Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatic video shot boundary detection of news stream using a high-level fuzzy Petri net

With the advent of digital era, the users have difficulty in using and absorbing overwhelming information brought out by technological advances in multimedia. Thus, the development of video summarization enables users to have a general idea about videos in a short time. This study focuses on the shot change, a part of the video summarization, to conduct an experimental sample on news programs. Moreover, a high-level fuzzy Petri net model is presented to describe boundary frames combination which indicates a shot boundary used for video frame sequence to detect both cut transitions and gradual transitions. The experimental results manifest it saves a lot of time and reduces the occurrence of improper shot change caused by the motions of objects and cameras when comparing this method with human labor.
Civic Capital as the Missing Link

This chapter reviews the recent debate about the role of social capital in economics. We argue that all the difficulties this concept has encountered in economics are due to a vague and excessively broad definition. For this reason, we restrict social capital to the set of values and beliefs that help cooperation - which for clarity we label civic capital. We argue that this definition differentiates social capital from human capital and satisfies the properties of the standard notion of capital. We then argue that civic capital can explain why differences in economic performance persist over centuries and discuss how the effect of civic capital can be distinguished empirically from other variables that affect economic performance and its persistence, including institutions and geography.
Phenyllactic Acid: A Potential Antimicrobial Compound in Lactic acid Bacteria

3-Phenyllactic acid (PhLA) is a broad spectrum antimicrobial compound active against bacteria and fungi. PhLA exists in two chiral isomers, L-PhLA and D-PhLA which show antimicrobial activity. D-PhLA shows more antimicrobial activity than L-PhLA and hence it is receiving great attention as food and feed additive in place antibiotics which control the microbial contamination and thereby increase the shelf life of food and food ingredients. This review summarizes the recent developments on the resources, detection and analysis and antimicrobial activity of PhLA. In addition, the article presents the recent studies of the key enzymes such as lactate dehydrogenases and pyruvate reductases involved in PhLA synthesis. The metabolic pathway and regulation of PLA synthesis in lactic acid bacteria (LAB) along with its high level production are also discussed.
Phenomenological characteristics of poststroke depression: early- versus late-onset.

OBJECTIVE Authors compared poststroke major (n=17) or minor (n=28) depression diagnosed 3 to 6 months poststroke with major (n=16) or minor (n=22) depression diagnosed at 12 to 24 months to identify changes in the phenomenological characteristics of poststroke depression over time. METHODS Depressive symptoms were divided into vegetative, psychological symptoms, and melancholic features elicited by the Present State Exam (PSE). Patients were also examined for severity of depression, social impairment, and neurological findings. RESULTS Early-onset poststroke major depression was associated with a higher frequency of vegetative symptoms and larger lesion volume than late-onset major depression. Similarly, early-onset minor depression was associated with poorer social functioning and a higher frequency of melancholic, vegetative, and psychological symptoms than late-onset minor depression. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that the phenomenological characteristics of both major and minor poststroke depression change over time and that both early-onset major and minor poststroke depression may result from similar etiological mechanisms provoked by brain injury.
ADOPTION AND USE OF E-TECHNOLOGIES IN SELECTED COMMERCIAL BANKS IN UGANDA

This reports the findings of the study issues concerning the adoption and use of e-technologies in selected commercial banks in Uganda. This study investigates the use of e-technologies services and research framework is based on adoption and usefulness of e-technologies to banks in Uganda. This theory survey was conducted to gather the data on adoption and use of e-technologies. Using a cross sectional survey design, the researchers found that much as most Etechnologies are in place in these banks, there is still low level of adoption due to low levels of IT exposure by both bank staff and customers. The researchers thus recommend that several on the job training sessions be organized for staff and go extra mile to train customers as well.
The Impact of Corporate Board Structure on the Pricing Performance of Initial Public Offerings

This study examines the corporate board structure and its impact on the performance of the initial public offerings (IPOs) using a database of 176 IPOs issued during 2007-11. The board structure of IPO firms is evaluated from the viewpoint of board size, maturity, diversity, reputation and leadership, while the performance of IPOs is estimated by measuring underpricing, aftermarket volatility, and subscription rate.
A Genetic Based Algorithm to Generate Random Simple Polygons Using a New Polygon Merge Algorithm

: In this paper a new algorithm to generate random simple polygons from a given set of points in a two dimensional plane is designed. The proposed algorithm uses a genetic algorithm to generate polygons with few vertices. A new merge algorithm is presented which converts any two polygons into a simple polygon. This algorithm at first changes two polygons into a polygonal chain and then the polygonal chain is converted into a simple polygon. The process of converting a polygonal chain into a simple polygon is based on the removal of intersecting edges. The merge algorithm has the time complexity of O ((r+s) *l) where r and s are the size of merging polygons and l shows the number of intersecting edges removed from the polygonal chain. It will be shown that 1 < l < r+s. The experiments results show that the proposed algorithm has the ability to generate a great number of different simple polygons and has better performance in comparison to celebrated algorithms such as space partitioning and steady growth
Environmental Management in Small Firms: Is There A Gender Gap?

Abstract In recent times, environmental or ‘green’ concerns have become a significant consideration in overall business management, policy-making and strategy. How to makefirms’greener’, and hence more sustainable in the medium to long-term, is now an important factor in successful enterprise management. Research into environmental practices within businesses has traditionally focused on larger firms and corporations, even though most commercial organisations in Australia are actually small businesses employing less than 20 people. Many aspects of the environmental activities of small firms are only poorly understood. One of the critical issues is whether particular types of business managers are more inclined to undertake environmental improvement activities than others. Preliminary evidence, for example, has suggested that female owner-managers are more likely to express concern about “green” issues than their male counterparts. This current study examined differences in the environmental activities undertaken by small firms owned and managed by, compared to those operated by men. The environmental management practices of 185 small businesses in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia, were examined. The results study indicate that women in business are more likely than men to be involved in environmental management practices such as recycling, using energy efficient products, buying environmentally friendly products and promoting local community environment initiatives. However, fewer women have a formal environmental management plan than male owner-managers. Such findings appear to lend credence to the argument that there is a gender-based discrepancy in the way small firm managers respond to environmental challenges.
Spring 2018 BBM 204 : Software Laboratory II ASSIGNMENT 1 Subject : Analyzing the complexity of sorting algorithms TAs :

Analysis of algorithms is the area of computer science that provides tools to analyze the e ciency of di erent methods of solutions. E ciency of an algorithm depends on these parameters; i) how much time, ii) memory space, iii) disk space it requires. Analysis of algorithms is mainly used to predict performance and compare algorithms that are developed for the same task. Also it provides guarantees for performance and helps to understand theoretical basis.
The 'non-falciparum' malarias: the roles of epidemiology, parasite biology, clinical syndromes, complications and diagnostic rigour in guiding therapeutic strategies

Abstract Plasmodium vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae and P. falciparum routinely infect humans. The infections caused by these parasites are loosely referred to as vivax (or benign tertian), ovale, malariae (or quartan) and falciparum (or malignant tertian) malaria, respectively. Recently, P. knowlesi, a parasite of macaque monkeys in South–east Asia, has been identified as the cause of uncomplicated and severe human malaria in Malaysian Borneo. The prescription of appropriate therapies for reliably diagnosed malaria requires a grasp of the epidemiology of the 'non-falciparum' malarias, the biology of the parasites involved, the chemotherapeutic strategies that are available and the problems of emerging drug resistance and changing clinical syndromes. This review is intended to increase clinicians' understanding of how these factors relate to the selection of the antimalarial drugs to be given to a case of 'non-falciparum' malaria, with the aims of improving outcomes and preventing relapses and recrudescences.
Assessing the Role of Marketing Promotion in Tourism Development in a dynamic time series Framework.

While there exists a number of studies on the determinants of tourism development in the literature, however, tourism promotion efforts as an ingredient in the tourism demand have been overwhelmingly neglected in rigorous studies. Moreover, even the very few studies that could be traced focused exclusively on developed country cases and we did not come across any study have been undertaken island economies for which tourism accounts significantly to their economies. The paper thus attempts supplement the dwarf literature on tourism promotion impact and models the latter role on tourist arrival for the case of the small island state of Mauritius using an ARDL approach. After controlling for the classical determinants of tourism demand, our analysis interestingly reveals that tourism marketing and promotion appears to be a significant element, although relatively to a lesser extent than some classical ingredients of the tourism equation.
Two mutations impair the stability and function of ubiquitin‐activating enzyme (E1)

Protein ubiquitination plays critical roles in the regulation of multiple cellular processes including cell proliferation, signal transduction, oncogenesis, and hypoxic response. TS20 is a Balb3T3‐derived cell line in which ubiquitination is inhibited by restrictive temperature. While TS20 has been used to elucidate the degradation of many important proteins including p53, p27, HIF‐1α, and ornithine decarboxylase, the molecular basis of its temperature sensitivity has not been fully determined. We cloned full‐length E1 cDNA from TS20. Sequencing analysis revealed two point mutations (nt736G to A and nt2313G to C) that lead to substitution of aa189A to T and aa714W to C, respectively. Transient transfection assays revealed that mutant E1 was less stable than its wild‐type counterpart, and restrictive temperature (39°C) accelerated its degradation. Under permissive temperature, reverting aa714C to W significantly improved E1 stability and activity. Under restrictive temperature, reverting of both substitutions was required to fully restore E1 stability. Similar results were observed when the mutants were expressed in non‐TS20 cells, indicating the mutations are sufficient for its temperature sensitive degradation observed in TS20 cells. Functionally, reverting aa714C to W was sufficient to facilitate the monoubiquitination of H2A and to support TS20 growth at 39°C. It also significantly improved the ubiquitination‐dependent disposal of HIF‐1α. Our data conclusively demonstrate that mutations introgenic to UVBE1 cause E1 instability, which leads to deficiency of E1 function. Our data establish the molecular basis for unambiguous interpretation of experimental data based on TS20 cells, and provide new insight into the structural determinants of E1 stability. J. Cell. Physiol. 227: 1561–1568, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Note on the Complex Networks and Epidemiology Part I: Complex Networks

Complex networks describe a wide range of systems in nature and society. Frequently cited examples include Internet, WWW, a network of chemicals linked by chemical reactions, social relationship networks, citation networks, etc. The research of complex networks has attracted many scientists' attention. Physicists have shown that these networks exhibit some surprising characters, such as high clustering coefficient, small diameter, and the absence of the thresholds of percolation. Scientists in mathematical epidemiology discovered that the threshold of infectious disease disappears on contact networks that following Scale-Free distribution. Researchers in economics and public health also find that the imitation behavior could lead to cluster phenomena of vaccination and un-vaccination. In this note, we will review the basic concepts of complex networks; Basic epidemic models; the development of complex networks and epidemiology.
Clopidogrel with aspirin in acute minor stroke or transient ischemic attack.

BACKGROUND Stroke is common during the first few weeks after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor ischemic stroke. Combination therapy with clopidogrel and aspirin may provide greater protection against subsequent stroke than aspirin alone. METHODS In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted at 114 centers in China, we randomly assigned 5170 patients within 24 hours after the onset of minor ischemic stroke or high-risk TIA to combination therapy with clopidogrel and aspirin (clopidogrel at an initial dose of 300 mg, followed by 75 mg per day for 90 days, plus aspirin at a dose of 75 mg per day for the first 21 days) or to placebo plus aspirin (75 mg per day for 90 days). All participants received open-label aspirin at a clinician-determined dose of 75 to 300 mg on day 1. The primary outcome was stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic) during 90 days of follow-up in an intention-to-treat analysis. Treatment differences were assessed with the use of a Cox proportional-hazards model, with study center as a random effect. RESULTS Stroke occurred in 8.2% of patients in the clopidogrel-aspirin group, as compared with 11.7% of those in the aspirin group (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.57 to 0.81; P<0.001). Moderate or severe hemorrhage occurred in seven patients (0.3%) in the clopidogrel-aspirin group and in eight (0.3%) in the aspirin group (P=0.73); the rate of hemorrhagic stroke was 0.3% in each group. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with TIA or minor stroke who can be treated within 24 hours after the onset of symptoms, the combination of clopidogrel and aspirin is superior to aspirin alone for reducing the risk of stroke in the first 90 days and does not increase the risk of hemorrhage. (Funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China; CHANCE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00979589.).
High resolution CMOS voltage comparator for high speed SAR ADCs

By means of a standard 0. 18µm CMOS process a novel CMOS voltage comparator circuit has been proposed which is capable of resolving 400µV. Employing preamplifier latch structure the designed circuit operates at the clock frequency of 100MHz. The main advantage of the implemented comparator is its 11 bit resolution which makes it a good choice for high resolution SAR ADCs. In order to reduce the power consumption some modifications are made to the conventional structure of the comparator which resulted in reduction of employed transistors as well as active area on chip. Post-layout simulation results confirm the correct behavior of the proposed architecture while the power dissipation is 900µW from a 1.8V power supply.
An optimal radial layout for high dimensional data class visualization

Multivariate data visualization is an interesting research field with many applications in ubiquitous fields of sciences. Radial visualization is one of the most common information visualization techniques for visualizing multivariate data. Unfortunately, Radial visualization display different information about structures of multivariate data on the different positions of dimensional anchors on the unit circle. In this paper, we propose a method that improve the Radviz layout for class visualization of high-dimensional data. We apply the differential evolution algorithm to find the optimal dimensional anchors of the RadViz such that maximum the quality of Radial visualization for classifier data. We use the k nearest neighbors classifier for quality measurement. Our method provides an improvement visualizing class structures of high-dimensional data sets on the RadViz. We demonstrate the efficiency of our method for some data sets.
Evaluation of Vitamin B12 Monitoring in a Veteran Population on Long-Term, High-Dose Metformin Therapy

BACKGROUND: Metformin can result in vitamin B12 deficiency, potentially leading to complications such as neuropathy. Annual monitoring of vitamin B12 has been suggested; however, it is unknown whether current practice reflects this recommendation. OBJECTIVE: To identify vitamin B12 monitoring patterns in patients on long-term, high-dose metformin. Secondary objective was to determine the frequency of new vitamin B12 deficiency, anemia, and neuropathy documented after initiation of high-dose metformin. METHODS: Electronic medical records of veterans treated at the Veterans Affairs Maryland Healthcare System with high-dose metformin (≥2000 mg/day) as of November 1, 2010, were reviewed. Data regarding metformin treatment, vitamin B12 measurements, and documentation of vitamin B12 deficiency, cyanocobalamin supplementation, anemia, and neuropathy were collected. Subjects treated with metformin for less than 1 year or those with documented peripheral neuropathy, megaloblastic anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, or a condition associated with vitamin B12 malabsorption prior to metformin initiation were excluded. RESULTS: Subjects (N = 235) had a mean metformin dose of 2050 mg/day and mean duration of treatment of 5.2 years. Sixty percent did not have vitamin B12 measured. Of subjects receiving metformin for 10 years or more, nearly half (46%) never had vitamin B12 measured. New documentation of vitamin B12 deficiency or cyanocobalamin supplementation was found in 5.5% of the population, and anemia was found in 12%. Of the 14% with new neuropathy, 42% did not have vitamin B12 measured. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin B12 was not routinely monitored in patients on high-dose metformin, even in those at highest risk (≥10 years of therapy), or in those with potential manifestations of vitamin B12 deficiency (neuropathy). Cases of vitamin B12 deficiency and resulting anemia or neuropathy may be undiagnosed and untreated because of lack of monitoring. Prospective studies examining the effect of increased vitamin B12 monitoring on identification and treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency in patients on metformin are warranted.
Characterization of 5‐HT‐sensitive potassium conductances in neonatal rat facial motoneurones in vitro

1 The properties of the 5‐HT‐sensitive K+ conductance of neonatal rat facial motoneurones were examined in brainstem slices using whole‐cell patch‐clamp techniques. 2 In a small proportion of motoneurones, 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) evoked an inward current mediated solely by a decrease in K+ conductance. The reversal potential (V5‐HT) was dependent on the external K+ concentration and the 5‐HT‐evoked current (I5‐HT) displayed a linear current‐voltage (I‐V) relationship. 3 In the remaining motoneurones, the 5‐HT‐evoked decrease in K+ conductance could only be observed in isolation once a concomitant 5‐HT‐mediated enhancement of the hyperpolarization‐activated current, Ih, had been abolished with the Ih blocker, ZD‐7288. 4 External Cs+ also abolished the Ih‐mediated component of I5‐HT but, in addition, blocked part of the 5‐HT‐sensitive K+ current. At potentials hyperpolarized to V5‐HT, Cs+ voltage dependently blocked I5‐HT while at potentials depolarized to V5‐HT, I5‐HT was largely unaffected. Ba2+ and Rb+ had identical actions to Cs+ on the 5‐HT‐sensitive K+ current. 5 The Ba2+‐, Rb+‐ and Cs+‐sensitive component of the 5‐HT‐sensitive K+ current inwardly rectified with a reversal potential that was dependent on the K+ equilibrium potential (EK). 6 Replacing external Na+ with N‐methyl‐D‐glucamine, blocking Ca2+ entry, or preventing an increase in intracellular [Ca2+] with BAPTA, all failed to alter I5‐HT at potentials depolarized to EK. 7 I 5‐HT at depolarized potentials was reversibly blocked by 4‐aminopyridine (4 mM) but not tetraethylammonium chloride (30 mM) and did not show inactivation during depolarizing voltage pulses (1.5 s duration). 8 The results suggest that, in addition to enhancing Ih, 5‐HT modulates two distinct K+ conductances in neonatal rat facial motoneurones. The actions of Cs+, Ba2+ and Rb+ support the involvement of a member of the inwardly rectifying family of K+ channels while the other K+ channel may belong to the voltage‐gated family.
Laminar differences in response to simple and spectro-temporally complex sounds in the primary auditory cortex of ketamine-anesthetized gerbils

In mammals, acoustic communication plays an important role during social behaviors. Despite their ethological relevance, the mechanisms by which the auditory cortex represents different communication call properties remain elusive. Recent studies have pointed out that communication-sound encoding could be based on discharge patterns of neuronal populations. Following this idea, we investigated whether the activity of local neuronal networks, such as those occurring within individual cortical columns, is sufficient for distinguishing between sounds that differed in their spectro-temporal properties. To accomplish this aim, we analyzed simple pure-tone and complex communication call elicited multi-unit activity (MUA) as well as local field potentials (LFP), and current source density (CSD) waveforms at the single-layer and columnar level from the primary auditory cortex of anesthetized Mongolian gerbils. Multi-dimensional scaling analysis was used to evaluate the degree of “call-specificity” in the evoked activity. The results showed that whole laminar profiles segregated 1.8-2.6 times better across calls than single-layer activity. Also, laminar LFP and CSD profiles segregated better than MUA profiles. Significant differences between CSD profiles evoked by different sounds were more pronounced at mid and late latencies in the granular and infragranular layers and these differences were based on the absence and/or presence of current sinks and on sink timing. The stimulus-specific activity patterns observed within cortical columns suggests that the joint activity of local cortical populations (as local as single columns) could indeed be important for encoding sounds that differ in their acoustic attributes.