Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pension Incentives and the Retirement Decisions of Couples

This paper presents empirical evidence of the influence of a spouse"s pension incentives on the retirement decision of the other spouse. We study the 1993 Age Pension reform in Australia, which increased the eligibility age for Age Pension benefit payments for women only. This exogenous variation in women"s retirement incentives provides an ideal experiment for the study of spill-over effects. Using this source of variation, we find that the increase in the pension eligibility age for women i) is associated with an increase in the labor force participation of married women, ii) leads to an increase in the labor force participation of men who are married to those women in the affected cohorts and iii) has an insignificant negative effect on the probability of those husbands receiving disability pensions. These behavioral responses are explained by a combination of life-cycle wealth effects and shared leisure preferences.
Finding interactions of SCRAMBLED by using the yeast two-hybrid system

Author(s): Nguyen, Jacqueline Phuong Anh | Abstract: Many crop plants, like soybean and canola, have pods that open to release seeds. However, the molecular mechanism of this pod-opening process is not well understood. I have studied two genes, called SCRAMBLED (SCM) and QUIRKY (QKY), that regulate this process in Arabidopsis thaliana. SCM encodes for a leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase and QKY encodes for a transmembrane protein with C2 domains. Mutations in these genes cause the plants to have small, twisted, and non-shattering pods contrasting to wild type pods, which are long, straight, and shattering. I carried out a double mutant analysis to determine if SCM and QKY genes function in the same genetic pathway. scm qky double mutants show very similar phenotypes to scm and qky phenotypes indicating that both genes function in the same genetic pathway. Using yeast two-hybrid assay, I showed that SCM and QKY proteins do not bind to each other in yeast. In addition, I screened a flower cDNA library using the yeast two-hybrid system for interactors of QKY, SCM extracellular domain, and SCM kinase domain. I found many interactors of SCM in yeast. However, so far, knock-out mutants of the genes did not show scm-like phenotypes. Further tests need to be done in order to determine if any of these putative interactors of SCM actually bind to SCM in Arabidopsis
INTERNAL CORPORATE GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS AND AUDIT REPORT LAG: A STUDY OF MALAYSIAN LISTED COMPANIES

This study attempts to investigate the link between corporate governance mechanisms and audit report lag for companies listed on Bursa Malaysia from 2007 to 2009. The 288 companies listed on Bursa Malaysia have been randomly selected. The corporate governance mechanisms examined include the board of directors and audit committee. It shows that there are significant negative relationships between board diligence, audit committee independence and expertise. The higher the number of meetings being held indicates that the board is discharging their role towards the company. The results show that audit committee independence and audit committee expertise could assist in reducing audit report lag among companies in Malaysia. Its provide some evidence supporting the resource based theory, whereby characteristics of the audit committee, such as the resources and capabilities, could improve companies’ performance as well as corporate reporting.However, it could not provide any evidence concerning the link between board independence, board expertise, CEO duality and audit committee diligence on audit report lag. This study provides comprehensive examination of ARL on Malaysian listed companies for three years period. It is consider the initial study to provide a thorough examination of the association between corporate governance characteristics and ARL.
145-153 Nurita AT.pmd

Three species composition surveys were conducted in a rural location in Kedah and an urban location in Pulau Pinang. Two of the surveys were conducted in November 2003, the first was at the Kedah site and the second was at the Pulau Pinang site. The third survey was conducted at the Pulau Pinang site again on the last week of April 2004. All these surveys were conducted one week prior to field evaluations of commercial chemical fly baits. The predominant species recovered from the surveys was the house fly, Musca domestica, which ranked first in prevalence in all three studies. Catches of Musca sorbens, Chrysoma megacephala and Lucillia cuprina were lower than M. domestica. Sarcophaga sp. was not present at the Kedah site and was only present at the Pulau Pinang site during the survey in April 2004. The other fly species present at the Kedah site were Megaselia sp. , Psycoda sp. , Piophila sp. and Fannia sp. These species were scarce and never exceeded 1% of the total catch.
The effect of nevirapine vs efavirenz containing regimens on clinical outcomes among HIV patients on ART: a comparative study

Background: The present study has been conducted to compare regimens containing either of nevirapine (NVP) and efavirenz (EFV) and two or more nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) among HIV infected patients in respect to clinical outcome and to compare incidence of opportunistic infections among these patients. Methods: This study was an observational study conducted at a tertiary care centre over 105 patients, who were evenly matched and received three antiretroviral drug one of the drug was either nevirapine (NVP) or efavirenz (EFV) and these patients were followed up for 6 months for occurrence of any opportunistic infections during these 6 months. Results: 105 patients were followed for 6 months, the maximum incidence of opportunistic infection (OI’s) was found among patients who were on ZLN (zidovudine, lamivudine, nevirapine) regime i.e. 60% followed by patients who changed their regime from ZLN to TLE i.e. 36.5%, while the least incidence of OI’s was noted among the patients who were on TLE (tenofovir, lamivudine, efavirenz) regime i.e. 28.5%. These differences were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusions: EFV containing antiretroviral regimen was associated with superior clinical outcome than NVP containing regimen.
Pharmacogenetics of the Cytochrome P450 Enzyme System: Review of Current Knowledge and Clinical Significance

Genetic variation in drug metabolizing enzymes is an important contributor to interindividual variation in drug disposition and response and is associated with significant clinical consequences. Many commonly used drugs are dependent on the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase enzymes (CYP450) for their metabolism and elimination. At present, more than 57 active human CYP450 genes are known, and the majority of these genes are polymorphic. Despite the large number of CYP450 genes, only the CYP1, CYP2, and CYP3 families of enzymes have a major role in drug metabolism. Approximately 10 CYP450s are responsible for the metabolism of a large number of pharmacologic agents in human beings. The polymorphic forms of the CYP450s are responsible for the development of a significant number of adverse drug reactions and may also contribute to drug response. Genetic polymorphisms have now been identified in the genes encoding all the main CYP450s that contribute to drug and other xenobiotic metabolism, and there are marked interethnic differences in the distribution and frequency of variant alleles. A review of the progress in the pharmacogenetics of P450s that are important for drug metabolism is presented with particular emphasis on the clinical relevance of this research.
DIGITAL EXHIBITIONS AND FRUITION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS

During the last two decades, since digital technologies have become more sophisticated in acquiring real data and building faithful copies of them, their improvements have suggested interesting applications in the field of valorisation of Historical, Cultural and Artistic Heritage, with significant consequences in the share and widespread of knowledge. But although several technologies and methodologies for 3d digitization have recently been developed and improved, the lack of a standard procedure and the costs connected to their use still doesn’t encourage the systematic digital acquisition of wide collections and heritage. The aim of this paper is to show the state of the art of a project whose aim is to provide a methodology and a procedure to create digital reproductions of artefacts for Institutions called to preserve, manage and enhance the fruition of archaeological finds inside museums or through digital exhibitions. Our project’s aim is to find the most suitable procedure to digitally acquire archaeological artefacts that usually have small dimensions and have very complex and detailed surfaces. Within our methodology, particular attention has been paid to the use of widely shared and open-source visualization systems that enhance the involvement of the user by emphasizing three-dimensional characteristics of artefacts through virtual reality. Figure 1. The developed methodology, from the analysis of the artefact and of survey conditions and aims (a), to the selection of the most suitable acquisition technology (b), to the survey of metric information (c), to the addition of radiometric information (d), to visualization (e). * Corresponding author.
Color for Interior Architecture

What is Color? The Dynamics of Interior Color. Depth Cues, Legibility, and Illusion. Seeing Color and What is Colored. Optical Interactions Among Colors. Harmonic Relationships of Hues. The Relationship Between Surface Color and Light. Interior Background Color. Illumination, Reflective Materials, and Color. The Personal and Public Image of Interior Color. Bibliography. Credits for Color Art. Index.
Investigating the Role(s) of LHCSRs in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Photosynthetic organisms must balance light absorption and light utilization. Excess absorbed light leads to the production of reactive oxygen species that can cause photo-oxidative damage to the cell and even cell death. To counteract the excess absorbed light, plants and algae turn on the rapid component of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) known as qE to dissipate the extra energy as heat. From studies of higher plants, it is known that three factors are needed for the activation of qE: 1) de-epoxidized xanthophylls synthesized by a xanthophyll cycle, 2) a high proton gradient across the thylakoid membrane, and 3) the PsbS protein, a member of the light-harvesting complex (LHC) protein superfamily. Although the first two components are also involved in qE in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, PsbS does not appear to play a role in quenching. The role of a different protein, called light-harvesting complex stress-related (LHCSR), was demonstrated by molecular genetic analysis of the npq4 mutant of Chlamydomonas. This mutant is deficient in qE and lacks two closely linked LHCSR genes (LHCSR3.1 and LHCSR3.2) that encode identical LHCSR3 proteins. A third gene, LHCSR1, encodes a second LHCSR isoform that is also involved in qE. The LHCSR1 protein is overexpressed in a suppressor of npq4 that partially restores the qE capacity of the mutant. A loss-of-function lhcsr1 mutation was isolated using reverse genetics, and an lhcsr1 npq4 double mutant exhibited no qE. Thus, all qE in Chlamydomonas is dependent on LHCSR proteins. Based on biochemical and biophysical analysis of a reconstituted LHCSR3 pigment-protein complex and site-directed mutagenesis of LHCSR3, LHCSRs have a dual function in Chlamydomonas, acting as sensors of lumen pH and as the sites of quenching, unlike in higher plants where the role of high light sensing is attributed to PsbS and the sites of quenching are in the minor and/or major antenna complexes. These findings have interesting implications for the evolution of qE in the green lineage.
A Survey: Cluster Head Election for Minimum Average Energy Consumption in WSN

Wireless sensor networks are increasingly prepared to handle more difficult functions, in-network processing may require these Threshold powered sensors to carefully use their constrained energy to extend the effective network life time exclusively in a heterogeneous settings. Clustered techniques have since been active to optimize energy consumption in this energy constrained wireless sensor networks. We introduce improved LEACH clustering algorithm in a three-tier node state to prolong the effective network life-time and average energy consumption with saturated round of nodes. This review would allow developers to directly observe the entire environment at once, while also providing access to all the debugging tools of a modern compiler environment. Our program attempts to mix the review of communication and routing protocols among sensors with virtual representations of a real world object, such as the sensors and other entities in the environment.
Uptake study of ClONO2 and BrONO2 by Halide containing droplets

The uptake kinetics of gaseous ClONO2 and BrONO2 on aqueous surfaces were measured, as a function of temperature and liquid composition (pure water and NaCl or NaBr containing solutions) using the droplet train technique coupled to a mass spectrometer. The uptake kinetics are driven by the reactivity of these gases and, for both compounds, the uptake rates on pure water or on NaCl solutions (0.1 M) are comparable. The uptake coefficient γ of ClONO2 does not depend on the temperature while that of BrONO2 increases slightly when the temperature is raised from 272 to 280 K. For ClONO2 and BrONO2, the uptake rates increase on NaBr-doped droplets, enabling the estimation of the mass accommodation coefficient α. The corresponding values for α are 0.108±0.033 for ClONO2 and 0.063±0.021 for BrONO2 where the statistical errors correspond to ±2σ . The reactions of ClONO2 and BrONO2 on NaCl solutions lead respectively to the formation of Cl2 and BrCl. The uptake of ClONO2 on NaBr solutions generates BrCl as primary product, which in turn can react with NaBr to produce Br2. As expected, the only product of BrONO2 reaction on NaBr solution is Br2.
Geochemical evidence of oceanic iron fertilization by the Kasatochi volcanic eruption in 2008 and the potential impacts on Pacific sockeye salmon

The Kasatochi volcanic eruption that occurred in the central Aleutian Islands in Alaska, USA, in August 2008 is thought to have induced a massive diatom bloom in the iron-limited waters of the Gulf of Alaska, which potentially affected the oceanic food web by increasing the abundance of zooplankton and sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka in the northeast Pacific Ocean. We report the first seawater experiments involving volcanic ash ejected from the Kasatochi eruption, showing that the ash released 61 to 83 nmol Fe, 374 to 410 nmol NO3-, 5 to 6 nmol PO43- and 170 to 585 nmol SiO2 when it contacted seawater. Our study suggests that the amount of iron released from Kasatochi ash (an increase of 2.0 to 2.8 nM Fe) was indeed sufficient to cause the observed phytoplankton bloom in the northeastern Pacific Gyre, while the impact of macronutrient release was minimal. We further evaluated the multiple, interdependent processes in the oceanic food web related to the diatom bloom, involving the ocean survival of juvenile salmon that entered the northeast Pacific Ocean in the summer of 2008.
A multivariate study of biotic and abiotic relationships in a subtidal algal stand

The distribution patterns of dominant macrophytes (Gelidium sesquipedale. Saccorhiza polyschides and Laminaria ochroleuca) in relation to local ablotic conditions (depth, sediment loading and substrate topography) were investigated in a commercial stand of G. sesquipedale off Cape Espichel, Portugal, using princ~pal component analysis. Observed patterns were analysed using n~ultlple regression models to assess the strength of the relationship between G, sesquipedale and the different biotic and abiotic factors. Both multivariate and multlple regression analyses revealed significant positive relationships between G. sesquipedale cover and substrate slope, and negative relationships among G. sesquipedale, sediment loading and S. polyschides density. The main effects of these variables on the abundance of G. sesquipedale are of the same relative magnitude. Within the depth range studied (0 to 18 m), S. polyschides abundance was the only variable correlated with depth. The only interaction significantly correlated with G. sesquipedale local distribution was that between L. ochroleuca density and depth. Data suggest that steep slopes and reduced sediment loading favour G. sesqulpedale development. On the contrary, S. polyschides dominated in shallow zones with low slope surfaces and high sediment loading. L. ochroleuca by itself was not significantly correlated to the distnbution of G. sesquipedale, but its interaction with depth suggests that at greater depths it dominates G. sesquipedale. This IS supported by analysis of the correlations between the 3 species in shallow versus deeper zones. Potential mechanisms are discussed for the significant relationships found, and testable causal hypotheses are suggested.
An Automated Approach to Multidimensional Benchmarking on Large-Scale Systems

High performance computing raises the bar for benchmarking. Popular benchmarking applications such as Linpack[4] measure raw power of a computer in one dimension, but in the myriad architectures of high performance cluster computing an algorithm may show excellent performance on one cluster while on another cluster of the same benchmark it performs poorly. For a year a group of student researchers at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana worked through the Undergraduate Petascale Education Program (UPEP) on an improved, multidimensional benchmarking technique that would more precisely capture the appropriateness of a cluster resource to a given algorithm. We planned to measure cluster effectiveness according to the thirteen dwarfs of computing as published in Berkeley’s parallel computing research paper [1]. To accomplish this we created PetaKit, a software stack for building and running programs on cluster computers. Although not yet the benchmarking suite of thirteen programs that its creators set out to make, PetaKit has become a framework for benchmarking any command-line based program. In PetaKit’s construction learned about the challenges of running programs on shared HPC systems, developing techniques to simplify moving software to a new cluster. In addition, we learned important time management skills, specifially by managing our time between classes and our PetaKit work. These skills and accomplishments have been of tremendous benefit to us in our post-baccalaureate careers, and we expect they will continue to be so.
Going beyond simple sample size calculations: a practitioner's guide

Basic methods to compute required sample sizes are well understood and supported by widely available software. However, the sophistication of the methods commonly used has not kept pace with the complexity of commonly employed experimental designs. We compile available methods for sample size calculations for continuous and binary outcomes with and without covariates, for both clustered and non-clustered RCTs. Formulae for both panel data and unbalanced designs are provided. Extensions include methods to: (1) optimise the sample when costs constraints are binding, (2) compute the power of a complex design by simulation, and (3) adjust calculations for multiple testing. Click here to view accompanying sample size calculators for this paper.
Near-infrared spectroscopy of the super star cluster in NGC 1705

Aims. We study the near-infrared properties of the super star cluster NGC 1750-1 to constrain its spatial extent, its stellar population, and its age. Methods. We used adaptive-optics assisted integral field spectroscopy with SINFONI on the Very Large Telescope. We estimated the spatial extent of the cluster and extracted its K-band spectrum from which we constrained the age of the dominant stellar population. Results. Our observations have an angular resolution of about 0.11", providing an upper limit on the cluster radius of 2.85 ± 0.50 pc depending on the assumed distance. The K-band spectrum is dominated by strong CO absorption bandheads typical of red supergiants. Its spectral type is equivalent to a K4-5I star. Using evolutionary tracks from the Geneva and Utrecht groups, we determine an age of 12 ± 6 Myr. The large uncertainty is rooted in the large difference between the Geneva and Utrecht tracks in the red supergiants regime. The absence of ionized gas lines in the K-band spectrum is consistent with the absence of O and/or Wolf-Rayet stars in the cluster, as expected for the estimated age.
THE TECHNOLOGICAL STRATEGY OF SMES BASED ON THE SYSTEMATIC ARCHITECTURE OF THE ABILITY OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION

The ability of technological innovation is a systematic set of a Series of complementary abilities, such as research and development capabilities, capabilities of developing supporting products, market expanding capabilities, brand building and maintenance capabilities, after-sales service capabilities, adaptive learning abilities, self- improvement abilities, cooperative abilities and abilities to mobilize social resources. If there exiting defective capabilities in the firm, it must face high risk in keeping the ability of technological innovation sooner or later. But SMEs just have many defective capabilities. In order to explore the ways of getting these capabilities, a strategic consideration was made in this paper. Key words: Ability of Technological Innovation, Technological Paradigm, Technological strategy
Segmentation Plate and Number Vehicle using Integral Projection

Ticket system on the shopping mall and offices have a way to write it by the manual and automatic way. Most of the systems in use are by manual rather than automatic. With the problem, the manual system will be replaced with an automatic system that can recognize the number on the license plate. One method used to detect the plate and number that can be used is the method of finding contour. Finding contour can locate the number plate by detecting the rectangular shape of an image. This method is very important to be able to detect the number plate because there are many forms contained in the vehicle. Segmentation is used to recognize the characters on the car number plate using integral projection. Integral projection can separate the characters contained on the car number plate to facilitate processing on character recognition. The successful use of this method is 98%. errors are usually caused by the faded car plate colors
INTERVAL ANALYSIS-BASED HYPERBOX GRANULAR COMPUTING CLASSIFICATION ALGORITHMS

Representation of a granule, relation and operation between two granules are mainly researched in granular computing. Hyperbox granular computing classification algorithms (HBGrC) are proposed based on interval analysis. Firstly, a granule is represented as the hyperbox which is the Cartesian product of N intervals for classification in the N -dimensional space. Secondly, the relation between two hyperbox granules is measured by the novel positive valuation function induced by the two endpoints of an interval, where the operations between two hyperbox granules are designed so as to include granules with different granularity. Thirdly, hyperbox granular computing classification algorithms are designed on the basis of the operations between two hyperbox granules, the fuzzy inclusion relation between two hyperbox granules, and the granularity threshold. We demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed algorithms compared with the traditional classification algorithms, such as, Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machines (SVMs), and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP).