Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Delayed path coupling and generating random permutations via distributed stochastic processes

We analyze various stochastic processes for generating permutations almost uniformlv at random in distributed and parallel systems. All our protocols are simple, elegant and epling, and for the third one we prove the existence of a non-Markovian coupling. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first non-trivial applications of non-Markovian coupling for proving rapid m&g of Markov chains. We annlv our analvsis in diverse areas. We develon a simple permutation network of a polylogarithmic depth generating permutations with almost uniform distribution. A simple EREW PRAM algorithm generating random permutations in time O(log log n) with O(nlog’(r) n) processors follows. We improve technique of cryptographic defense against traffic analysis by showing that the underlying stochastic urocess converees in time Oflonnl finstead of ~olvlogarith-mic time) and <hereby dram&i&lly reduce the she bf a security parameter. Other applications include load sharing in distributed systems, design of fault resistant systems, and parallel algorithms generating random permutations for models with restricted concurrent writes/reads.
Dynamic Regulation of Tgf-B Signaling by Tif1γ: A Computational Approach

TIF1γ (Transcriptional Intermediary Factor 1 γ) has been implicated in Smad-dependent signaling by Transforming Growth Factor beta (TGF-β). Paradoxically, TIF1γ functions both as a transcriptional repressor or as an alternative transcription factor that promotes TGF-β signaling. Using ordinary differential-equation models, we have investigated the effect of TIF1γ on the dynamics of TGF-β signaling. An integrative model that includes the formation of transient TIF1γ-Smad2-Smad4 ternary complexes is the only one that can account for TGF-β signaling compatible with the different observations reported for TIF1γ. In addition, our model predicts that varying TIF1γ/Smad4 ratios play a critical role in the modulation of the transcriptional signal induced by TGF-β, especially for short stimulation times that mediate higher threshold responses. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses and quantification of the expression of TGF-β target genes as a function TIF1γ/Smad4 ratios fully validate this hypothesis. Our integrative model, which successfully unifies the seemingly opposite roles of TIF1γ, also reveals how changing TIF1γ/Smad4 ratios affect the cellular response to stimulation by TGF-β, accounting for a highly graded determination of cell fate.
The Dynamics of Positivism in the Study of Public Administration

This article explores the development of three features of positivism from the 1800s to the present: the unity of science, the verification criterion of meaning, and the empiricist observation language. The development of these features is demonstrated in the mid-20th century public administration (PA) literature and in the self-reflective literature of the last three decades. Contemporary positivism has been substantially moderated: The verification criterion of meaning has been abandoned, but the unity of science remains a presupposition, and the empiricist observation language remains an important tool. By presenting this intellectual history, some clarity may be added to the philosophical discourse in PA.
Is intra-operative cholangiography necessary during laparoscopic cholecystectomy? A multicentre rural experience from a developing world country.

AIM To evaluate the feasibility and safety of performing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in non-teaching rural hospitals of a developing country without intra-operative cholangiography (IOC). To evaluate the possibility of reduction of costs and hospital stay for patients undergoing LC. METHODS A prospective analysis of patients with symptomatic benign diseases of gall bladder undergoing LC in three non-teaching rural hospitals of Kashmir Valley from Jan 2001 to Jan 2007. The cohort represented a sample of patients requiring LC, aged 13 to 78 (mean 47.2) years. Main outcome parameters included mortality, complications, re-operation, conversion to open procedure without resorting to IOC, reduction in costs borne by the hospital, and the duration of hospital stay. RESULTS Twelve hundred and sixty-seven patients (976 females/291 males) underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Twenty-three cases were converted to open procedures; 12 patients developed port site infection, nobody died because of the procedure. One patient had common bile duct (CBD) injury, 4 patients had biliary leak, and 4 patients had subcutaneous emphysema. One cholecystohepatic duct was detected and managed intraoperatively, 1 patient had retained CBD stones, while 1 patient had retained cystic duct stones. Incidental gallbladder malignancy was detected in 2 cases. No long-term complications were detected up to now. CONCLUSION LC can be performed safely even in non-teaching rural hospitals of a developing country provided proper equipment is available and the surgeons and other team members are well trained in the procedure. It is stressed that IOC is not essential to prevent biliary tract injuries and missed CBD stones. The costs to the patient and the hospital can be minimized by using reusable instruments, intracorporeal sutures, and condoms instead of titanium clips and endobags.
Cosmic Rays from Transrelativistic Supernovae

We derive constraints that must be satisfied by the sources of ~1015 to ~1018 eV cosmic rays, under the assumption that the sources are Galactic. We show that while these constraints are not satisfied by ordinary supernovae (SNe), which are believed to be the sources of ≲1015 eV cosmic rays, they may be satisfied by the recently discovered class of transrelativistic supernovae (TRSNe), which were observed in association with gamma-ray bursts. We define TRSNe as SNe that deposit a large fraction, fR > 10−2, of their kinetic energy in mildly relativistic, γ β > 1, ejecta. The high-velocity ejecta enable particle acceleration to ~1018 eV, and the large value of fR (compared to fR ∼ 10−7 for ordinary SNe) ensures that if TRSNe produce the observed ~1018 eV cosmic-ray flux, they do not overproduce the flux at lower energies. This, combined with the estimated rate and energy production of TRSNe, imply that Galactic TRSNe may be the sources of cosmic rays with energies up to ~1018 eV.
Breastfeeding: An Adaptive Process

Breastfeeding is not only a natural way of feeding children but also a parenting system that is practiced differently in diverse cultures depending on the ecological conditions and cultural values. In this study, videotapes of breastfeeding sessions and interviews with breastfeeding mothers of two ethnic groups of rural Cameroon, sedentary Nso farmers (n = 33) and nomadic Fulani pastorals (n = 18), were analyzed. The primary socialization goal of the two groups is the health and survival of the child in a hazardous environment. Yet their ideas about selfconstruct differ, with the Nso following a more interdependent developmental pathway and the Fulani following a more individualistic pathway. The results are discussed with respect to their relevance in defining a culturally informed developmental science, as well as developing intervention programs that are tailored to the needs of people in varying contexts.
Reproducibility Standards for Wavelet Transform Algorithms

Specifications for reproducibility standards are developed for wavelet transform algorithms. Reproducibility of an algorithm is defined as the requirement that the specified algorithm yield the same transform coefficients for the same signal data regardless of implementation in any programming language or on any computing machine. The specification is built with three heirarchical stages consisting of 1) filter bank coefficients, 2) singlelevel convolutions, and 3) multi-level transforms. Each stage is specified with all the necessary choices, parameters, and operators required to insure reproducibility. Each stage can be further characterized by additional properties that provide relevant information. The specification has been designed to be a sufficiently general and flexible framework which encompasses many different convolution types addressing the issues of both the phase shift and the boundary treatment. New convolution phase shift variants are introduced. In particular, a peak near-aligned phase variant is demonstrated on test signals and applied to fast wavelet based matrix multiplication. Finally, in the context of computational science and engineering, the concept of scientific reproducibility of an algorithm is discussed and contrasted with two other concepts introduced as repetitive executability and input-output repeatability.
Increased expression of fatty acid synthase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum in the valproic acid model of autism

The primary aim of the present study was to investigate alterations in enzymes associated with fatty acid synthesis, namely fatty acid synthase (FASN) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum of the valproic acid (VPA)-induced animal model of autism. In this model, pregnant rats were given a single intraperitoneal injection of VPA, and prefrontal cortex and cerebellum samples from their pups were analyzed. The results of western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses demonstrated that the protein and mRNA expression levels of FASN, ACC and phospho-ACC (pACC) were increased in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum of the VPA model of autism. Furthermore, in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum of the VPA model of autism, AMPK expression is increased, whereas PI3K and Akt expression are unchanged. This suggests that disorder of the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/FASN and/or adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/ACC pathway may be involved in the pathogenesis of autism. It is hypothesized that fatty acid synthesis participates in autism through PI3K/Akt/FASN and AMPK/ACC pathways.
Theorizing ICTs in the Arab World: Informational Capitalism and the Public Sphere

The concept of the public sphere has become a commonly used paradigm for understanding the impact of contemporary Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) on the political spaces of the Arab world. This article aims to explore the multiple understandings of this evolving public sphere and their shortcomings. A survey of recent research on the Arab region demonstrates inconsistencies which have arisen from an abstraction of the concept from its theoretical roots. By returning to the discourse surrounding Habermas’ original ideas, including the debates which have articulated concerns arising from the possibilities of multiple and non-virtuous publics, the (re)mediating effects of contemporary ICTs, the possibilities for the social construction of new identities, and the universalism of the normative underpinnings of the public sphere, the emerging Arab public sphere is located within its global counter-part, high-lighting those of its features which represent opportunities for new forms of communicative action which have emancipatory potential. However, the article acknowledges the mutually constitutive functions of structure and identity by further locating the new landscape of intra-regional communication within the context of the global spread of informational capitalism. The evidence here suggests that the emerging Arab public sphere is already penetrated and diminished. The key to reconciling these apparently contradictory tendencies lies in the porousness of the boundaries which delimit the Arab public sphere and the manner in which it retains some autonomy from its global counterpart.
Reliability and validity of the Harris Infant Neuromotor Test.

OBJECTIVE To examine the reliability and validity of the Harris Infant Neuromotor Test (HINT), a screening tool that can be administered and scored in <30 minutes, with the goal of identifying neuromotor differences in infants aged 3 to 12 months. STUDY DESIGN Infants, aged 3 to 12 months (n = 54), were assessed in 2 high-risk infant follow-up programs in Vancouver, British Columbia. Inter-rater, test-retest, and intra-rater reliability were examined. Concurrent and predictive validity of the HINT with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II (BSID-II) were evaluated by using the Pearson product-moment correlation. RESULTS Intraclass correlation coefficients for reliability for the Total HINT Score ranged from 0.98 to 0.99. Concurrent validity of the HINT with the BSID-II Mental Scale during the first year was r = -0.73 (P <.01), and with the BSID-II Motor Scale, r = -0.89 (P <.01). The predictive relationships between the HINT and the BSID-II at 17 to 22 months were r = -0.11 for the BSID-II Mental Scale and r = -0.49 (P <.01) for the BSID-II Motor Scale. CONCLUSIONS The HINT is reliable for screening infant neuromotor performance and has strong concurrent validity with the Bayley-II Mental and Motor Scales. HINT scores during the first year accounted for 24% of the variance of Bayley-II Motor scores at 17 to 22 months.
The role of cholesteryl ester transfer protein in primate apolipoprotein A-I metabolism. Insights from studies with transgenic mice.

To assess the effects of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) on the primate lipoprotein profile, a transgenic mouse expressing cynomolgus monkey CETP was developed. The C57BL/6 mouse was used, and four lines expressing the primate CETP were established. The level of CETP activity in the plasma of the transgenic mice ranged from values similar to those obtained for the monkey to levels approximately sixfold higher than that in the normal monkey. When all of the lines were taken into consideration, there was a strong (r = -0.81 or higher, p less than 0.01) negative correlation between plasma CETP activity and total plasma cholesterol, plasma apolipoprotein (apo) A-I levels, and plasma apo A-I to apo B ratio. There was a strong positive correlation (r = 0.77) between plasma CETP activity and plasma apo B levels. The size of the apo A-I-containing lipoproteins was significantly reduced in mice with high plasma CETP activity, and that reduction in size was due to the absence of the larger (HDL1 and HDL2) apo A-I-containing particles in the plasma. When the transgenic mice were fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet, the effects of the diet on lipoprotein profile were more prominent in the CETP transgenic mice than the controls. The CETP transgenic mice had, for example, substantially higher plasma cholesterol and plasma apo B levels (p less than 0.01), and the apo B-containing lipoproteins were generally larger than those in the nontransgenic C57BL/6 mice consuming the same diet. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Metabolomics and Integrative Omics for the Development of Thai Traditional Medicine

In recent years, interest in studies of traditional medicine in Asian and African countries has gradually increased due to its potential to complement modern medicine. In this review, we provide an overview of Thai traditional medicine (TTM) current development, and ongoing research activities of TTM related to metabolomics. This review will also focus on three important elements of systems biology analysis of TTM including analytical techniques, statistical approaches and bioinformatics tools for handling and analyzing untargeted metabolomics data. The main objective of this data analysis is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the system wide effects that TTM has on individuals. Furthermore, potential applications of metabolomics and systems medicine in TTM will also be discussed.
Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Basal Insulin Peglispro and Insulin Glargine in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Previously Treated With Basal Insulin: IMAGINE 5

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of basal insulin peglispro (BIL) versus insulin glargine in patients with type 2 diabetes (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] ≤9% [75 mmol/mol]) treated with basal insulin alone or with three or fewer oral antihyperglycemic medications. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This 52-week, open-label, treat-to-target study randomized patients (mean HbA1c 7.42% [57.6 mmol/mol]) to BIL (n = 307) or glargine (n = 159). The primary end point was change from baseline HbA1c to 26 weeks (0.4% [4.4 mmol/mol] noninferiority margin). RESULTS At 26 weeks, reduction in HbA1c was superior with BIL versus glargine (−0.82% [−8.9 mmol/mol] vs. −0.29% [−3.2 mmol/mol]; least squares mean difference −0.52%, 95% CI −0.67 to −0.38 [−5.7 mmol/mol, 95% CI −7.3 to −4.2; P < 0.001); greater reduction in HbA1c with BIL was maintained at 52 weeks. More BIL patients achieved HbA1c <7% (53 mmol/mol) at weeks 26 and 52 (P < 0.001). With BIL versus glargine, nocturnal hypoglycemia rate was 60% lower, more patients achieved HbA1c <7% (53 mmol/mol) without nocturnal hypoglycemia at 26 and 52 weeks (P < 0.001), and total hypoglycemia rates were lower at 52 weeks (P = 0.03). At weeks 26 and 52, glucose variability was lower (P < 0.01), basal insulin dose was higher (P < 0.001), and triglycerides and aminotransferases were higher with BIL versus glargine (P < 0.05). Liver fat content (LFC), assessed in a subset of patients (n = 162), increased from baseline with BIL versus glargine (P < 0.001), with stable levels between 26 and 52 weeks. CONCLUSIONS BIL provided superior glycemic control versus glargine, with reduced nocturnal and total hypoglycemia, lower glucose variability, and increased triglycerides, aminotransferases, and LFC.
Geysers and ‘girls’: Gender, power and colonialism in Icelandic tourist imagery

This article examines shifts in the image of Iceland created for international tourism. It argues that at the beginning of the 21st century the more traditional spotlight on the country’s natural attractions was altered, giving an additional, new focus on the nation’s beautiful, and apparently sexually promiscuous, women. Such a development deserves further comment for a variety of reasons. First, an examination of the importance of women to Iceland’s national marketing, especially their depiction visually, underlines the need to reconsider the substantial role of gender and imagery representation in tourism studies, two themes that have been underexamined by scholars working in the discipline. Second, as a Nordic nation with a reputation for gender equality, this focus on women as sexual objects readily available for male tourist consumption raises a serious contradiction. Last but not least, the use of sexually alluring female images by a developed nation has intriguing implications for postcolonial scholars interested in representations of ‘the Other’. While shying away from implying that ideologies of ‘race’ are not important to discussions of international sex tourism, this article suggests that gender should be considered an equally important contributing factor in such analyses.
Bootstrapping Deep Lexical Resources: Resources for Courses

We propose a range of deep lexical acquisition methods which make use of morphological, syntactic and ontological language resources to model word similarity and bootstrap from a seed lexicon. The different methods are deployed in learning lexical items for a precision grammar, and shown to each have strengths and weaknesses over different word classes. A particular focus of this paper is the relative accessibility of different language resource types, and predicted "bang for the buck" associated with each in deep lexical acquisition applications.
1-Level crossing sampling scheme for low data rate image sensors

A novel reading architecture for CMOS image sensor for low data rate has been investigated in this paper. The proposed architecture is designed using asynchronous logic and is intended to control and manage the flow of event-driven pixels. This architecture overcomes the standard difficulties encountered when managing simultaneous pixel requests without degrading the image sensor fill factor and resolution. Moreover, this reading architecture does not need an analog-to-digital converter and is capable of suppressing the spatial redundancies. This leads to a reduced image data flow.
Endogenous Glucocorticoids Are Essential for Maintaining Prefrontal Cortical Cognitive Function

Glucocorticoid hormones are important in the maintenance of many brain functions. Although their receptors are distributed abundantly throughout the brain, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC), it is not clear how glucocorticoid functions, particularly with regard to cognitive processing in the PFC. There is evidence of PFC cognitive deficits such as working memory impairment in several stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson's disease. Disruption of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system, which is characterized by attenuated glucocorticoid negative feedback, is also observed. In rats, chronic stress induces working memory impairment as a result of decreased dopaminergic transmission in the PFC. These chronically stressed rats also show HPA disruption; this is caused in part by a reduced glucocorticoid response in the PFC. These findings implicate reduced glucocorticoid actions in working memory impairment. In the present study, we examined the effects of the suppression of endogenous glucocorticoids by adrenalectomy (ADX) on working memory in rats and explored the involvement of PFC dopaminergic activities in memory. The ADX impaired working memory, decreased dopamine release, and upregulated D1 receptors in the PFC. These dysfunctions were prevented by corticosterone replacement that reproduced normal physiological plasma levels, indicating that suppression of glucocorticoids causes these dysfunctions. Moreover, the ADX-induced working memory impairment was ameliorated by intra-PFC infusions of a D1 receptor agonist, SKF 81297. Thus, suppression of glucocorticoids impaired working memory through a D1 receptor-mediated hypodopaminergic mechanism in the PFC. This finding indicates that endogenous glucocorticoids are essential for maintaining PFC cognitive function and suggests that HPA disruption contributes to PFC cognitive deficits.
The Big Drum

There is some debate around structure and agency in Bourdieu’s concept of habitus. On reading Bourdieu’s work it can be understood why a great deal of empirical research suggests class reproduction in the context of participation in different sports. An examination of the changing nature of Scottish mountaineering, during the period from 1920 to 1960, however, gives an almost unique insight into how a class-based sporting habitus can be changed by the dialectical exchange of dispositions that can occur when the dominance of a class fraction is challenged by another.
Extended performance analysis of the time predictable on-demand coherent data cache for multi- and many-core systems

Powerful cache systems are required in multi- and many-core systems in order to provide a suitable performance. Moreover, these caches must provide coherent accesses to shared data. With respect to embedded real-time systems, traditional write-invalidate and write-update coherence protocols hamper a static worst case execution time analysis, since the content and state of a local cache can be modified by other cores. Hence, a meaningful cache analysis is no more possible. In previous work, we introduced the On-Demand Coherent Cache (ODC2) which provides coherent accesses to shared data without any coherence transactions and without modifications of other caches. It allows a tight worst case execution time (WCET) analysis at the expense of a decreased hit rate and an additional write-back procedure. In this work, we briefly describe two versions of the ODC2 before we present detailed evaluations of its performance and the cost of time predictability. We quantify the overhead of the writeback procedure of one of ODC2's variations and we estimate the impact on the hit rate.