Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Accessible display design to control home area networks

Recently, the social inclusion and technical aid to assure autonomy to people with disabilities are getting attention all over the world. We present a display design for accessible interaction in home area networks. Based on a research on the accessible interfaces state of the art, an interface design was proposed. This interface was implemented over a Tablet that controls the domestic devices through a home network controller prototype. In order to evaluate the design, a research was conducted, interviewing people with disabilities in Brazil. This research consolidated a feasible accessible interface to control home area networks pointing out the main requirements for home area networks considering a diversified group of impairments.
Constant Proportion Portfolio Insurance and Related Topics with empirical study

The concept of Constant Proportion Portfolio Insurance (CPPI) in terms of jumpdiffusion, as well as the associated mean-variance hedging problem, has been studied. Three types of risk related to: the probability of loss, the expected loss, and the loss distribution are being analyzed. Both the discrete trading time case and the continuous trading time case have been studied. Next, CPPI with stochastic dynamic floors are being discussed. The concept of exponential proportion portfolio insurance is being introduced. Finally CPPI associated with the fractional Brownian market is being studied.
Distinct transcriptional responses elicited by unfolded nuclear or cytoplasmic protein in mammalian cells

Eukaryotic cells possess a variety of signaling pathways that prevent accumulation of unfolded and misfolded proteins. Chief among these is the heat shock response (HSR), which is assumed to respond to unfolded proteins in the cytosol and nucleus alike. In this study, we probe this axiom further using engineered proteins called ‘destabilizing domains’, whose folding state we control with a small molecule. The sudden appearance of unfolded protein in mammalian cells elicits a robust transcriptional response, which is distinct from the HSR and other known pathways that respond to unfolded proteins. The cellular response to unfolded protein is strikingly different in the nucleus and the cytosol, although unfolded protein in either compartment engages the p53 network. This response provides cross-protection during subsequent proteotoxic stress, suggesting that it is a central component of protein quality control networks, and like the HSR, is likely to influence the initiation and progression of human pathologies. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.07687. 001
Genetically Modified Foods: Consumer Issues and the Role of Information Asymmetry

Consumer attitudes towards genetically modified foods (GMFs) differ widely, particularly between North America and Europe. Information asymmetry, incomplete information and uncertainty arise as a result of concerns over GMFs. This paper explores the evolution of consumer attitudes towards genetically modijed foods in Europe and in North America and discusses a number of private market and public policy solutions to the problems of imperfect information and uncertainty. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research.
The Promise of Preschool in Africa : A Randomized Impact Evaluation of Early Childhood Development in Rural Mozambique

Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs are seen as a promising way to prevent development delays and foster early development. While there is a growing evidence base on the effects of ECD programs in the United States, Latin America and elsewhere, there is little evidence of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of such programs in the African context. In this report we present initial results of the first randomized evaluation of a pre-school intervention in a rural African setting, analyzing the effects of a center-based community-driven preschool model implemented by Save the Children in rural areas of the Gaza Province in Mozambique. We find that, after 2 years since the start of the program in 2008, the intervention improved a number of important dimensions of child development, including cognitive, fine motor and socio-emotional skills (though not language), leading to higher levels of school readiness and significantly increasing primary school enrollment at the appropriate age. The program also produced positive impacts on the school enrollment of older siblings and increased the labor supply of primary caregivers. Taken together, these results suggest that low-cost community based preschool interventions such as this one show potential for positively affecting the lives of children and their families in rural African contexts in an affordable and effective way. ∗Sebastian Martinez: Inter American Development Bank, 1300 New York Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20577, smartinez@iadb.org ; Sophie Naudeau: The World Bank, 1818 H St NW Washington DC 20433, snaudeau@worldbank.org. Vitor Pereira: Department of Economics, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 225Gávea, 22451-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,vitpereira@gmail.com
A Scatter-Based Prototype Framework and Multi-Class Extension of Support Vector Machines

We provide a novel interpretation of the dual of support vector machines (SVMs) in terms of scatter with respect to class prototypes and their mean. As a key contribution, we extend this framework to multiple classes, providing a new joint Scatter SVM algorithm, at the level of its binary counterpart in the number of optimization variables. This enables us to implement computationally efficient solvers based on sequential minimal and chunking optimization. As a further contribution, the primal problem formulation is developed in terms of regularized risk minimization and the hinge loss, revealing the score function to be used in the actual classification of test patterns. We investigate Scatter SVM properties related to generalization ability, computational efficiency, sparsity and sensitivity maps, and report promising results.
THE PHARMACODYNAMICS OF MEDICATIONS USED IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

Schizophrenia is a severe disorder affecting approximately 1% of the population. Historically, alterations of dopaminergic function were considered the primary cause of schizophrenia. However, for many patients, drugs that alter dopaminergic function do not consistently lead to resolution of the symptoms of schizophrenia. Thus, there is an increased interest in pathophysiologic processes that result in altered neurodevelopment and plasticity associated with schizophrenia. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin involved in neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, cognition, and neurotransmission. Genetic polymorphism, expression, and function of BDNF have been implicated in psychiatric diseases, including schizophrenia. This review discusses BDNF, its role in neurologic processes, and the evidence implicating BDNF in schizophrenia.
Applying the Travel Cost Approach for Valuing Recreation Benefits of Fthiotida Coastal Zone

Recreation and beach use constitute core aspects of coastal tourism development since they incorporate various stakeholders at different levels and diverse activities. This research investigates the economical recreational value of the coastal zone between Molos and Arkitsa, in prefecture of Fthiotida, in Sterea Ellada region, in Greece. The study area provides substantial benefits to host community and remains an advantageous natural setting for tourism sustainable development. An economic valuation of the benefits largely assists the efforts of the local authorities to establish viable tourism products and preferred destination attributes. The travel cost method was used to estimate recreation demand. Based on personal and on site interviews 1,433 questionnaires were collected. The consumer surplus per day enjoyed by the visitors is 22,352.28 (Euros). The analysis assigned a considerable value to the coastal zone. Results shed light on core issues such as environmental management and proper resource allocation in view of finding areas for further improvement so as to increase consumer surplus by satisfying the needs and wants of coastal visitors.
Process state capture and recovery in high-performance heterogeneous distributed computing systems

Process Introspection is a fundamentally new solution to the process state capture and recovery problem suitable for use in high-performance heterogeneous distributed systems. A process state capture and recovery mechanism for such an environment has the primary requirement that it must be platform-independent: process checkpoints produced on a computer system of one architecture or operating system platform must be recoverable on a computer system of a different architecture or operating system platform. The central feature of the Process Introspection approach is automatic transformation of program code to incorporate state capture and recovery functionality. This program modification is performed at a platform-independent intermediate level of code representation, and preserves the original program semantics. The attractive properties of this approach include portability, ease of use, and flexibility with respect to basic performance trade-offs and application-specific requirements. Our solution is novel in its true platform and run-time system independence—no system support or non-portable code is required by our core mechanisms. Experimental results obtained using a prototype implementation of the Process Introspection system indicate this mechanism can be applied to computationally demanding scientific applications automatically, resulting in very low run-time overhead (typically below 10%) and efficient state capture and recovery service.
The role of coastal plant community response to climate change: implications for restoring ecosystem resiliency

Accelerated sea-level rise and increased intensity of tropical storm events have challenged the conventional approaches to conservation and restoration of coastal ecosystems. In coastal communities, where survival will depend largely on the ability of species to adapt to rapidly shifting conditions or become established farther inland, historic assemblages may be lost. Seed banks may be an important component of resilience and recovery in response to altered inundation regimes, should they contain species able to adapt or migrate inland. This study assess the ability of seed banks to act as ecological buffers to storm surge disturbances and to instill ecological resilience in degraded and vulnerable coastal ecosystems. Above-ground, seed bank and propagule assemblages were surveyed from historic communities at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Artificial storm surge experiments revealed that that seed banks were not well distributed throughout the coastal transition communities and that seed bank responses following storm surges are likely to vary among the different plant communities. While some relict species are expected to respond following disturbances, ruderal species are especially dominant in the upland seed bank communities and may, at least in the short term, cause shifts away from the historical assemblages. The apparent absence of seaward species in the upland seed banks may make assisted migration an important tool for the survival of communities unable to keep pace. Community response following translocation of propagule bank application onto highly degraded buyout properties suggested that this technique may be an effective tool in introducing resilience into ecosystems already experiencing the effects of climate change. They resulted in the establishment of diverse and variable communities, containing indicator species from a number of historic communities with varying environmental tolerances. Long-term monitoring of community change and reproductive output of target species may indicate the utility of community translocation in creating resilient and future-adapted communities.
Ocean acidification alters skeletogenesis and gene expression in larval sea urchins

Ocean acidification, the reduction of ocean pH due to the absorption of anthropogenic atmospheric CO2, is expected to influence marine ecosystems through effects on marine calcifying organisms. These effects are not well understood at the community and ecosystem levels, although the consequences are likely to involve range shifts and population declines. A current focus in ocean acidification research is to understand the resilience that organisms possess to withstand such changes, and to extend these investigations beyond calcification, addressing impacts on other vul- nerable physiological processes. Using morphometric methods and gene expression profiling with a DNA microarray, we explore the effects of elevated CO2 conditions on Lytechinus pictus echino- plutei, which form a calcium carbonate endoskeleton during pelagic development. Larvae were raised from fertilization to pluteus stage in seawater with elevated CO2. Morphometric analysis showed significant effects of enhanced CO2 on both size and shape of larvae; those grown in a high CO2 environment were smaller and had a more triangular body than those raised in normal CO2 con- ditions. Gene expression profiling showed that genes central to energy metabolism and biomineral- ization were down-regulated in the larvae in response to elevated CO2, whereas only a few genes involved in ion regulation and acid-base balance pathways were up-regulated. Taken together, these results suggest that, although larvae are able to form an endoskeleton, development at elevated CO2 levels has consequences for larval physiology as shown by changes in the larval transcriptome.
Competition, Risk-Shifting, and Public Bail-Out Policies

This paper empirically investigates the effect of government bail-out policies on banks outside the safety net. We construct a measure of bail-out perceptions by using rating information. From there, we construct the market shares of insured competitor banks for any given bank, and analyze the impact of this variable on banks’ risk-taking behavior, using a large sample of banks from OECD countries. Our results suggest that government guarantees strongly increase the risk-taking of competitor banks. In contrast, there is no evidence that public guarantees increase the protected banks’ risk-taking, except for banks that have outright public ownership. These results have important implications for the effects of the recent wave of bank bail-outs on banks’ risk-taking behavior.
A Method for Triggering Surface Modes by Bubble Coalescence

Acoustically driven microbubbles find numerous applications in the biomedical field (targeted drug delivery or blood-brain barrier opening for instance) and in engineering (surface cleaning or sonochemistry). In most cases only spherically oscillating bubbles are considered in these techniques. However, bubbles exhibiting surface modes can lead to additional effects (enhanced micromixing amongst others), and are scarcely investigated (mainly due to positional and growing surface instabilities). We present an experimental setup which allows the triggering and control of surface modes of free bubbles. As opposed to earlier studies which are based on short-time exposure to ultrasound waves [1] or an amplitude modulated pressure field [2], we obtain bubbles with steady-state surface modes. The experimental procedure consists of the following steps: (i) An acoustic field is induced in a water tank by a transducer. The driving frequency is chosen as to create an acoustic standing wave inside the tank. (ii) A bubble is nucleated by a short focused laser pulse. Our bubbles are all below resonance size and are hence driven towards a pressure antinode due to primary Bjerknes forces. (iii) By nucleating a second bubble, the two bubbles will coalesce due to primary Bjerknes forces and mutual attraction by secondary Bjerknes forces. The coalescence leads to a single, initially deformed bubble. By choosing the appropriate set of acoustic pressure and bubble size, a desired surface mode can be triggered. Additionally, we observed that the trajectory of the coalescing bubbles will define the orientation of the axis of symmetry. In sum, coalescence is a fast method to induce surface modes in free acoustically driven bubbles.
Influence Of Grey Water As Mixing Water On Properties And Strength Of Cement

From the immemorial time water has been the part of all basic human activities. The water we are most concerned with is fluid and fresh and is least available. As economic activities are growing, the demand of water is also growing. At the same time increase in population is lowering per capita availability of fresh water. Exploiting more and more water resources would put more pressure on environment- ecology which has already become fragile. As per all codes of concrete the water used for mixing and curing should possibly be the potable water. Constructional activities play major role in infrastructural development. Water has undisputed important place in civil construction and so far no alternative to water is available.Chemical limits of water for concrete, suggested by different codes of concrete indicate that non potable water can be used as mixing water. Reuse of non-potable water like grey water can reduce the pressure on fresh water resources.On this background, investigations on all possible uses of all types of waste water in construction industry, is the need of the hour. Present study has been conducted to investigate the influences of use of grey water o properties of cement.
Chronic kidney disease and the aging population.

The proportion of older people in the general population is steadily increasing worldwide, with the most rapid growth in lowand middle-income countries. This demographic change is to be celebrated, because it is the consequence of socioeconomic development and better life expectancy. However, population aging also has important implications for society � in diverse areas including health systems, labor markets, public policy, social programs, and family dynamics. A successful response to the aging population will require capitalizing on the opportunities that this transition offers, as well as effectively addressing its challenges.
Carbon-Nitrogen Interactions in Forest Ecosystems-Final Report Other

Carbon Nitrogen Interactions in Forest Ecosystems Final Report Other How to cite: Gunderson, P.; Berg, B. ; Currie, W. S. ; Dise, N. B. ; Emmett, B. A. ; Gauci, V. ; Holmberg, M. ; Kjonaas, O. J.; Mol-Dijkstra, J.; van der Salm, C. ; Schmidt, I. K. ; Tietema, A. ; Wessel, W. W. ; Vestgarden, L. S. ; Akselsson, C. ; De Vries, W. ; Forsius, M. ; Kros, H. ; Matzner, E. ; Moldan, F. ; Nadelhoffer, K. J.; Nilsson, L. -O. ; Reinds, G. J.; Rosengren, U. ; Stuanes, A. O. and Wright, R. F. (2006). Carbon Nitrogen Interactions in Forest Ecosystems Final Report. Danish Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning, Denmark.
Compensation and Occupational Disease: Submission to Canada's Royal Commission on Workers' Compensation

OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE IN CANADA A recent study, issued by Statistics Canada (1), states: • 4.9 million workers reported dust and fibers in the air where they work; • 4.5 million were affected by working with Video Display Terminals (VDTs); • 3.7 million were exposed to loud noise; • 3.2 million were affected by poor air quality; • and, another 2.7 million were exposed to dangerous chemicals and fumes. Dr. Grayson, author of the report, concludes: "A substantial proportion of Canadians exposed to potential workplace hazards believed that their health had been affected . Fully 70 percent of the workers exposed to poor air believed their health had been affected. Dangerous chemicals or fumes were perceived as having an effect by about half the workers exposed to them, while more than 40 percent of those exposed to dust or fibers or to loud noise considered them to have been harmful. " (2) Dr. Allen Kraut, in an article in a recent issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, entitled "Estimates of the Extent of Morbidity and Mortality Due to Occupational Diseases in Canada" (3), suggests between "77,900 and 112,000 new cases of occupational diseases and 2,381 to 6,010 occupational disease deaths" occur in Canada each year. Dr. Kraut further concludes that occupational diseases are a significant and underestimated cause of morbidity and mortality in Canada. He points out, for example, that in Ontario, ''less than 50 percent of the individuals dying of asbestos-related malignancy, compensable under the (Ontario) Workers' Compensation Board (WCB), received benefits [Finkelstein,1989]. " (4) These findings confirm the longheld view of Labour that the work environment contains serious hazards which are adversely affecting the health and well-beingof thousands, if not millions, of Canadians. Dr. Grayson also substantiates Labour's position that workers are fully aware of the potential risks, but are having great difficulty in actually doing something to change these harmful conditions. Workers also have had great difficulty in convincing the WCB about the relationship between their illnesses and the workplace. But if these potential hazards are
The Inefficient Markets Hypothesis: Why Financial Markets Do Not Work Well in the Real World

Existing literature continues to be unable to offer a convincing explanation for the volatility of the stochastic discount factor in real world data. Our work provides such an explanation. We do not rely on frictions, market incompleteness or transactions costs of any kind. Instead, we modify a simple stochastic representative agent model by allowing for birth and death and by allowing for heterogeneity in agents' discount factors. We show that these two minor and realistic changes to the timeless Arrow-Debreu paradigm are sufficient to invalidate the implication that competitive financial markets efficiently allocate risk. Our work demonstrates that financial markets, by their very nature, cannot be Pareto efficient, except by chance. Although individuals in our model are rational; markets are not.
Developing acoustic technologies for improving fish passage and protection in the Columbia River Basin : program rationale

Abstract : Aquatic environments are rich in complex sound stimuli generated by wave action, internal structures of fishes, and movements of water, aquatic biota, and substrate. The capability of fishes to detect and respond to pressure and water particle motion components of sound fields is well documented. At every stage of their migration down the Columbia River system, smolts are acquiring and processing information using their sensory systems and responding in definite, and perhaps, very predictable ways. However, understanding this capability is limited by the inadequacy of standard acoustical or hydrodynamic methods to describe pressure and particle motion components of sound fields relative to fish sensory systems. There is no ambiguity, however, that fishes possess a very well-developed, highly sophisticated sensory system employed to perform those daily functions required to sustain life. It seems unreasonable to assume that fishes abandon these behaviors when they approach dams or enter intakes.