Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Integrated Plan to Sustainably Enable the City of Riohacha (Colombia) to Cope with Increasing Urban Flooding, while Improving Its Environmental Setting

This paper describes the emblematic situation of a Colombian coastal town seriously threatened by flooding and presents the whole process undertaken to elaborate an integrated action plan to cope with this problem, while improving the natural and built environment. Such a plan is a product of a project, winner of a National Colombian call for climate change initiatives, which included a thorough modeling process based on the MODCEL urban flood model, an articulated participatory process including a specific structured inquiry mainly aiming at providing data suited for model calibration, a creative phase to propose candidate alternative solutions and a quite integrated evaluation exercise which supported the transparent choice of the most sustainable plan alternative. The approach and the experience can be valuable for many other cases in Colombia and around the world, particularly in developing or emerging countries where data are scarce. The added value of this paper lies in showing a whole, integrated process, well articulated, where all pieces are indispensable but simple enough to be replicated in many cases. It merges the fundamental participatory component with an equally fundamental technical-scientific component of characterization, modeling and integrated evaluation. The multiple steps of the process are illustrated with sufficient detail to allow the reader to grasp what was actually done and why, providing a practical guide for other cases.
High-frequency RCS of complex radar targets in real time

This paper presents a new and original approach for computing the high-frequency radar cross section (RCS) of complex radar targets in real time with a 3-D graphics workstation. The aircraft is modeled with I-DEAS solid modeling software using a parametric surface approach. High-frequency RCS is obtained through physical optics (PO), method of equivalent currents (MEC), physical theory of diffraction (PTD), and impedance boundary condition (IBC). This method is based on a new and original implementation of high-frequency techniques which the authors have called graphical electromagnetic computing (GRECO). A graphical processing approach of an image of the target at the workstation screen is used to identify the surfaces of the target visible from the radar viewpoint and obtain the unit normal at each point. High-frequency approximations to RCS prediction are then easily computed from the knowledge of the unit normal at the illuminated surfaces of the target. The image of the target at the workstation screen (to be processed by GRECO) can be potentially obtained in real time from the I-DEAS geometric model using the 3-D graphics hardware accelerator of the workstation. Therefore, CPU time for RCS prediction is spent only on the electromagnetic part of the computation, while the more time-consuming geometric model manipulations are left to the graphics hardware. This hybrid graphic-electromagnetic computing (GRECO) results in real-time RCS prediction for complex radar targets.
Modeling Invariances in Inferotemporal Cell Tuning

In macaque inferotemporal cortex (IT), neurons have been found to respond selectively to complex shapes while showing broad tuning (``invariance'''') with respect to stimulus transformations such as translation and scale changes and a limited tuning to rotation in depth. Training monkeys with novel, paperclip-like objects, Logothetis et al. could investigate whether these invariance properties are due to experience with exhaustively many transformed instances of an object or if there are mechanisms that allow the cells to show response invariance also to previously unseen instances of that object. They found object-selective cells in anterior IT which exhibited limited invariance to various transformations after training with single object views. While previous models accounted for the tuning of the cells for rotations in depth and for their selectivity to a specific object relative to a population of distractor objects, the model described here attempts to explain in a biologically plausible way the additional properties of translation and size invariance. Using the same stimuli as in the experiment, we find that model IT neurons exhibit invariance properties which closely parallel those of real neurons. Simulations show that the model is capable of unsupervised learning of view-tuned neurons. The model also allows to make experimentally testable predictions regarding novel stimulus transformations and combinations of stimuli.
The Function of Gamma Interferon-Inducible GTP-Binding Protein IGTP in Host Resistance to Toxoplasma gondii Is Stat1 Dependent and Requires Expression in Both Hematopoietic and Nonhematopoietic Cellular Compartments

ABSTRACT IGTP is a member of the 47-kDa family of gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-induced GTPases. We have previously shown that IGTP is critical for host resistance to Toxoplasma gondii infection. In the present study, we demonstrate that T. gondii-induced IGTP expression in vivo and IFN-γ-driven synthesis of the protein in vitro are dependent on Stat1. Consistent with this observation, Stat1-deficient animals succumbed to T. gondii infection with the same rapid kinetics as IGTP−/− mice. To ascertain the cellular levels at which IGTP functions in host control of acute infection, we constructed reciprocal bone marrow chimeras between IGTP-deficient and wild-type mice. Resistance to infection was observed only when IGTP was present in both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic compartments. To assess the possible contribution of IGTP to the maintenance of parasite latency, partial chemotherapy was used to allow the establishment of chronic infection in IGTP-deficient animals. Upon cessation of drug treatment, these animals showed delayed mortality compared with similarly infected and treated IFN-γ-deficient or inducible nitric oxide synthase-deficient mice, which succumbed rapidly. Parallel experiments performed with drug-treated bone marrow chimeras supported a role for the hematopoietic compartment in this NO-dependent, IGTP-independent control of chronic infection. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that host resistance mediated by IGTP is a Stat1-induced function which in the case of T. gondii acts predominantly to restrict acute as opposed to chronic infection. This effector mechanism requires expression of IGTP in cells of both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic origin. In contrast, in latent infection, hematopoietically derived cells mediate resistance by means of a largely NO-dependent pathway.
Dynamic Structure of the Translocon SecYEG in Membrane

Background: Numerous proteins are exported across membranes by the translocon SecYEG, a highly conserved complex. Results: Multiple structural conformations and oligomeric states of SecYEG observed in lipid bilayers. Conclusion: Cytoplasmic membrane-external segments of SecYEG that orchestrate translocon function are highly dynamic. Significance: Direct visualization of disordered, flexible structures and oligomeric states in lipid bilayers provides a near-native vista of the translocon. Purified SecYEG was reconstituted into liposomes and studied in near-native conditions using atomic force microscopy. These SecYEG proteoliposomes were active in translocation assays. Changes in the structure of SecYEG as a function of time were directly visualized. The dynamics observed were significant in magnitude (∼1–10 Å) and were attributed to the two large loops of SecY linking transmembrane helices 6–7 and 8–9. In addition, we identified a distribution between monomers and dimers of SecYEG as well as a smaller population of higher order oligomers. This work provides a new vista of the flexible and dynamic structure of SecYEG, an intricate and vital membrane protein.
Exploring Commercial Sex Encounters in an Urban Community Sample of Gay and Bisexual Men

Abstract Prior research on gay and bisexual men who are paid for sex has been shaped by the bias towards sampling street-based men. Fewer studies have sampled men who pay for sex, and fewer still have attempted to identify men who report both paying and being paid for sex. The goal of this study was to obtain a descriptive “snapshot” of commercial sex encounters (CSEs) in a sexually active community sample of gay and bisexual men. Men completed a brief survey at a series of gay community events. Nearly half of the men reported paying for and/or having been paid for sex. Respondents who had been paid for sex were younger, more likely to be HIV positive, and reported more unsafe sex and substance use than non-CSE experienced men. Those who had paid or been paid for sex in the previous three months reported greater sexual risk behaviors than those who had not. These findings indicate that CSE experienced men remain a group at risk for infection or transmission of HIV and other STIs, as well as substance use or abuse. Implications for intervention are discussed.
MicroRNA Polymorphisms and Environmental Smoke Exposure as Risk Factors for Oesophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and related polymorphisms have been implicated in the susceptibility to oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In our study, three miRNA-related SNPs: rs6505162 A>C (pre-miRNA of miR-423), rs213210 A>G (3’UTR of miR-219-1) and rs7372209 C>T (5’UTR of miR-26a-1) were investigated in the Black and Mixed Ancestry population groups in South Africa. The potential cumulative effects of these SNPs, as well as gene-environment interactions were also analysed. In Blacks, rs6505162 A>C was associated with OSCC under dominant, additive and recessive models with odds ratios (ORs) 1.353, 1.404, and 2.858, respectively. This locus showed very strong interactions with smoke inhalation from burning wood or charcoal used for heating and cooking in very poorly ventilated areas (OR(GE)=7.855, P(GE)=9.17*10-10 in the Black group). Furthermore, the miR-423-3p level was 1.39 fold up-regulated in tumour tissues compared to the adjacent normal tissue (paired t-test P value 0.0087). SNP-SNP interaction between rs2132210 and rs7372209 was found in both Black and Mixed Ancestry subjects. The AArs213210-CTrs7372209 genotype had a protective effect on OSCC risk (in the Black, OR=0.229, P=0.012; and the Mixed Ancestry groups, OR=0.230, P=0.00014). This study is the first to link SNPs in miR-423 together with environmental smoke exposure to risk for developing OSCC.
A Middleware for Developing Parallel Data Mining Applications

Data mining is an interdisciplinary field, having applications in diverse areas like bioinformatics, medical informatics, scientific data analysis, financial analysis, consumer profiling, etc. In each of these application domains, the amount of data available for analysis has exploded in recent years, making the scalability of data mining implementations a critical factor. To this end, parallel versions of most of the well-known data mining techniques have been developed in recent years. However, the expertise and effort currently required in implementing, maintaining, and performance tuning a parallel data mining application is a severe impediment in the wide use of parallel computers for scalable data mining. In this paper, we present the design and initial performance evaluation of a middleware for enabling rapid development of parallel data mining applications. This middleware can help exploit parallelism on both shared memory and distributed memory configurations, while allowing efficient processing of disk resident data. Our middleware is based on the observation that parallel versions of several well-known data mining techniques share a relatively similar structure. We have carefully studies parallel versions of apriori association mining [4], bayesian network for classification [14], k-means clustering [25], k-nearest neighbor classifier [24], and artificial neural networks [24]. In each of these methods, parallelization can be done by dividing the data instances (or records or transactions) among the nodes. The
Wideband spectrum sensing for Cognitive Radio

In this work we propose a wideband spectrum sensing system based on hybrid filter banks. The polyphase implementation of the digital counterpart of the filter bank can be modified to include a parallelized version of discrete Fourier transform algorithm (FFT) avoiding this way any sampling rate expanders. In this work we show how to incorporate the FFT block in the structure in order to estimate the wideband frequency contents of the signal. The proposed structure is particularly suitable for FPGA based implementations.
Effects of Metformin, Metformin Plus Rosiglitazone, and Metformin Plus Lifestyle on Insulin Sensitivity and β-Cell Function in TODAY

OBJECTIVE The Treatment Options for type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) trial demonstrated that combination therapy with metformin plus rosiglitazone provided superior durability of glycemic control compared with metformin alone, with significantly lower treatment failure rates (38.6 vs. 51.7%), and metformin plus lifestyle was intermediate. Herein we describe the temporal changes in measures of β-cell function and insulin sensitivity over a 4-year period among the three treatments. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS TODAY participants (699) were tested periodically with an oral glucose tolerance test to determine insulin sensitivity (1/fasting insulin [1/IF]), insulinogenic index (△I30/△G30) or C-peptide index (△C30/△G30), and β-cell function relative to insulin sensitivity (oral disposition index [oDI]). RESULTS During the first 6 months, metformin plus rosiglitazone exhibited a significantly greater improvement in insulin sensitivity and oDI versus metformin alone and versus metformin plus lifestyle; these improvements were sustained over 48 months of TODAY. Irrespective of treatment, those who failed to maintain glycemic control had significantly lower β-cell function (∼50%), higher fasting glucose concentration, and higher HbA1c at randomization compared with those who did not fail. CONCLUSIONS The beneficial change in insulin sensitivity and the resultant lower burden on β-cell function achieved in the first 6 months with metformin plus rosiglitazone appear to be responsible for its superior glycemic durability over metformin alone and metformin plus lifestyle. However, initial β-cell reserve and HbA1c at randomization are independent predictors of glycemic durability. Therefore, efforts to preserve β-cell function before significant loss occurs and to reduce HbA1c may be beneficial in the treatment of youth with type 2 diabetes.
Analysis of Complementary RRAM Switching

A novel procedure to decompose the I- V switching curves of complementary resistive switching (CRS) RRAM cells into the intrinsic switching characteristics of its individual constituting elements is proposed based on the set behavior of HfO2-based bipolar RRAM elements. Analysis of different types of complementary cells indicates that very similar intrinsic switching behaviors occur in strongly different types of bipolar switching RRAM, however with a strong material dependence of the characteristic switching voltage.
Metamaterial-Based Low-Profile Broadband Mushroom Antenna

A metamaterial-based broadband low-profile mushroom antenna is presented. The proposed antenna is formed using an array of mushroom cells and a ground plane, and fed by a microstrip line through a slot cut onto the ground plane. With the feeding slot right underneath the center gap between the mushroom cells, the dual resonance modes are excited simultaneously for the radiation at boresight. A transmission-line model integrated with the dispersion relation of a composite right/left-handed mushroom structure is applied to analyze the modes. The proposed dielectric-filled (ε<sub>r</sub>=3.38) mushroom antenna with a low profile of 0. 06λ<sub>0</sub> ( λ<sub>0</sub> is the operating wavelength in free space) and a ground plane of 1. 10λ<sub>0</sub>×1. 10λ<sub>0</sub> attains 25% measured bandwidth with(|S<sub>11</sub>| <; - 10dB) 9.9-dBi average gain at 5-GHz band. Across the bandwidth, the antenna efficiency is greater than 76%, and cross-polarization levels are less than -20 dB.
Introduction: Internet-Mediated Intercultural Foreign Language Education and the Intercultural Speaker.

Despite what our political and corporate leaders want us to believe, the educational bridge to the 21st century will not ultimately be found in the ever-increasing technological cleverness of school graduates.The quality of life in the new millennium will depend much more on the capacity of human beings to find ways to resist the draw of victimizing and brutalizing others, and the seduction of joining those who build their sense of identity and value on the indignity of others (Shapiro 2002,p.64).
Detection of the Spiral of Silence Effect in Social Media

Opinion mining has been a crucial research topic among recent studies, particularly concerning data from social media. However, a widely discussed communication concern called “the spiral of silence effect” has not been examined in opinion mining studies. In this paper, we propose an approach for detecting the spiral of silence effect in social media. We believe that the accuracy of opinion mining can be improved by considering the effect of the spiral of silence. The details and steps of the detection approach are discussed. We also collected data from two popular social networking websites, namely Facebook and Twitter, for performance measurement. Analysis findings show that the average accuracy of the proposed approach was higher than 0.85, indicating that the approach is highly effective.
Gabapentin misuse, abuse and diversion: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Since its market release, gabapentin has been presumed to have no abuse potential and subsequently has been prescribed widely off-label, despite increasing reports of gabapentin misuse. This review estimates and describes the prevalence and effects of, motivations behind and risk factors for gabapentin misuse, abuse and diversion. METHODS Databases were searched for peer-reviewed papers demonstrating gabapentin misuse, characterized by taking a larger dosage than prescribed or taking gabapentin without a prescription, and diversion. All types of studies were considered; grey literature was excluded. Thirty-three papers met inclusion criteria, consisting of 23 case studies and 11 epidemiological reports. Published reports came from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, India, South Africa and France, and two analyzed websites not specific to a particular country. RESULTS Prevalence of gabapentin misuse in the general population was reported to be 1%, 40-65% among individuals with prescriptions and between 15 and 22% within populations of people who abuse opioids. An array of subjective experiences reminiscent of opioids, benzodiazepines and psychedelics were reported over a range of doses, including those within clinical recommendations. Gabapentin was misused primarily for recreational purposes, self-medication or intentional self-harm and was misused alone or in combination with other substances, especially opioids, benzodiazepines and/or alcohol. Individuals with histories of drug abuse were most often involved in its misuse. CONCLUSIONS Epidemiological and case report evidence suggests that the anti-epileptic and analgesic medication gabapentin is being misused internationally, with substance abuse populations at special risk for misuse/abuse.
Two-Port PCM Architecture for Network Processing

Asymmetry in read/write access latencies, which leads to issues of blocking writes and low throughput performance, is a common challenge impeding the integration of emerging nonvolatile memory technologies into high-performance computing systems. Approaches based on multiporting and virtually pipelined architectures, which have been studied in static random access memory (SRAM)/dynamic random access memory (DRAM)/hybrid-SRAM/DRAM memory systems for high throughput performance, provide an attractive means to overcome these challenges through innovations spanning the memory cell to architecture levels. This paper describes a virtually pipelined memory architecture built on a two-port phase change memory (PCM) substrate for high-performance networking applications. The proposed two-port PCM cell significantly reduces the probability of bank conflicts due to blocking writes. We comprehensively evaluate the two-port cell design in terms of programming current, voltage pumping for access transistors, and area overhead. We also propose a two-port PCM bank design to provide the large bandwidth and bank parallelism critical for high-performance networking applications. Furthermore, the virtually pipelined architecture is implemented at the memory controller level, eliminating the extra delay of read requests due to the asymmetrical access latency through separate reservation tables for read and write requests. We analyze the performance of this architecture using queuing theory and statistical information obtained by processing packet traces using PacketBench, and show that the proposed innovations can reduce the expected read (write) delay by 12-$40\times $ (up to 14%) over conventional single-port PCM for 110%-170% additional area.
Perturbation of Interaction Networks for Application to Cancer Therapy

We present a computational approach for studying the effect of potential drug combinations on the protein networks associated with tumor cells. The majority of therapeutics are designed to target single proteins, yet most diseased states are characterized by a combination of many interacting genes and proteins. Using the topology of protein-protein interaction networks, our methods can explicitly model the possible synergistic effect of targeting multiple proteins using drug combinations in different cancer types. The methodology can be conceptually split into two distinct stages. Firstly, we integrate protein interaction and gene expression data to develop network representations of different tissue types and cancer types. Secondly, we model network perturbations to search for target combinations which cause significant damage to a relevant cancer network but only minimal damage to an equivalent normal network. We have developed sets of predicted target and drug combinations for multiple cancer types, which are validated using known cancer and drug associations, and are currently in experimental testing for prostate cancer. Our methods also revealed significant bias in curated interaction data sources towards targets with associations compared with high-throughput data sources from model organisms. The approach developed can potentially be applied to many other diseased cell types.
Driving While Black

Abstract The phenomenon of “driving while black” has ignited a heated debate: Do the police use race to target drivers? Most research on the topic compares the number of police stops and searches for a racial group to that group's distribution in the population. This approach ignores sociological theories of law, the driver's social status, the combined influence of race and sex, and whether the driver carries drugs in the car. In addition, the police are aware of being observed. To address these limitations, we surveyed undergraduates (N = 1,192) at one of the most diverse universities in the nation about their experiences with the police and their personal criminal behavior. Drawing on Black's (1976) theory of law, we examine whether a driver's race, sex, and social status influence police behavior (stop, exit, frisk, search, ticket/arrest). We also examine which drivers are most likely to have drugs in the car. The results suggest that a driver's race, sex, and social status all shape police behavior: African American men and Hispanic men experience more social control than white men; all men experience more social control than women; and low status drivers experience more social control than high status drivers. But despite the police focus on minority males, white males were the most likely to report carrying drugs in the car.