Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Parallel Knowledge Gradient Method for Batch Bayesian Optimization

In many applications of black-box optimization, one can evaluate multiple points simultaneously, e.g. when evaluating the performances of several different neural network architectures in a parallel computing environment. In this paper, we develop a novel batch Bayesian optimization algorithm --- the parallel knowledge gradient method. By construction, this method provides the one-step Bayes-optimal batch of points to sample. We provide an efficient strategy for computing this Bayes-optimal batch of points, and we demonstrate that the parallel knowledge gradient method finds global optima significantly faster than previous batch Bayesian optimization algorithms on both synthetic test functions and when tuning hyperparameters of practical machine learning algorithms, especially when function evaluations are noisy.
Does Tourism Development Influence the Economic Growth in Pakistan? Evidence from ARDL and Causality Approach

This study analyzes the influence of tourism development on economic growth (GDP) in the case of Pakistan's economy using the time series data covering the spanning from 1995-2022. In order to unveil reliable and robust results, a more appropriate time-series approach was applied for the current article. Time series unit root tests infer that all the variables have unit root problems at levels I(0), however, after taking the first difference I(1), all series turn into following the stationary process. Furthermore, (ARDL) bound test reveals that a long-term cointegration prevails among all analyzed variables. The Granger causality test is also utilized to check the causal relationship among the series. The long-run elasticity estimates examine a statistically significant and positive link between the sect tourism sector GDP growth in the case of Pakistan. Furthermore, political instability and inflation rate have an inverse influence on GDP growth, whereas, capital investment has a positively significant influence on GDP growth. In addition, it is concluded that tourism sector development helps to move upward shift in the economy of Pakistan by generating more profits for the country. Finally, it is suggested that goverment should have to focus on investing in the tourism sector and provide better facilities for tourists.
Rapid Detection of Myocardial Infarction by Subsecond, Free-Breathing Delayed Contrast-Enhancement Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance

Background— An ultrafast, delayed contrast-enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance technique that can acquire subsecond, “snapshot” images during free breathing (subsecond) is becoming widely available. This technique provides myocardial infarction (MI) imaging with complete left ventricular coverage in <30 seconds. However, the accuracy of this technique is unknown. Methods and Results— We prospectively compared subsecond imaging with routine breath-hold delayed contrast-enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance (standard) in consecutive patients. Two cohorts with unambiguous standards of truth were prespecified: (1) patients with documented prior MI (n=135) and (2) patients without MI and with low likelihood of coronary disease (lowest Framingham risk category; n=103). Scans were scored masked to identity and clinical information. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of subsecond imaging for MI diagnosis were 87%, 96%, and 91%, respectively. Compared with the standard technique (98%, 100%, 99%), the subsecond technique had modestly reduced sensitivity (P=0.0001), but specificity was excellent. Missed infarcts were generally small or subendocardial (87%). Overall, regional transmural extent of infarction scores were highly concordant (2083/2294; 91%); however, 51 of 337 regions (15%) considered predominantly infarcted (>50% transmural extent of infarction) by the standard technique were considered viable (≤25% transmural extent of infarction) by the subsecond technique. Quantitative analysis demonstrated moderately reduced contrast-to-noise ratios for subsecond imaging between infarct and remote myocardium (12.0±7.2 versus 20.1±6.6; P<0.0001) and infarct and left ventricular cavity (−2.5±2.7 versus 3.6±3.7; P<0.0001). Conclusions— MI can be rapidly detected by subsecond delayed contrast-enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance during free breathing with high accuracy. This technique could be considered the preferred approach in patients who are more acutely ill or unable to hold their breath. However, compared with standard imaging, sensitivity is mildly reduced, and the transmural extent of infarction may be underestimated.
Image Decolorization by Maximally Preserving Color Contrast

We propose a method to convert a color image to its gray representation with the objective that color contrast in the color image is maximally preserved as gray contrast in the gray image. Given a color image, we first extract unique colors of the image through robust clustering for its color values. Based on the color contrast between these unique colors, we tailor a non-linear decolorization function that maximally preserves contrast in the gray image. A novelty here is the proposal of a color-gray feature that tightly couple color contrast with gray contrast information. We compute the optimal color-gray feature, and drive the search for a decolorization function that generates a color-gray feature that is most similar to the optimal one. This function is then used to convert a color image to its gray representation. Our experiments and user study demonstrate the greater effectiveness of this method in comparison to previous techniques.
Molecular Anthropology : Population and Forensic Genetic Applications

Molecular anthropology the study of human genetic polymorphisms is fast and ever-growing branch of anthropology that holds a great promise for both past and future. Indian subcontinent with its remarkable environmental, geographical, morphological, genetic, cultural and linguistic diversity provides immense promise for anthropological investigations to address origins of its people, population movements, analysis of genetic architecture in human diseases and gene-environment interactions. Several types of DNA polymorphisms have been discovered in the human genome and have been found to be very productive in addressing molecular anthropological questions. This paper traces the usage of some of these polymorphisms in the study of populations of India. Using a battery of Alu insertion polymorphisms, genetic structure and affinities of North and Western Indian populations are evaluated. Alu polymorphisms are also used to investigate the origin of the Sinhalese of Sri Lanka. In addition, forensic applications of Alu polymorphisms are demonstrated. These results suggest that there is fundamental genomic unity among Indian populations and geographic location, caste affiliation and migration/gene flow contribute significantly to the observed genetic variation in contemporary populations. Author’s Address: Dr. Sarabjit Mastana, Human Genetics Labortary, Department of Human Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK Telephone: +44-1509-223041, Fax: +44-1509-223940, E-mail: S.S. Mastana@LBORO.AC. UK © Kamla-Raj Enterprises 2007 Anthropology Today: Trends, Scope and Applications Anthropologist Special Volume No. 3: 373-383 (2007) Veena Bhasin & M.K. Bhasin, Guest Editors
Job precariousness in journalism: dimensions and predicting factors

Introduction: The concept of job precariousness has been used mainly since the 1980s to talk about the international phenomenon of job deterioration characterized mainly by the instability and social insecurity of employment and the labor vulnerability of the worker. There is a consensus in the literature about the multidimensional and transversal nature of precarious work. The following four key components have been considered: temporal, organizational, economic and social. Different trends in working conditions have led to the claim that employment in journalism is becoming more precarious. Methodology: In order to find out the level of job precariousness and its dimensions in journalistic employment and to understand what sociodemographic, labor and organizational factors predict it, the authors carried out Kruskal-Wallis tests and an ordinal logistic regression analysis on data from the Worlds of Journalism Study-3 survey in Mexico. Results: For the most part, most of the journalists were at a medium level of precariousness
El fenómeno “pucara” visto desde la puna jujeña

En los Andes Centro Sur el uso del termino pucara es ambiguo, dado que se lo utiliza para denominar tanto fortalezas, poblados fortificados, asentamientos naturalmente inexpugnables o sitios estrategicos que controlan recursos o vias de circulacion. Cronologicamente comprenden al menos dos momentos, preincaico e incaico. Se relaciona el surgimiento de este tipo de asentamientos con el contexto social y politico de los inicios del Intermedio Tardio en los Andes Centro Sur. En la Puna de Jujuy es escasa la presencia de pucara al menos si lo referimos a algunas de las areas aledanas (Quebrada de Humahuaca). Esto probablemente se pueda referir a particulares condiciones sociales o economicas en el Intermedio Tardio para esta parte de los Andes.ABSTRACTThe use of the term pucara is rather ambiguous in the South Central Andes. It is used for naming both fortresses, fortified villages, settlements with a very difficult access, or sites with a strategic location regarding resource controlor circulation. Some of these pucara belong to the Inca Period and other are earlier. The emergence of the pucara settlements is related to the political and social conditions in the begginning of the Late Intermediate Period in the South Central Andes. In the Puna de Jujuy the pucara are scarce, at least when we have in mind some nearby areas as the Quebrada de Humahuaca. This can probably be related to particular conditions in this part of the Andes during theLate Intermediate Period.
Resolvin D1 inhibits inflammatory response in STZ-induced diabetic retinopathy rats: Possible involvement of NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB signaling pathway

Purpose To investigate the effect of resolvin D1 (RvD1) on the Nod-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing (NLRP3) inflammasome and the nuclear factor-kappa beta (NF-κB) pathway in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic retinopathy in rats. Methods Ninety-six male rats were divided into four groups: control, STZ, RvD1, and vehicle. The rats with diabetic retinopathy induced by STZ in the RvD1 and vehicle groups were given an intravitreal injection of RvD1 (1,000 ng/kg) or the same dosage of vehicle, respectively. All rats were euthanized 7 days following treatment. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the retinal tissues. The location and expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome components, including NLRP3, caspase-associated recruitment domain (ASC), and caspase-1, in the retinas were detected using immunohistochemistry, real-time PCR, and western blot, respectively. Retinal homogenate of rats were collected for the detection of the downstream molecules interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and IL-18 of the NLRP3 inflammasome with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results The levels of NLRP3, ASC, cleaved caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 were upregulated in the retinas of the STZ-induced diabetic rats; however, these changes were partially inhibited by the RvD1 treatment. Furthermore, the administration of RvD1 suppressed activation of NF-kB, which was upregulated in STZ-induced diabetic retinopathy. Conclusions RvD1 plays a protective role in STZ-induced diabetic retinopathy by inhibiting the level of activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and associated cytokine production, suggesting targeting of this pathway might be an effective strategy in treatment of diabetic retinopathy.
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid-degrading bacteria contain mosaics of catabolic genes

DNA from 32 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)-degrading bacteria from diverse locations was probed with the first three genes of the well-known 2,4-D degradation pathway found in Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP134(pJP4). The majority of strains did not show high levels of homology to the first three genes of the 2,4-D degradation pathway, tfdA, -B, and -C. Most strains showed combinations of tfdA-, B-, and C-like elements that exhibited various degrees of homology to the gene probes. Strains having the same genomic fingerprints (as determined by repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR) exhibited the same hybridization pattern regardless of the geographic origin of the strain, with the exception of a strain isolated from Puerto Rico. This strain had the same genomic fingerprint as that of numerous other strains in the collection but differed in its hybridization against the tfdA gene probe. Members of the beta subdivision of the Proteobacteria class, specifically Alcaligenes, Burkholderia, and Rhodoferax species, carried DNA fragments with 60% or more sequence similarity to tfdA of pJP4, and most carried fragments showing at least 60% homology to tfdB. However, many strains did not hybridize with tfdC, although they exhibited chlorocatechol dioxygenase activity. Members of the alpha subdivision of the Proteobacteria class, mostly of the genus Sphingomonas, did not hybridize to either tfdA or tfdC, but some hybridized at low stringency to tfdB. The data suggest that extensive interspecies transfer of a variety of homologous degradative genes has been involved in the evolution of 2,4-D-degrading bacteria.
The role of condensed tannins in the nutritional value of Lotus pedunculatus for sheep

1. Voluntary intake was determined with vegetative Lotus pedunculatus cut and fed fresh to growing sheep of 42–46 kg live weight. Effects attributable to condensed tannins were assessed by growing the plant under high and low levels of soil fertility, inducing low and high concentrations of tannin (Expt 1), or by binding the tannins through spraying the herbage with polyethylene glycol (molecular weight 3350, PEG; Expt 2). Primary-growth lotus was used in Expt 1 and secondary-growth lotus in Expt 2. Concentrations of total and free condensed tannin were determined in fresh lotus, free tanning being defined as that not bound by mascerates of the plant. 2. In Expt 1 the herbages fed contained respectively 46 and 106 g total condensed tannin/kg dry matter (DM) and 3 and 14 g free condensed tannin/kg DM. Mean metabolizable energy (ME) intakes were 0.89 and 0.77 MJ/kg live weight0.75 per d (P < 0.05) respectively. 3. The lotus used in Expt 2 contained 63 and 5 g total reactive condensed tannin and free condensed tannin/kg DM respectively. After spraying with PEG at 2.4 g/g total condensed tannin, these values were reduced to 7 and 0.5 g/kg DM respectively. PEG addition increased apparent digestibility (proportion of each nutrient ingested) of cellulose, hemicellulose and nitrogen by 0.05, 0.08 and 0.26, and increased ME intake from 0.48 to 0.69 MJ/kg live weight0.75 per d. 4. It was concluded that high concentrations of condensed tannins depressed ME intake, due to depressions in both the voluntary intake and digestion of organic matter. The stimulation of hemicellulose and cellulose digestion by PEG addition suggests that the condensed tannin was depressing rumen digestion. 5. It is considered that free tannins are most likely to have been responsible for the depressive effects in the present study. This could be due to their reaction with microbial enzymes in the rumen, the tannin content of the plant exceeding the capacity of the plant protein to bind it, or to reaction with enzymes secreted into the small intestine following the absorption of amino acids. In either instance free tannins could also react with proteins of the gut wall.
Design and Implementation of Standard Work on Care Delivery Performance : A Quasi-Experimental Investigation

This research offers insights on how to carry out process change in high-contact service settings. Focusing on healthcare delivery, we investigate the effect of standard work, put in place following Lewin’s theory of social change, on 30-day readmission rates and patient satisfaction. Our quasi-experimental design involved working with 40 caregivers and over 100 patients for more than two years to implement a new process for educating kidney transplant recipients before discharge from the hospital. We examine the efficacy of the new process through a difference-in-difference approach using data over three years from 702 transplant patients, including heart and liver transplant recipients from the same hospital as a control group. Our results indicate that the likelihood of 30-day readmission is about one-third lower for kidney transplant recipients (treatment) postimplementation compared with recipients of other transplants (control group) for which the dischargeeducation process remained unchanged. This improvement is estimated to generate average annual savings of $133,346 for the hospital. We also find a 10% increase in overall patient satisfaction, measured using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, for the treatment group compared with the control group. Furthermore, our first-hand observations over two years offer new theoretical insights on initiating, implementing, and sustaining process change in high-contact service settings.
Mechanical and Chemical Effects in Adhesion of Thin Shell Structures with Applications in Wafer Bonding and Adhesion of Living Cells

A theoretical model is analyzed to investigate the adhesion of thin shell structures to both rigid and deformable substrates under a variety of surface conditions. The thermodynamic forces driving the adhesive process are determined from an interfacial free energy, which is described within a classical thermodynamics framework. Deformations of the thin, elastic shells are studied using a geometrically nonlinear shell theory. Finite-range adhesive tractions, chemical segregation, substrate compliance, and substrate topography all are considered over a wide range of geometric and material parameters. Equilibrium adhesion states are characterized by a shell flatness parameter, the contact radius, and the adhesive and elastic energies. The nonlinear, coupled differential equations governing mechanical and chemical equilibrium are studied using finite differences and numerical continuation methods. The analysis has applications in wafer bonding and the adhesion of living cells. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics First Advisor John L. Bassani
Landforming processes in glaciated orogens : a numerical study

The interaction between tectonics and the processes of erosion (including denudation,transport and depostion) in active compressional orogens has recently received much attention. While most studies have emphasized the role of fluvial and hillslope processes, a large number of orogens have experienced significant glacial cover during their development. The central purpose of this thesis is to investigate the role of glacial erosion upon the geomorphic and tectonic evolution of active orogens. In order to perform this investigation, a new surface processes model is presented that incorporates an ice dynamics model so as to model the combined effects of glacial, fluvial and diffusive erosion at a tectonically active orogen. The surface processes model calculates fluvial erosion, transport and deposition using a water passing algorithm over a two dimensional grid, and is proportional to stream power. The ice dynamics is calculated over a two dimensional grid using a finite difference scheme and incorporates subglacial water flow, differential basal temperatures and movement via both internal deformation and basal sliding. The rate of glacial erosion is proportional to the basal sliding velocity. The model also incorporates orographic precipitation, lithospheric flexure and tectonic uplift. This model is used to investigate the effect of glaciation upon mountain relief, the interplay between ice erosion and tectonic uplift , and the evolution of the Southern Alps of New Zealand. It is found that relief may be reduced by glaciation because glaciers concentrate erosion at peaks and by reducing fluvial erosion downstream. Relief may be generated when the ice is frozen to the base near the peaks, and isostatic uplift at the mountain peaks may be generated by enhanced glacial valley erosion. However , unless the overall rate of erosion decreases during glacial periods, relief is lowered by glaciation. It is demonstrated with a one dimensional analytic model that a feedback effect between topography and ice thickness exists by which ice masses in active orogens may oscillate in size without climate change. The surface processes model is used to show that the period of this oscillation is inversely proportional to the rate of tectonic uplift and has a value between 10 and 100 kyrs. It can act to reinforce the effect climate variation has on the size of ice masses. Experiments with a Southern Alps like model that produce the orogen's asymmetries of topography, precipitation and metamorphic
Transferrin C2, metal binding and Alzheimer's disease

SIGNIFICANT associations between the transferrin (TF) variant C2 and a number of disorders suspected to be caused by oxygen free radicals have been reported. Thus an increased frequency of the TFC2 variant has been found in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and it has been hypothesized that AD is caused by free radical damage due to defective binding of iron and aluminium by TFC2. In a study of 64 patients with AD from northern Sweden we were able to confirm the association between TFC2 and AD, but there were no significant differences between TFC2 and other TF variants with respect to the binding of iron and aluminium.
Receptor Avidity and Costimulation Specify the Intracellular Ca2+ Signaling Pattern in Cd4+Cd8+ Thymocytes

Thymocyte maturation is governed by antigen–T cell receptor (TCR) affinity and the extent of TCR aggregation. Signals provided by coactivating molecules such as CD4 and CD28 also influence the fate of immature thymocytes. The mechanism by which differences in antigen–TCR avidity encode unique maturational responses of lymphocytes and the influence of coactivating molecules on these signaling processes is not fully understood. To better understand the role of a key second messenger, calcium, in governing thymocyte maturation, we measured the intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+] i) response to changes in TCR avidity and costimulation. We found that TCR stimulation initiates either amplitude- or frequency-encoded [Ca2+]i changes depending on (a) the maturation state of stimulated thymocytes, (b) the avidity of TCR interactions, and (c) the participation of specific coactivating molecules. Calcium signaling within immature but not mature thymocytes could be modulated by the avidity of CD3/CD4 engagement. Low avidity interactions induced biphasic calcium responses, whereas high avidity engagement initiated oscillatory calcium changes. Notably, CD28 participation converted the calcium response to low avidity receptor engagement from a biphasic to oscillatory pattern. These data suggest that calcium plays a central role in encoding the nature of the TCR signal received by thymocytes and, consequently, a role in thymic selection.