Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of universities in peacebuilding processes in contexts of armed conflict: The experience of the Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano in Colombia

In a country that has faced for decades armed conflict, the role that most of the private and public universities have play in peacebuilding is still reticent, because in most of the cases for these actors, and in general for the Colombian society and state, it is not clear which should be their role in this kind of context. However, some universities have assumed a more active and visible role in peacebuilding and reconciliation processes, through activities oriented to reconstruct the social foundations of communities. Besides, the preoccupation for the country’s political and social situation, which at the same time is determined by the dynamics of conflict, have made some universities to create and lead efforts and actions for building peace that goes beyond the academic level. Through these actions, the university also becomes a decisive actor on the mentioned processes.
A Balanced Tropical Cyclone Test Case for AGCMs with Background Vertical Wind Shear

AbstractThis paper presents a balanced tropical cyclone (TC) test case designed to improve current understanding of how atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) configurations affect simulated TC development and behavior. It consists of an analytic initial condition comprising two independently balanced components. The first provides a vortical TC seed, while the second adds a planetary-scale zonal flow with height-dependent velocity and imposes background vertical wind shear (VWS) on the TC seed. The environmental flow satisfies the steady-state hydrostatic primitive equations in spherical coordinates and is in balance with other background field variables (e.g., temperature, surface geopotential). The evolution of idealized TCs in the test case framework is illustrated in 10-day simulations performed with the Community Atmosphere Model, version 5.1. 1 (CAM 5.1.1). Environmental wind profiles with different magnitudes, directions, and vertical inflection points are applied to ensure that the technique.
Analysis of the Response Matrix for an Extended Target

In this paper we study the response matrix obtained from the interelement response of an active array of transducers that can send out signals and record reflected signals. In particular we analyze the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the response matrix corresponding to the acoustic field reflected by an extended target, the size of which is comparable to the wavelength. We show that the eigenvalues are not well separated for a single extended target in general. However, when both the size of the target and the size of the active array are small compared to the distance from the array to the target, it is shown that the eigenvalues are well separated and that the leading eigenvalues and eigenvectors can be characterized in terms of the location and dimension of the target. Numerical experiments are presented to verify the analysis.
A Framework for Actively Selecting Viewpoints in Object Recognition

Object recognition problems in computer vision are often based on single image data processing. In various applications this processing can be extended to a complete sequence of images, usually received passively. In contrast, we propose a method for active object recognition, where a camera is selectively moved around a considered object. Doing so, we aim at reliable classification results with a clearly reduced amount of necessary views by optimizing the camera movement for the access of new viewpoints (viewpoint selection). Therefore, the optimization criterion is the gain of class discriminative information when observing the appropriate next image. We show how to apply an unsupervised reinforcement learning algorithm to that problem. Specifically, we focus on the modeling of continuous states, continuous actions and supporting rewards for an optimized recognition. We also present an algorithm for the sequential fusion of gathered image information and we combine all these components into a single framework. The experimental evaluations are split into results for synthetic and real objects with one- or two-dimensional camera actions, respectively. This allows the systematic evaluation of the theoretical correctness as well as the practical applicability of the proposed method. Our experiments showed that the proposed combined viewpoint selection and viewpoint fusion approach is able to significantly improve the recognition rates compared to passive object recognition with randomly chosen views.
Quantitative intact proteomics investigations of alveolar macrophages in sarcoidosis

Alveolar macrophages are important for granuloma formation, which is the histological hallmark in sarcoidosis. Their function as antigen-presenting cells in sarcoidosis is also believed to be relevant to the outcome of disease, resulting either in remission or a prolonged chronic inflammation in the lungs. Our aim was to study alterations in the expression levels of the soluble proteome of alveolar macrophages in pulmonary sarcoidosis as compared with healthy controls, with the goal of identifying specific proteins and pathways important for the mechanisms of disease and/or disease phenotype. Quantitative proteomics approach using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry was applied. Data was evaluated using multivariate modelling and pathway analyses. 69 protein spots were found to be significantly altered between sarcoidosis and healthy controls. Among these, 25 unique proteins were identified. Several of the identified proteins were related to key alveolar macrophage functionality, including the Fc&ggr;-mediated phagocytosis and clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathways. Global proteomics analysis provided identification of alterations of a subset of proteins not previously reported in sarcoidosis. These alterations primarily affect biological pathways related to phagocytic macrophage functionality. These findings provide important insights into the role of macrophages in sarcoidosis pathogenesis.
In-Store Shopping Behavior

SUMMARY The analysis of consumer shopping behavior is one of the most critical aspects which has to be taken into consideration in a context of retailing internationalization, where managers need to define the degree to which international firms can standardize or adapt their strategies in foreign markets. The aim of this research is to analyze and point out the main cross-cultural differences regarding in-store behavior comparing three countries: Italy, France and Poland. The study presents the results of an empirical research carried out on the household goods retail sector, which shows on a global level a positive growth trend that is predicted to continue in the next years especially through the internationalization of the retailing chains.
Multi-target visual tracking with game theory-based mutual occlusion handling

Tracking multiple moving targets in video is still a challenge because of mutual occlusion problem. This paper presents a Gaussian mixture probability hypothesis density-based visual tracking system with game theory-based mutual occlusion handling. First, a two-step occlusion reasoning algorithm is proposed to determine the occlusion region. Then, the spatial constraint-based appearance model with other interacting targets¶ interferences is modeled. Finally, an n-person, non-zero-sum, non-cooperative game is constructed to handle the mutual occlusion problem. The individual measurements within the occlusion region are regarded as the players in the constructed game competing for the maximum utilities by using the certain strategies. The Nash Equilibrium of the game is the optimal estimation of the locations of the players within the occlusion region. Experiments conducted on publicly available videos demonstrate the good performance of the proposed occlusion handling algorithm.
Changes in the Hungarian dairy industry after EU accession

Since EU accession the Hungarian dairy industry’s domestic market has generally expanded as turnover and consumption have both grown, but this has been increasingly due to cheap imports, while the purchase and sale of domestic products has been decreasing or stagnating (both in the domestic and foreign markets). The growth in imports has cut Hungarian corporations domestic market share to 80%. In Hungary corporate concentration has become even more pronounced with large corporations further strengthening their position and smaller ones further shrinking. Moreover, foreign ownership prevails and has the primary aim of meeting domestic demand. Changes in ownership contribute to the strengthening of vertical integration. Still, in the EU corporate concentration trends also exist. However, in the current fi erce competitive market, it is not yet apparent whether non-producer ownership or co-operative ownership is more viable. Therefore the increase in Hungarian owners and ownership of processing plants by (Hungarian) producers does not necessarily signal the end of the crisis, but may in fact still signal decline. Positive aspects are increasing concentration and, from the consumers’ standpoint, cheaper dairy products. Cheaper milk products have put great pressure on milk producers (lower milk prices), and have had a positive effect on consumption trends. Milk drinks and some new milk products have been replaced by products with lower milk content and milk-imitations.
The Influence of Perceived Asian Vegetable Quality and Price Concerning the Purchase and Consumption Decisions of Asian Americans: A Case Study

Information concerning consumer attitudes toward Asian vegetables is not widely published or available. Many Asian crops are considered high-value produce and subsequently people are willing to pay more to purchase these vegetables. However, consumers and grocers alike have difficulty in predicting the vegetables preferred and desired by Asian Americans and therefore making conscientious efforts to obtain these vegetables with corresponding high quality is problematic. The purposes of the study were to identify the most popular Asian vegetables chosen by Asian consumers and to assess the relationships among the frequency of their choices and perceived quality and price. A self-administered questionnaire was developed to identify the most popular Asian vegetables by assessing consumer consumption frequency, perceived quality, and perceived value as measured by price perception of 31 identified Asian vegetables. Nappa cabbage, ginger, and mushroom were identified by the study participants as the most consumed Asian vegetables. The consumption of Asian vegetables was positively associated with perceived vegetable quality and negatively associated with perceived vegetable price.
Folic acid supplementation does not reduce intracellular homocysteine, and may disturb intracellular one-carbon metabolism

Abstract Background: In randomized trails, folic acid (FA) lowered plasma homocysteine, but failed to reduce cardiovascular risk. We hypothesize this is due to a discrepancy between plasma and intracellular effects of FA. Methods: In a double-blind trial, 50 volunteers were randomized to received 500 µg FA daily for 8 weeks, or placebo. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) concentrations of homocysteine, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), S-adenosylhomocysteine, methionine, cystathionine and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (bioactive folate) were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). PBMCs were used as a cellular model since they display the full spectrum of one-carbon (1C) enzymes and reactions. Results: At baseline, plasma concentrations were a poor reflection of intracellular concentrations for most 1C metabolites, except 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (R=0.33, p=0.02), homocysteine (Hcy) (R=0.35, p=0.01), and cystathionine (R=0.45, p=0.001). FA significantly lowered plasma homocysteine (p=0.00), but failed to lower intracellular homocysteine or change the concentrations of any of the other PBMC 1C metabolites. At baseline, PBMC homocysteine concentrations correlated to PBMC SAM. After FA supplementation, PBMC homocysteine no longer correlated with PBMC SAM, suggesting a loss of SAM’s regulatory function. In vitro experiments in lymphoblasts confirmed that at higher folate substrate concentrations, physiological concentrations of SAM no longer effectively inhibit the key regulatory enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). Conclusions: FA supplementation does not reduce intracellular concentrations of Hcy or any of its closely related substances. Rather, FA may disturb physiological regulation of intracellular 1C metabolism by interfering with SAM’s inhibitory effect on MTHFR activity.
Arch Effects and Trading Volume

Studies that fit volume-augmented GARCH models often find support for the hypothesis that trading volume explains ARCH effects in daily stock returns. We show that this finding is due to an unrecognized constraint imposed by the GARCH specification used for the analysis. Using a more flexible specification, we find no evidence that inserting volume into the conditional variance function of the model reduces the importance of lagged squared returns in capturing volatility dynamics. Volume is strongly correlated with contemporaneous return volatility, but the correlation is driven largely by transitory volatility shocks that have little to do with the highly persistent component of volatility captured by standard volatility models.
Posttranslational Protein Modifications

Over the last several years major advances in sensitive high throughput technologies have been made in the fields of genomics and proteomics. The hunt for diagnostic and prognostic cancer biomarkers exploits these recent technology platforms. Although the recent developments and use of genomics and proteomics offer much promise in the search for molecular markers of early stage cancers, these methods are inadequate to probe the dynamic nature of signaling processes that cells exhibit during their transformation to become neoplastic. The diverse realm of posttranslational modification (PTM) of proteins encompasses many of the critical signaling events occurring during neoplastic transformation. PTMs offer a plethora of candidates for biomarker detection that complement discoveries using strictly proteomics or genomics platforms. Furthermore the potential to pharmacologically impede tumor growth by administration of an agent that interrupts a specific PTM driving oncogenic progression has been the basis of numerous clinical trials currently underway. To draw greater attention to the opportunities afforded by innovative research in PTMs, a 2-day workshop was conducted August 2002 in Bethesda, MD. The goals of this meeting were to address several topics where PTMs play roles in cancer progression, consider what technologies can be applied to clinical prevention or detection of cancer, and assess what PTMs could be pursued for development of promising surrogate markers. Since that time some advancement has been made in technological developments to study PTMs, identifying the central roles they play in cancer progression, and determining their amenability as either a cancer biomarker or therapeutic target. A limiting factor in PTM research is that technologies to screen vast numbers of molecules for a particular type of modification are often not available, although recent developments of specific probes and multiplexed platforms may now make broader scale PTM surveying feasible (1–6). For the most part, research in PTM as it relates to biomarker discovery has required the study of discreet modifications on specific proteins of importance to cancer biology. This one by one approach clearly takes time, but the rewards are not to be underestimated in terms of application to cancer detection and treatment. This review highlights the areas where PTMs are of prime importance for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Table I lists many of the more prominent examples where PTM of specific proteins has relevance toward these aspects of clinical practice in oncology. This review highlights the major aspects of PTMs currently investigated by many laboratories. By providing this overview, it should be apparent that PTMs are key to understanding cancer biology and thus should receive special attention for applications in translational research. PTMs that are currently most germane to clinical applications in cancer medicine are briefly introduced below.
Histopathological Image Analysis for Breast Cancer Diagnosis : A Review

The characterization and quantitative description of histological images is not a simple problem. To reach a final diagnosis, usually the specialist relies on the analysis of characteristics easily observed, such as cells size, shape, staining and texture, but also depends on the hidden information of tissue localization, physiological and pathological mechanisms, clinical aspects, or other etiological agents. Over the past decade, dramatic increases in computational power and improvement in image analysis algorithms have allowed the development of powerful computer-assisted analytical approaches to radiological data. This paper reviews the recent state of the art CAD technology for digitized histopathology. In this paper we are going to review different methods available for breast cancer diagnosis. I. Introduction Several world and national non-profit organizations have engaged in finding day to day solution to cancer deaths. However, a considerable number of women victims of breast cancer have persisted. For 2008, the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimated 182,460 new breast cancer cases and about 40,480 will die of breast cancer in the United States (Breast Cancer New Cases and Deaths) [1]. This is a big number taking into account the modern technology and the availability of advanced research institutions. More precisely, women in developing countries represent a substantial number of women who die from breast cancer every year due to a lack of the improved early detection and diagnosis methods with the appropriate equipment. Even small improvements in the early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer would likely save thousands of lives annually. Breast cancer has been known for decades to be the most common type of cancer among women. The incidence of breast cancer in India is on the rise and is rapidly becoming the number one cancer in females. India accounts for nearly six percent of deaths due to breast cancer in the world. One out of every 22 women in India is diagnosed with breast cancer [2]. Recent studies have determined that the key to breast cancer survival rests upon its earliest detection possible. A part of the body is called cancerous when its cells start to grow in an out of control manner. Breast cancer is a tumour that starts from breast cells. Breast tumours can be malignant or benign. It is believed that benign tumours are not life threatening in most cases. Therefore, only malignant breast tumours are addressed as breast cancer. A malignant …
Cocaine self-administration in mice with forebrain knock-down of trpc5 ion channels

Canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) channels are a family of non-selective cation channels that play a crucial role in modulating neuronal excitability due to their involvement in intracellular Ca2+ regulation and dendritic growth. TRPC5 channels a) are one of the two most prevalent TRPC channels in the adult rodent brain; b) are densely expressed in deep layer pyramidal neurons of the prefrontal cortex (PFC); and c) modulate neuronal persistent activity necessary for working memory and attention. In order to evaluate the causal role of TRPC5 in motivation/reward-related behaviors, conditional forebrain TRPC5 knock-down (trpc5-KD) mice were generated and trained to nose-poke for intravenous cocaine. Here we present a data set containing the first 6 days of saline or cocaine self-administration in wild type (WT) and trpc5-KD mice. In addition, we also present a data set showing the dose-response to cocaine after both groups had achieved similar levels of cocaine self-administration. Compared to WT mice, trpc5-KD mice exhibited an apparent increase in self-administration on the first day of cocaine testing without prior operant training. There were no apparent differences between WT and trpc5-KD mice for saline responding on the first day of training. Both groups showed similar dose-response sensitivity to cocaine after several days of achieving similar levels of cocaine intake.
Reducing the Burden of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: The Case for Early Intervention and the Potential Role of the Emergency Department

ABSTRACT The mortality for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains unacceptably high. Success in clinical trials has been limited, resulting in a lack of effective therapies to treat the syndrome. The projected increase in mechanically ventilated patients and global need for critical care services suggests that the clinical and research landscape in ARDS can no longer be confined to the intensive care unit. A demonstrable minority of patients present to the emergency department (ED) with ARDS, and ARDS onset typically occurs shortly after intensive care unit admission. Furthermore, the ED is an entry point for many of the highest-risk patients for ARDS development and progression. These facts, combined with prolonged lengths of stay in the ED, suggest that the ED could represent a window of opportunity for treatment and preventive strategies, as well as clinical trial enrollment. This review aims to discuss some of the potential strategies that may prevent or alter the trajectory of ARDS, with a focus on the potential role the ED could play in reducing the burden of this syndrome.
A Multi-objective Genetic Approach to Mapping Problem on Network-on-Chip

Advances in technology now make it possible to integrate hundreds of cores (e.g. general or special purpose processors, embedded memories, application specific components, mixedsignal I/O cores) in a single silicon die. The large number of resources that have to communicate makes the use of interconnection systems based on shared buses inefficient. One way to solve the problem of on-chip communications is to use a Network-on-Chip (NoC)-based communication infrastructure. Such interconnection systems offer new degrees of freedom, exploration of which may reveal significant optimization possibilities: the possibility of arranging the computing and storage resources in an NoC, for example, has a great impact on various performance indexes. The paper addresses the problem of topological mapping of intellectual properties (IPs) on the tiles of a mesh-based NoC architecture. The aim is to obtain the Pareto mappings that maximize performance and minimize power dissipation. We propose a heuristic technique based on evolutionary computing to obtain an optimal approximation of the Pareto-optimal front in an efficient and accurate way. At the same time, two of the most widely-known approaches to mapping in mesh-based NoC architectures are extended in order to explore the mapping space in a multicriteria mode. The approaches are then evaluated and compared, in terms of both accuracy and efficiency, on a platform based on an event-driven trace-based simulator which makes it possible to take account of important dynamic effects that have a great impact on mapping. The evaluation performed on both synthesized traffic and real applications (an MPEG-4 codec) confirms the efficiency, accuracy and scalability of the proposed approach.