Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A real-time rectification using an adaptive differential encoding for high-resolution video

Previously, various rectification methods using compressed lookup table have been studied for real-time hardware stereo vision system. These loss compression methods may occur distortion that could corrupt disparity estimation process. Differentially encoded lookup table method which is lossless compression has no distortion with reasonable compression ratio. However, the method is limited to low-resolution and low warping movement. In this paper, we propose an adaptively differential encoding method. Our proposed algorithm has approximately 18~26% compression ratio which is comparable to the previous method and tolerates high-resolution video.
The material and culture of financialisation

ABSTRACT This paper provides a framework for understanding the material cultures of financialisation. It does so through a tight definition of financialisation itself (as the spread of interest bearing capital across economic and social reproduction) but also attaches financialisation to broader influences through commodification, commodity form and commodity calculation. These in turn are used to frame the material culture(s) of financialisation through deploying the 10Cs derived from the System of Provision approach: that the material cultures of financialisation are Constructed, Construed, Conforming, Commodified, Contextual, Contradictory, Closed, Contested, Collective and Chaotic. Some emphasis is placed upon the ‘distance’ of financialisation as such from most everyday practices and the systemic lack of knowledge of the financial system however it is represented and experienced.
Evolution of Floral Symmetry

Flowers can be classified into two basic types according to their symmetry: regular flowers have more than one plane of symmetry and irregular flowers have only a single plane of symmetry. The irregular condition is thought to have evolved many times independently from the regular one: most commonly through the appearance of asymmetry along the dorso-ventral axis of the flower. In most cases, the irregular condition is associated with a particular type of inflorescence architecture. To understand the molecular mechanism and evolutionary origin of irregular flowers, we have been investigating genes controlling asymmetry in Antirrhinum. Several mutations have been described in Antirrhinum, a species with irregular flowers, that reduce or eliminate asymmetry along the dorso-ventral axis. We describe the nature of these mutations and how they may be used to analyse the molecular mechanisms underlying floral evolution.
The leukocyte immunoglobulin‐like receptors (LIRs): a new family of immune regulators

Identification of a counterstructure for the human cytomegalovirus‐encoded major histocompatibility complex class I‐related gene product, UL18, has led to the discovery of a novel family of immunoreceptors, termed leukocyte immunoglobulin‐like receptors (LIRs). The LIRs are differentially expressed in cells of the dendritic cell, monocytic and lymphocytic lineages, and appear to mediate diverse roles in immune regulation. This review summarizes the expression, distribution, and signaling capacities of the LIRs and discusses possible roles of the LIRs in both inhibition and activation of the cellular responses. J. Leukoc. Biol. 66: 231–236; 1999.
Entrepreneurship in the Agricultural Sector: A Literature Review and Future Research Opportunities

Heeding calls for contextualizing entrepreneurship research and for greater attention to the role of sector in entrepreneurship research, we conduct a systematic literature review of extant research in agricultural entrepreneurship. Recent and rapid vertical integration and rationalization within the agricultural sector provides a dynamic setting for scholars to investigate entrepreneurship theory and practice. We identify three key contextual dimensions of the agricultural sector: identity, family, and institutions, which provide promising opportunities for future research and the potential to contribute to and extend current theoretical and empirical analyses of entrepreneurship research.
Study of 10 MW-Class Wind Turbine Synchronous Generators With HTS Field Windings

We study the electro-magnetic design of 10 MW-class wind turbine generator with high temperature superconducting field winding by using the FEM analysis. The design examples are presented and the generator characteristics are investigated. The 10 MW-class HTS wind turbine generator is considered to be feasible from the stand point of the electro-magnetic design. In this study, 8-pole and 12-pole generators are investigated. From the results, it is considered that the 8-pole design is preferable compared with the 12-pole design. The analysis also reveals the small synchronous reactance of the HTS wind turbine generator. Therefore, proper protection is necessary for the large short circuit current.
Information and information sources in tasks of varying complexity

This article presents the research findings of a study on task complexity and information-seeking activities in real-life work tasks. The focus was on perceived task complexity, which was determined according to the task performers' prior knowledge about the task ahead. This view on task complexity is closely related to research considering task uncertainty and analyzability. Information-seeking activities considered were a need to acquire different types of information and the subsequent use of different types of sources. The research data were mainly collected by (1) self-recorded journals that were filled out by municipal administrators in the course of performing their ordinary work duties (altogether 78 task diaries), and (2) subsequent interviews. The results indicated that there is a relatively strong relationship between types of information and types of sources. The effects of task complexity made experts more attractive as a source than other people and all types of documentary sources.
Conservation among HSP60 sequences in relation to structure, function, and evolution

The chaperonin HSP60 (GroEL) proteins are essential in eubacterial genomes and in eukaryotic organelles. Functional regions inferred from mutation studies and the Escherichia coli GroEL 3D crystal complexes are evaluated in a multiple alignment across 43 diverse HSP60 sequences, centering on ATP/ADP and Mg2+ binding sites, on residues interacting with substrate, on GroES contact positions, on interface regions between monomers and domains, and on residues important in allosteric conformational changes. The most evolutionary conserved residues relate to the ATP/ADP and Mg2+ binding sites. Hydrophobic residues that contribute in substrate binding are also significantly conserved. A large number of charged residues line the central cavity of the GroEL—GroES complex in the substrate‐releasing conformation. These span statistically significant intra‐ and inter‐monomer three‐dimensional (3D) charge clusters that are highly conserved among sequences and presumably play an important role interacting with the substrate. Unaligned short segments between blocks of alignment are generally exposed at the outside wall of the Anfinsen cage complex. The multiple alignment reveals regions of divergence common to specific evolutionary groups. For example, rickettsial sequences diverge in the ATP/ADP binding domain and Gram‐positive sequences diverge in the allosteric transition domain. The evolutionary information of the multiple alignment proffers attractive sites for mutational studies.
Management of Corporate Volunteers and the Effects of Volunteering on the Well-Being and Engagement of Employees: A Review and Framework for Future Research

Employee volunteering is a topic of growing importance in workplaces around the globe. Similarly, growing research on this phenomenon has seen a significant increase over the past decade, most significantly in different manufacturing and service oriented firms. Nevertheless, the increased visibility of this notion, not much is written on this burning question and the direction for future research is also unclear. In addition, research is currently based on a variety of different definitions but nothing is said about the practices and the propositions which managers should acclimatize to foster enhanced volunteering initiatives within the organization. In order to advance management research on employee volunteering, this literature hinges upon on four contributions: (1) clarifying the theoretical background on corporate volunteering, (2) best practices which managers should adapt to foster corporate volunteering, (3) effects of volunteering on the well-being and engagement of employees, and (4) providing a future research agenda for the role of volunteering and its motives.
Natural regulatory T cells: number and function are normal in the majority of patients with lupus nephritis

CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells have been shown to be a vital component of the mechanisms that prevent autoreactivity in mice and also in humans. Previous studies have examined CD4+ CD25hi regulatory T cell frequency and function in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with mixed results. We investigated frequency, phenotype and function in 21 patients with SLE and six with inactive disease. We found no reduction in frequency of the CD25hi subset, although active disease was associated with an increased proportion of CD4+ CD25+ T cells. When examining function, in the majority of individuals suppression was comparable with controls, although cells isolated from one patient with active disease failed to suppress proliferation. On testing the effect of CD25hi depletion on the responses of whole peripheral blood mononuclear cells to nucleosomes we found that, where a response was detectable from patients, depletion augmented interferon‐γ secretion, demonstrating intact suppression of responses implicated in the pathogenesis of SLE. Our results did not confirm an association of failure in CD4+ CD25hi regulatory T cell function or a reduction in their frequency with active disease. Instead, perturbations in the CD4+ CD25hi regulatory T cell population may play a role in disease in only a minority of the patients afflicted by the diverse syndromes of SLE.
Patterning the Dorsal Telencephalon: A Role for Sonic Hedgehog?

Division of the telencephalic vesicle into hemispheres and specification of the cerebral cortex are key stages in forebrain development. We investigate the interplay in these processes of Sonic hedgehog (Shh), fibroblast growth factors (Fgfs), and the transcription factor Gli3, which in its repressor form (Gli3R) antagonizes Shh signaling and downregulates expression of several Fgf genes. Contrary to previous reports, Shh is not required for dorsal hemisphere separation. Mice lacking Shh develop a dorsal telencephalic midline, a cortical hem, and two cortical hemispheres. The hemispheres do not divide rostrally, probably because of reduced local Fgf gene expression, resulting from the loss of Shh inhibition of Gli3R. Removing one functional copy of Gli3 substantially rescues Fgf expression and rostral telencephalic morphology. In mice lacking Gli3 function, cortical development is arrested, and ventral gene expression invades the dorsal telencephalon. These defects are potentially explained by disinhibition of Shh activity. However, when both copies of Shh are removed from Gli3-null mice, dorsal telencephalic defects persist. One such defect is a large dorsal expansion of the expression of Fgf genes. Fgf15 expression, for example, expands from a discrete ventral domain throughout the dorsal telencephalon. We propose that Fgf signaling, known to ventralize the telencephalon in a Shh-independent manner, suppresses cortical fate in the absence of Gli3. Our findings point away from Shh involvement in dorsal telencephalic patterning and encourage additional exploration of Fgf signaling and Gli3 repression in corticogenesis.
Effect of esophagus distention on urinary bladder function in rats

Micturition process is a spinobulbospinal reflex that is affected by the viscero‐visceral interactions due to convergent inputs into spinal and/or supraspinal centers controlling that reflex. Although interaction between bladder and other pelvic organs, such as colon, are well studied, the viscero‐visceral interaction between urinary bladder and internal organs in other regions are rarely studied.
The Legislature, the Executive, and the Courts: The Delicate Balance of Power or Who is Running this Country Anyway?

The expanding role of Canadian courts since the introduction of the Charter has prompted critics to decry what they see as excessive and "anti-democratic" judicial activism. The author addresses such criticisms, responding, in particular, to the arguments of Ted Morton and Rainer Knopff. The article critiques the basic elements of Morton/Knopf's thesis: that activist courts are anti-democratic, excessively political, and engaging in illegitimate law-making. Rejecting the claim that Canada's judiciary is a less democratic state institution, the author notes the powerful law and policy-making role performed by the federal cabinet-for practical purposes, an unelected body. The author endorses the dialogue in which courts and legislators have engaged since 1982. This dialogue, he argues, is not only democratic, but also ensures accountability for the judiciary, the legislature, and the executive. Referring to recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions, the author suggests that critics of "interventionist" courts harbor a narrow and simplistic "majoritarian" view of democracy, rather than a more nuanced and rights-sensitive concept of enhanced democracy. Such critics also seem more displeased with the substance of "activist" decisions than with the legitimacy of the courts in rendering them. The author concludes that Canadian courts are performing their appropriate constitutional role, and are generally doing so effectively.
Bral1, a Brain-Specific Link Protein, Colocalizing with the Versican V2 Isoform at the Nodes of Ranvier in Developing and Adult Mouse Central Nervous Systems

Bral1, a brain-specific hyaluronan-binding protein, has been cloned recently. To gain insight into the role of Bral1, we generated a specific antibody against this protein. We have examined the detailed localization pattern of Bral1 protein and compared it with that of other members of the lectican proteoglycan family, such as brevican and versican, with which Bral1 is predicted to interact. The immunoreactivity of Bral1 antibody was predominantly observed in myelinated fiber tracts in the adult brain and could be detected at P20 in the white matter of the developing cerebellum, suggesting that expression starts when axonal myelination takes place. Furthermore, immunostaining demonstrated that Bral1 colocalized with the versican V2 isoform at the nodes of Ranvier. The present data suggest that Bral1 may play a pivotal role in the formation of the hyaluronan-associated matrix in the CNS that facilitates neuronal conduction by forming an ion diffusion barrier at the nodes.
Quadratic Recurrent Finite Impulse Response MLP for Indirect Immunofluorescence Image Recognition

The I3A2014 contest participants had to design and implement a pattern recognition system able to classify the cells belonging to HEp-2 images in one of six pattern classes. We propose the QR-FIRMLP architecture, an extension of the finite impulse response multilayer perceptron (FIRMLP). The FIRMLP is a multilayer perceptron where the static weights have been replaced by finite impulse response filters. We have extended this architecture by replacing some sigmoidal layers with quadratic ones and adding recurrent connections to the FIR neurons.
[Expression profiles of miRNA-182 and Clock mRNA in the pineal gland of neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage].

OBJECTIVE To study the changes of miRNA expression in the pineal gland of neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) and the possible roles of miRNA in the pathogenesis of circadian rhythm disturbance after HIBD. METHODS Seven-day-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: HIBD and sham-operated. HIBD was induced according to the Rice-Vannucci method. The pineal glands were obtained 24 hours after the HIBD event. The expression profiles of miRNAs were determined using GeneChip technigue and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Then the miRNA which was highly expressed was selected. The expression levels of the chosen miRNA were detected in different tissues (lungs, intestines, stomach, kidneys, cerebral cortex, pineal gland). RT-PCR analysis was performed to measure the expression profiles of the chosen miRNA and the targeted gene Clock mRNA in the pineal gland at 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours after HIBD. RESULTS miRNA-182 that met the criteria was selected by GeneChip and RT-PCR. miRNA-182 was highly expressed in the pineal gland. Compared with the sham-operated group, the expression of miRNA-182 was significantly up-regulated in the pineal gland at 24 and 48 hours after HIBD (P<0.05). Compared with the sham-operated group, Clock mRNA expression in the HIBD group increased at 0 hour after HIBD, decreased at 48 hours after HIBD and increased at 72 hours after HIBD (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS miRNA-182 may be involved in the pathogenesis of circadian rhythm disturbance after HIBD.
Effect of feed intake on amino acid transfers across the ovine hindquarters

Responses in variables of amino acid (AA) metabolism across peripheral tissues to feed intake were studied in six sheep (mean live weight 32 kg) prepared with arterio–venous catheters across the hindquarters. Four intakes (0·5, 1·0, 1·5 and 2·5 × maintenance energy) were offered over 2-week periods to each sheep in a Latin square design with two animals replicated. Animals were infused intravenously with a mixture of U-13C-labelled AA for 10 h and integrated blood samples withdrawn from the aorta and vena cava hourly between 5 and 9 h of infusion. Biopsy samples were also taken from skin and m. vastus lateralis. Data from both essential (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, threonine) and nonessential (glycine, proline, serine, tyrosine) AA were modelled to give rates of inward and outward transport, protein synthesis and degradation, plus the fraction of total vascular inflow that exchanged with the hindquarter tissues. Rates of inward transport varied more than 10-fold between AA. For all essential AA (plus serine), inward transport increased with food intake (P<0·04). There were corresponding increases in AA efflux (P<0·05) from the tissues for threonine and the branched-chain AA. Protein synthesis rates estimated from the kinetics of these AA also increased with intake (P<0·02). Rates of inward transport greatly exceeded the amount of AA necessary to support protein retention, but were more similar to rates of protein synthesis. Nutritional or other strategies to enhance AA transport into peripheral tissues are unlikely to increase anabolic responses.
Comparison of U.S. and Japanese Consumers’ Perceptions of Remanufactured Auto Parts

This study compares U.S. and Japanese consumers’ perceptions of remanufactured auto parts. Remanufactured parts have a long history and enjoy continuing success in the U.S. domestic aftermarket. In contrast, although Japan's domestic aftermarket is growing, it remains comparatively underdeveloped. This research examines whether customers’ perceptions of remanufactured products explain their lower acceptance in Japan. Our Internet survey of 440 U.S. and 300 Japanese respondents examined their knowledge of remanufactured auto parts, perceptions of their benefits and risks, and price consciousness. The results reveal that Japanese consumers know less about remanufactured products, perceiving them as entailing lower benefits and greater risk, especially concerning quality, and are less price conscious. Drawing on its results, this study suggests measures to promote markets for remanufactured auto parts in Japan and in economies in which such markets are in an early stage of development.
Potent 2'-amino-2'-deoxypyrimidine RNA inhibitors of basic fibroblast growth factor.

Screening of random oligonucleotide libraries with SELEX [systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment; Tuerk, C. , & Gold, L. (1990) Science 249, 505-510] has emerged as a powerful method for identifying high-affinity nucleic acid ligands for a wide range of molecular targets. Nuclease sensitivity of unmodified RNA and DNA, however, imposes considerable restrictions on their use as therapeutics or diagnostics. Modified RNA in which pyrimidine 2'-hydroxy groups have been substituted with 2'-amino groups (2'-aminopyrimidine RNA) is known to be substantially more resistant to serum nucleases. We report here on the use of SELEX to identify high-affinity 2'-aminopyrimidine RNA ligands to a potent angiogenic factor, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). High-affinity ligands with the same consensus primary structure have been isolated from two independent libraries of approximately 6 x 10(14) molecules containing 30 or 50 randomized positions. Compared to unmodified RNA with the same sequence, 2'-aminopyrimidine ligands are at least 1000-fold more stable in 90% human serum. The sequence information required for high-affinity binding to bFGF is contained within 24-26 nucleotides. The minimal ligand m21A (5'-GGUGUGUGGAAGACAGCGGGUGGUUC-3'; G = guanosine, A = adenosine, C = 2'-amino-2'-deoxycytidine, U = 2'-amino-2'-deoxyuridine, and C = 2'-amino-2'-deoxycytidine or deoxycytidine) binds to bFGF with an apparent dissociation constant (Kd) of 3.5 +/- 0.3) x 10(-10) M at 37 degrees C in phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.4). Disassociation of m21A from bFGF is adequately described with a first-order rate constant of (1.96 +/- 0.08) x 10(-3) s-1 (t1/2 = 5.9 min). The calculated value for the association rate constant (kon = k(off)/Kd) was 5.6 x 10(6) M-1 s-1. Highly specific binding of m21A to bFGF was observed: binding to denatured bFGF, five proteins from the FGF family (acidic FGF, FGF-4, FGF-5, FGF-6, and FGF-7), and four other heparin binding proteins is substantially weaker under the same conditions with KdbFGF/Kdprotein values ranging from (4.1 +/- 1.4) x 10(-2) to > 10(-6). Heparin but not chondroitin sulfate competed for binding of m21A to bFGF. In cell culture, m21A inhibited [125I]bFGF binding to both low-affinity sites (ED50 approximately 1 nM) and high-affinity sites (ED50 approximately 3 nM) on CHO cells expressing transfected FGF receptor-1. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
The CETA Ratification Saga: The Demise of ISDS in EU Trade Agreements?

This article focuses on the frustrating, time-consuming and difficult legal and political process through which the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is being put into force in the European Union. The CETA approach includes approval of the agreements initially by the EU Commission, EU Council and EU Parliament, but also unanimously by the approximately 38 national and regional EU Member State Parliaments. That unanimity requirement has raised doubts as to whether any future controversial trade agreement — and if CETA is controversial so much more so are all others — could effectively be put into force by the EU, whether or not it contains ISDS mechanisms. Fortunately, the EU Court of Justice decision on similar issues arising from the EU-Singapore FTA promises a more streamlined approval process within the EU alone for future trade agreements. However, there are two caveats: a) any ISDS and related investment provisions should be treated in a distinct agreement for separate EU and Member State approval; and b) notwithstanding the EU’s legal powers post-Court of Justice decision to conclude FTAs on its exclusive authority, EU politics may make it difficult or impossible for the EU to do so.