes. Participants: Study participants were poor readers ranging in age from 6.5 to 10 years old, recruited from a public primary school in Singapore. The participants included an equal number of students with APD and without APD. Materials & Implementation: Following staff training on the Fast ForWord products, students used the Fast ForWord Language product over a period of 5 weeks. Before and after Fast ForWord Language use, student skills were evaluated with a test battery comprising the SCAN-C Test for Auditory Processing Disorders In Children-Revised, the Phonological Awareness subtest from the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-4 Edition, the Test of Word Reading Efficiency, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to identify significant performance gains and differences in improvement across the APD and non-APD groups. Results: On average, the students who used the Fast ForWord Language product made significant improvements in auditory processing, phonemic awareness, phonological decoding, sight word reading, and attention/conduct as measured by the test battery, with no significant differences between the improvements of the APD and non-APD groups. The improvements on early reading skills were quite substantial: on average, students with auditory processing disorders improving their sightword reading from around the 13 percentile to the 27 percentile, while students without auditory processing disorders improved from 25 percentile to the 52.
Autocrine/Paracrine IL-15 That Is Required for Type I IFN-Mediated Dendritic Cell Expression of MHC Class I-Related Chain A and B Is Impaired in Hepatitis C Virus Infection 1

We previously reported that monocyte-derived dendritic cells activate resting NK cells by expressing MHC class I-related chain A and B (MICA/B), ligands for NKG2D, in response to IFN-α, but the MICA/B expression was severely impaired in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. In the present study, we examined induction of MICA/B on DCs by various innate cytokines and found that DCs from either healthy donors or HCV-infected individuals, upon IL-15 stimulation, express MICA/B and can activate NK cells, which is solely dependent on MICA/B-NKG2D interaction. Of interest is the finding that IL-15- and type I IFN-mediated induction of MICA/B in healthy donors is completely inhibited when DCs are incubated in the presence of anti-IFN-α/βR or anti-IL-15Rα, respectively, suggesting interdependent roles of these cytokines in MICA/B expression. Indeed, DCs produced IL-15 in response to type I IFN, whereas they directly produced IFN-β, in response to IL-15, which was followed by the production of IFN-α. In HCV-infected individuals, type I IFN-mediated production of IL-15 was virtually absent, but IL-15-mediated production of type I IFN was not compromised, which is consistent with the distinct ability of these cytokines to induce MICA/B in these patients. The present study demonstrates that IL-15 and type I IFN lead to DC expression of MICA/B and subsequent DC activation of NK cells, which is critically dependent on each other’s autocrine/paracrine effect, and suggests that impaired IL-15 production is one of the mechanisms of the aberrant response of DC to type I IFN in HCV-infected patients.