Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Globalization, the state, and narrative plurality : historiography in Saudi Arabia

Paper presented at the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies Annual Conference 2011 in association with the European Association for Middle Eastern Studies (EURAMES) and the Asian Federation of Middle East Associations (AFMA) at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter, 27–29 June 2011 The topic of this paper is the history of historical writing in modern Saudi Arabia. Previous research on historiography in the kingdom as well as other Arab countries focused on how the government used historical writing to maintain the legitimacy of the political system and produce the ideology on which this system was based.
Portfolio Selection with Heavy Tails

A gear pump is used in an electrically-operated sealed compressor. The compressor includes a compression mechanism, an electric motor for driving the compression mechanism, and a crankshaft for transmitting the rotational force of the electric motor to the compression mechanism. The gear pump includes a pair of gears being in mesh with each other, one of which is connected to one end of the crankshaft, and a pump casing accommodating only the pair of gears. The pump casing together with the gear pair is disposed on one side of a cover plate, while other elements constituting the gear pump are disposed on the other side of the cover plate. By this construction, the distance between the gear pair and an auxiliary bearing to which the gear pump is secured can be reduced and, hence, an undesirable whirling of one end portion of the crankshaft can also be reduced.
Not All Ops Are Created Equal!

Efficient and compact neural network models are essential for enabling the deployment on mobile and embedded devices. In this work, we point out that typical design metrics for gauging the efficiency of neural network architectures -- total number of operations and parameters -- are not sufficient. These metrics may not accurately correlate with the actual deployment metrics such as energy and memory footprint. We show that throughput and energy varies by up to 5X across different neural network operation types on an off-the-shelf Arm Cortex-M7 microcontroller. Furthermore, we show that the memory required for activation data also need to be considered, apart from the model parameters, for network architecture exploration studies.
Differential Retention of Doxorubicin in the Organs of Two Strains of Rats

Abstract— Fluorescence microscopy and high pressure liquid chromatography were used to study the decrease of doxorubicin (DXR) concentrations in the liver, spleen, heart, lung, kidney and skeletal muscle of two strains of rats at various times after a single intravenous injection of the drug (8 mg kg−1). DXR was located within the cell nucleus and was mostly undegraded, it persisted, especially in heart, lungs and spleen where it was detectable 10 days after injection. The DXR/DNA ratio, was used as an index of nuclear fixation of the drug. A major difference in the DXR/DNA ratio between the two strains were observed in heart and spleen results; the DXR/DNA ratio was significantly higher in heart and spleen compared with lung, liver and kidney in both strains.
Improved Adaptive-Support Stereo Matching Using Local Features

Stereo matching is a process of estimating the disparity for every pixel in a pair of stereo images. Among the various stereo-matching algorithms, the adaptive supportweight (ASW) approach is the most representative local method that determines the disparity by using statistical correlation within a local support window. In the ASW approach, the degree of correspondence between two pixels within the support window is jointly measured using color similarity and geometric proximity. Although ASW is simple and typically effective, it does not provide satisfactory matching results for regions with ambiguous patterns or no identifiable image features. This study improved ASW by incorporating numerous local image features. First, an alternative adaptive cross-based support window, instead of the fixed square window, was used to increase the matching accuracy if a sparse-textured region surrounds the anchor pixel. Second, Canny edges in dense-textured regions were used for correspondence matching. Third, a smoothness constraint on disparity continuity was imposed to shrink the errors on object boundaries. Fourth, a disparity-refinement process was performed on the inconsistent pixels from the left-right consistency check. Experimental results on the Middlebury test bed confirmed the superiority of the proposed method over the ASW. Compared with other state-ofthe- art ASW-based algorithms, the proposed method is among the most effective and achieves stable and efficient performance with only a slight increase in processing time.
A Repetition Test for Pseudo-Random Number Generators

A new statistical test for uniform pseudo-random number generators (PRNGs) is presented. The idea is that a sequence of pseudo-random numbers should have numbers reappear with a certain probability. The expectation time that a repetition occurs provides the metric for the test. For linear congruential generators (LCGs) failure can be shown theoretically. Empirical test results for a number of commonly used PRNGs are reported, showing that some PRNGs considered to have good statistical properties fail. A sample implementation of the test is provided over the Internet.
Calcium-vitamin D cosupplementation influences circulating inflammatory biomarkers and adipocytokines in vitamin D-insufficient diabetics: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

CONTEXT To the best of our knowledge, no study has examined the effects of vitamin D-calcium cosupplementation on inflammatory biomarkers and adipocytokines in vitamin D-insufficient type 2 diabetics. OBJECTIVE This study was performed to assess the effects of vitamin D and calcium supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers and adipocytokines in vitamin D-insufficient people with type 2 diabetes. METHODS Totally, 118 diabetic patients were enrolled in this randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. After matching for age, sex, body mass index, type and dose of hypoglycemic agents, and duration of diabetes, subjects were randomly assigned into 4 groups receiving the following: 1) 50000 IU/wk vitamin D + calcium placebo; 2) 1000 mg/d calcium + vitamin D placebo; 3) 50 000 IU/wk vitamin D + 1000 mg/d calcium; or 4) vitamin D placebo + calcium placebo for 8 weeks. Blood sampling was done for the quantification of inflammatory biomarkers and adipocytokines at the study baseline and after 8 weeks of intervention. RESULTS Calcium (changes from baseline: -75 ± 19 ng/ml, P = .01) and vitamin D alone (-56 ± 19 ng/mL, P = .01) and joint calcium-vitamin D supplementation (-92 ± 19 ng/mL, P = .01) resulted in a significant reduction in serum leptin levels compared with placebo (-9 ± 18 ng/mL). This was also the case for serum IL-6, such that calcium (-2 ± 1 pg/mL, P < .001) and vitamin D alone (-4 ± 1 pg/mL, P < .001) and their combination (-4 ± 1 pg/mL, P < .001) led to significant reductions compared with placebo (3 ± 1 pg/mL). After adjustment for potential confounders, individuals in the calcium (-3.1 ± 1.3, P < .05), vitamin D (-3.1 ± 1.3, P < .05), and joint calcium-vitamin D groups (-3.4 ± 1.3, P < .05) had greater reductions in serum TNF-α concentrations compared with placebo (0.1 ± 1.2). Individuals who received joint calcium-vitamin D supplements tended to have a decrease in serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels compared with placebo after controlling for baseline levels (-1.14 ± 0.25 vs 0.02 ± 0.24 ng/mL, P = .09). CONCLUSION Joint calcium-vitamin D supplementation might improve systemic inflammation through decreasing IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations in vitamin D-insufficient people with type 2 diabetes.
Pitt–Hopkins Mouse Model has Altered Particular Gastrointestinal Transits In Vivo

Pitt–Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, classified as an autism spectrum disorder that is caused by the haploinsufficiency of Transcription Factor 4 (TCF4). The most common non‐neurological symptoms in PTHS patients are gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances, mainly gastroesophageal reflux and severe constipation (in about 30 and 75% of PTHS patients, respectively). We hypothesized that the recently recognized mouse model of PTHS will exhibit problems with their gut function. We conducted series of in vivo tests on 15‐ to 19‐ week old male mice, heterozygous for the TCF4 functional deletion, mimicking the TCF4 haploinsufficiency in PTHS patients, and their wild type littermates. Data collection and initial analysis were performed blindly, that is, the genotyping key was received after the mean values were calculated for each individual animal, and then mean/median of each group was subsequently calculated. Body weight, fecal pellet output, and fluid content were similar between the groups, indicating normal gross growth of PTHS mice and their overall physiological GI motility and intestinal secretion/absorption. There were no significant differences in gut length and gross appearance pointing out that PTHS mice have normal gut in gross anatomical terms. However, the assessment of gut transit indicates that, while whole‐gut transit velocity was similar between the groups, the upper GI and distal colon transit velocities were significantly reduced in the PTHS mice. This is the first evidence of specific gut related problems in the PTHS mice. Our study also validates the TCF4 functional knockout mice as an animal model to study PTHS‐associated GI disturbances. Autism Res 2015, 8: 629–633. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Broadly Neutralizing Immune Responses against Hepatitis C Virus Induced by Vectored Measles Viruses and a Recombinant Envelope Protein Booster

ABSTRACT Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a serious public health problem worldwide. Treatments are limited, and no preventive vaccine is available. Toward developing an HCV vaccine, we engineered two recombinant measles viruses (MVs) expressing structural proteins from the prototypic HCV subtype 1a strain H77. One virus directs the synthesis of the HCV capsid (C) protein and envelope glycoproteins (E1 and E2), which fold properly and form a heterodimer. The other virus expresses the E1 and E2 glycoproteins separately, with each one fused to the cytoplasmic tail of the MV fusion protein. Although these hybrid glycoproteins were transported to the plasma membrane, they were not incorporated into MV particles. Immunization of MV-susceptible, genetically modified mice with either vector induced neutralizing antibodies to MV and HCV. A boost with soluble E2 protein enhanced titers of neutralizing antibody against the homologous HCV envelope. In animals primed with MV expressing properly folded HCV C-E1-E2, boosting also induced cross-neutralizating antibodies against two heterologous HCV strains. These results show that recombinant MVs retain the ability to induce MV-specific humoral immunity while also eliciting HCV neutralizing antibodies, and that anti-HCV immunity can be boosted with a single dose of purified E2 protein. The use of MV vectors could have advantages for pediatric HCV vaccination.
A decomposition technique for pursuit evasion games with many pursuers

Memory storage constraints impose ultimate limits on the complexity of differential games for which optimal strategies can be computed via direct solution of the associated Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs equations. It is of interest therefore to explore whether, for certain specially structured differential games of interest, it is possible to decompose the original problem into a family of simpler differential games. In this paper we exhibit a class of single evader-multiple pursuers games for which a reduction in complexity of this nature is possible. The target set is expressed as a union of smaller, sub-target sets. The individual differential games are obtained by substituting a sub-target set in place of the original target and are simpler because of geometric features of the dynamics and constraints. We give conditions under which the value function of the original problem can be characterized as the lower envelope of the value functions for the simpler problems and show how optimal strategies can be constructed from those for the simpler problems. The methodology is illustrated by several examples.
Lifelong Persistent Viral Infection Alters the Naive T Cell Pool, Impairing CD8 T Cell Immunity in Late Life

Persistent CMV infection has been associated with immune senescence. To address the causal impact of lifelong persistent viral infection on immune homeostasis and defense, we infected young mice systemically with HSV-1, murine CMV, or both viruses and studied their T cell homeostasis and function. Herpesvirus+ mice exhibited increased all-cause mortality compared with controls. Upon Listeria-OVA infection, 23-mo-old animals that had experienced lifelong herpesvirus infections showed impaired bacterial control and CD8 T cell function, along with distinct alterations in the T cell repertoire both before and after Listeria challenge, compared with age-matched, herpesvirus-free controls. Herpesvirus infection was associated with reduced naive CD8 T cell precursors above the loss attributable to aging. Moreover, the OVA-specific CD8 T cell repertoire recruited after Listeria challenge was entirely nonoverlapping between control and herpesvirus+ mice. To our knowledge, this study for the first time causally links lifelong herpesvirus infection to all-cause mortality in mice and to disturbances in the T cell repertoire, which themselves correspond to impaired immunity to a new infection in aging.
Data innovation for international development: An overview of natural language processing for qualitative data analysis

Availability, collection and access to quantitative data, as well as its limitations, often make qualitative data the resource upon which development programs heavily rely. Both traditional interview data and social media analysis can provide rich contextual information and are essential for research, appraisal, monitoring and evaluation. These data may be difficult to process and analyze both systematically and at scale. This, in turn, limits the ability of timely data driven decision-making which is essential in fast evolving complex social systems. In this paper, we discuss the potential of using natural language processing to systematize analysis of qualitative data, and to inform quick decision-making in the development context. We illustrate this with interview data generated in a format of micronarratives for the UNDP Fragments of Impact project.
Explicit Oral Narrative Intervention for Students with Williams Syndrome

Narrative skills play a crucial role in organizing experience, facilitating social interaction and building academic discourse and literacy. They are at the interface of cognitive, social, and linguistic abilities related to school engagement. Despite their relative strengths in social and grammatical skills, students with Williams syndrome (WS) do not show parallel cognitive and pragmatic performance in narrative generation tasks. The aim of the present study was to assess retelling of a TV cartoon tale and the effect of an individualized explicit instruction of the narrative structure. Participants included eight students with WS who attended different special education levels. Narratives were elicited in two sessions (pre and post intervention), and were transcribed, coded and analyzed using the tools of the CHILDES Project. Narratives were coded for productivity and complexity at the microstructure and macrostructure levels. Microstructure productivity (i.e., length of narratives) included number of utterances, clauses, and tokens. Microstructure complexity included mean length of utterances, lexical diversity and use of discourse markers as cohesive devices. Narrative macrostructure was assessed for textual coherence through the Pragmatic Evaluation Protocol for Speech Corpora (PREP-CORP). Macrostructure productivity and complexity included, respectively, the recall and sequential order of scenarios, episodes, events and characters. A total of four intervention sessions, lasting approximately 20 min, were delivered individually once a week. This brief intervention addressed explicit instruction about the narrative structure and the use of specific discourse markers to improve cohesion of story retellings. Intervention strategies included verbal scaffolding and modeling, conversational context for retelling the story and visual support with pictures printed from the cartoon. Results showed significant changes in WS students’ retelling of the story, both at macro- and microstructure levels, when assessed following a 2-week interval. Outcomes were better in microstructure than in macrostructure, where sequential order (i.e., complexity) did not show significant improvement. These findings are consistent with previous research supporting the use of explicit oral narrative intervention with participants who are at risk of school failure due to communication impairments. Discussion focuses on how assessment and explicit instruction of narrative skills might contribute to effective intervention programs enhancing school engagement in WS students.
Automatisiertes Tracking von Kopf- und Augenbewegungen bei 360°-Stimulation zur Charakterisierung des visuellen Systems kleiner Wirbeltiere

In der Verhaltensforschung an Tieren ist es ein grundlegendes Problem, dass sich diese im Gegensatz zu Menschen nicht mitteilen konnen und somit eindeutige, objektive Verhaltenskriterien bestimmt werden mussen, um festzustellen, ob ein Tier einen Stimulus wahrnehmen kann. Ein gangiges Verfahren, um Wahrnehmungsschwellen des visuellen Systems zu ermitteln, ist die Messung des optokinetischen Reflexes (OKR), einer typischen Korper-, Kopf- und Augenbewegung, die beim Menschen und vielen Tieren auftritt, wenn ein repetitives, sich gleichmasig bewegendes Muster prasentiert wird. In der folgenden Arbeit werden neue Ansatze und Algorithmen zur OKR-Messung an kleinen Tieren, insbesondere Wasserschildkroten und Mausen mit Hilfe eines Kamera-basierten Trackings und einer visuellen 360°-Stimulation vorgestellt. Die automatische Erfassung der Kopfbewegung erlaubt nicht nur eine quantitative und objektive Auswertung der Versuche, sondern erlaubt es zudem, den Stimulus wahrend eines Versuchs kontinuierlich an die Position des Tiers anzupassen, was prazisere Messungen und viele neuartige Versuche ermoglicht.
Variété du capitalisme et théorie de la régulation

Rares sont les problematiques economiques qui osent encore faire mention du capitalisme comme notion centrale, voire comme concept fondateur. Il est au moins deux exceptions, respectivement l’Ecole de la variete des capitalismes (VOC) et les recherches en termes de regulation (TR) dont le present article se propose de cerner l’origine, les convergences mais aussi les differences. Si la premiere prend pour cible la pretention a l’exclusivite d’un capitalisme liberal de marche, la seconde approche replace cette question par rapport a l’evolution de longue periode du capitalisme et la recherche actuelle d’alternatives au regime de croissance fordiste. Les deux approches s’accordent pour souligner l’importance des comparaisons internationales, le role non exclusif du marche comme forme de coordination, l’absence d’une « one best way » appliquee au capitalisme, enfin l’impact de l’internationalisation sur l’approfondissement de l’avantage concurrentiel lie aux institutions. Pourtant, elles ne sont pas equivalentes. Les methodologies mises en œuvre different : importance de l’entreprise pour la VOC, coherence systemique et macroeconomique pour la TR. Si la VOC met en exergue l’opposition entre capitalisme de marche liberal et capitalisme de marche coordonne, la TR distingue au moins quatre formes de capitalisme : a dominante de marche financier, meso-corporatiste, social-democrate et enfin a forte impulsion etatique (liste qui est susceptible de s’etendre au fur et a mesure que s’elargit l’echantillon et que de nouveaux pays accedent au capitalisme). Troisieme difference, alors que la VOC donne l’impression de systemes invariants, la TR cherche a detecter les seuils qui separent une simple recession de l’entree dans une crise structurelle, d’autant plus que chaque mode de developpement a des marges endogenes d’innovation et d’evolution. Dernier paradoxe : alors que ce sont plutot des politologues qui sont a l’origine de la VOC, au cours des annees recentes, ce courant a insiste sur les choix organisationnels des entreprises, et ce sont les economistes de la TR qui ont mis au tout premier plan le role determinant du politique dans la reproduction et recreation de la diversite des capitalismes. Ce chasse-croise ouvre diverses perspectives de collaboration : construction d’une microeconomie institutionnelle, mise en œuvre d’une methodologie hol-individualiste pour cerner les relations entre le politique et l’economique, confrontation des approches en termes de super-modularite, de complementarite et d’isomorphisme organisationnel et institutionnel.
An algorithm for terrain avoidance using optical flow

A technique for terrain following using optical flow is presented. The technique is inspired by the distribution of facets in the compound eyes of many flying insects. The image interpolation algorithm is used to compute accurate optical flow values and subsequently, height above ground. Some novel techniques to allow the camera to be pointed in arbitrary directions rather than simply downwards were implemented. The algorithm was tested extensively in simulation using a simple control law based on the optical flow system updating the set point of a barometric altitude driven control loop. Ongoing field trials are producing promising results
A dynamic spatial locator ugen for CLM

Dlocsig is a dynamic spatial locator unit generator written for the Common Lisp Music (CLM) sound synthesis and processing language. Dlocsig was first created in 1992 as a four channel 2d dynamic locator and since then it has evolved to a full 3d system for an arbitrary number of speakers that can render moving sound objects through amplitude panning (VBAP) or Ambisonics. This paper describes the motivations for the project, its evolution over time and the details of its software implementation and user interface.