Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mediating between state and citizens: the significance of the informal politics of third-party representation in the global south

This article argues that we should take more seriously the role of intermediaries in relationships between states and citizens in the global south. More specifically it holds that the practice of mediation, the third party representation of citizens to states and vice versa, is a widespread and important political practice in this context. Largely distinct from the contentious politics and popular mobilisation of social movements, mediation is more a politics of negotiation and bargaining by representatives. Developed as an emergent analysis from multiple case studies, mediation is a broad concept that includes practices that at other times might be described as lobbying, clientelism and coercion, but that we conceptualise in terms of claiming legitimacy to speak for the poor and marginalised, and theorise in terms of a democratic deficit between formal political institutions and these groups. In addition to identifying different kinds of mediators, the article categorises mediation in terms of the orientation and nature of various mediatory practices. Lastly, the article identifies at least three explanations for mediation including the endurance of pre-democratic political relations and practices, new forms of social exclusion in post-colonial democracies and the erosion of state authority brought about by neo-liberal policies and globalisation.
Identification of a peptide specifically targeting ovarian cancer by the screening of a phage display peptide library

Ovarian cancer is the most common cause of cancer-associated mortality in terms of gynecological malignancies, and is difficult to diagnose due to the absence of reliable biomarkers. To identify ovarian cancer-specific biomarkers, the present study used a Ph.D.-7™ Phage Display Peptide Library to screen for ligands that selectively target HO-8910 ovarian cancer cells. Following 5 rounds of biopanning, the phage clone P2 was selected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and DNA sequencing, and its characteristics were additionally validated by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical assays. The results revealed the positive phage were enriched 92-fold following 5 rounds of biopanning, and the DNA sequence AAC CCG ATG ATT CGC CGC CAG (amino acid sequence, NPMIRRQ) was repeated most frequently (phage clones, P2, P3, P15, P30 and P54). Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical assays revealed that the phage clone P2 was able to bind to ovarian cancer cells and tissues, and not those of cervical cancer. In conclusion, the peptide NPMIRRQ may be a potential agent for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
A differential equations approach to l1-minimization with applications to array imaging

We present an ordinary differential equation approach to the analysis of algorithms for constructing l1 minimizing solutions to underdetermined linear systems of full rank. It involves a relaxed minimization problem whose minimum is independent of the relaxation parameter. An advantage of using the ordinary differential equations is that energy methods can be used to prove convergence. The connection to the discrete algorithms is provided by the Crandall–Liggett theory of monotone nonlinear semigroups. We illustrate the effectiveness of the discrete optimization algorithm in some sparse array imaging problems.
Efficient scene understanding for intelligent vehicles using a part-based road representation

In this paper we propose a novel part-based approach to scene understanding, that allows us to infer the properties of traffic scenes, such as location and geometry of lanes and roads. Lanes and roads are parts of our undirected graphical model in which nodes represent parts or sub-parts of scenes and edges represent spatial constraints. Spatial constraints are statistically formulated and allow us to take advantage of low-level relations as well as high-level contextual information. The estimation of scene properties is formulated as an inference problem, which is solved using non-parametric belief propagation. Inferring about high-level scene properties, while relying on error-prone sensory cues is challenging and computational expensive. Therefore, we introduced a novel depth-first message passing scheme. This scheme is applied to several challenging real world scenarios showing robust results and real-time performance.
Verifying Behavior of L4 Microkernel based Mobile Phone

The embedded mobile phone based on L4 microkernel are known to be difficult to predict their behavioral correctness since L4 microkernel communicates with various components for their execution. That means its correctness is not easy to guarantee by using traditional design and testing methods. In this paper, we propose a formal approach to prove the correctness of L4 based mobile platforms.
Coupled RNA Processing and Transcription of Intergenic Primary MicroRNAs

ABSTRACT The first step in microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis occurs in the nucleus and is mediated by the Microprocessor complex containing the RNase III-like enzyme Drosha and its cofactor DGCR8. Here we show that the 5′→3′ exonuclease Xrn2 associates with independently transcribed miRNAs and, in combination with Drosha processing, attenuates transcription in downstream regions. We suggest that, after Drosha cleavage, a torpedo-like mechanism acts on nascent long precursor miRNAs, whereby Xrn2 exonuclease degrades the RNA polymerase II-associated transcripts inducing its release from the template. While involved in primary transcript termination, this attenuation effect does not restrict clustered miRNA expression, which, in the majority of cases, is separated by short spacers. We also show that transcripts originating from a miRNA promoter are retained on the chromatin template and are more efficiently processed than those produced from mRNA or snRNA Pol II-dependent promoters. These data imply that coupling between transcription and processing promotes efficient expression of independently transcribed miRNAs.
A Memetic Differential Evolution Algorithm for Continuous Optimization

Continuous optimization is one of the most active research lines in evolutionary and metaheuristic algorithms. Since CEC 2005 and CEC 2008 competitions, many different algorithms have been proposed to solve continuous problems. Despite there exist very good algorithms reporting high quality results for a given dimension, the scalability of the search methods is still an open issue. Finding an algorithm with competitive results in the range of 50 to 500 dimensions is a difficult achievement. This contribution explores the use of a hybrid memetic algorithm based on the differential evolution algorithm, named MDE-DC. The proposed algorithm combines the explorative/exploitative strength of two heuristic search methods, that separately obtain very competitive results in either low or high dimensional problems. This paper uses the benchmark problems and conditions required for the workshop on “evolutionary algorithms and other metaheuristics for Continuous Optimization Problems – A Scalability Test” chaired by Francisco Herrera and Manuel Lozano.
ALDEHYDE FIXATION FOR MORPHOLOGICAL AND ENZYME HISTOCHEMICAL STUDIES WITH THE ELECTRON MICROSCOPE

Instead of discussing in detail the conditions under which fixation techniques for electron nucroscopv can be best adapted to maintain the levels of enzymatic activity necessary for their histochemical demonstration, we will take this opportunity at the 14th Histochemical Society Symposium to illustrate some of the work that has been done at the Department of Anatomy of Yale University and at the Department. of Cytology of the Rockefeller Institute utilizing aldehydes as fixatives. These reagents have been found of value for studies which require the combination of histochemist.rv and electron microscopy and have also been useful in pure morphological studies with the electron microseOl)e (19). It is almost needless to say that none of the aldehycles (glyoxal, glutaraldehyde, hydroxyadipaldehyde, crotonaldehyde, methacrolein, pyruvic aldehyde, and acetalaldehyde’) (19) used in these works, to which malonaldehyde, malialdehyde, and succinaldehyde (2) were recently added, meet all the requirements of an ideal universal fixative. Some of these substances, such as methacrolein and (rotonaldehyde, which are closely related to acrolein (12), are very active cross linking agents which combine with olyamino and polyhydroxy (-oml)ounds and readily block sulfhvdrvl groups and, in fact, almost all active hydrogens. When used for morphological studies, either alone or with heavy metal stains, they give what can be considered as a rather good fine structural preservation, l)ut naturally, the more active the aldehydes, the more stringent the limitations are for the histochemical applications resulting from the denaturation and inactivation
The Prospective Effects of Impulsivity on Alcohol and Tobacco Use in a College Sample

Abstract Alcohol and tobacco use are strongly associated, particularly in younger populations, and concurrent use may encourage progression toward dependence on both substances. Impulsivity has been linked to the use of alcohol and tobacco individually, but has not been studied in terms of its association with use of both. This study tested the hypothesis that the effects of impulsivity (sensation seeking and negative urgency) on smoking initiation in a sample of college students (n = 400) would be mediated by alcohol consumption. We also predicted that sensation seeking and negative urgency would predict alcohol and cigarette use and overlap among initiators. Sensation seeking and negative urgency both predicted smoking initiation, but only the former effect was mediated by alcohol use. Among initiators, sensation seeking was associated with more frequent alcohol use as well as more frequent overlap between alcohol and tobacco use but not with smoking frequency. Higher negative urgency was associated with more frequent smoking, but not with alcohol use or alcohol/tobacco overlap. Findings are consistent with previous research in college samples and suggest the existence of multiple pathways to alcohol and tobacco use and co-use in college students.
A Real-Time Scheduling Strategy Based on Priority in Data Stream System

In this paper, some concepts of real-time system (e.g., dealine, slack and criticalness) are introduced into some high-critical specific applications of Data Stream Management System (DSMS). In light of the features of continuous queries in DSMS, they are given new meaning. According to these concepts, a real-time scheduling strategy based on priority is proposed. In this strategy, the earlier dealine is, the shorter slack is and the higher criticalness is, the higher priopirty of a query is. Meanwhile, a structure of priority tree is presented in order to realize the unique execution sequence of queries based on their priorities. The experimental results show that the Hit Value Ratio (HVR) is improved greatly by applying this strategy, and the successful possibility of continuous query scheduling is improved as well.
‘Life does not make it easy to breast-feed’: using the socio-ecological framework to determine social breast-feeding obstacles in a low-income population in Tijuana, Mexico

Abstract Objective Breast-feeding rates reflect sociodemographic discrepancies. In Mexico, exclusive breast-feeding under 6 months of age has deteriorated among the poor, rural and indigenous populations from 1999 to 2012. Our objective of the present study was to identify the main social obstacles to breast-feeding in a low-income population in Tijuana, Mexico. Design Qualitative study using a socio-ecological framework for data collection. Setting Low-income communities in Tijuana, Mexico. Subjects Mothers (n 66), fathers (n 11), grandparents (n 27) and key informants (n 25). Results One hundred and twenty-nine individuals participated in the study: six focus groups (n 53) and fifty-one interviews among mothers, fathers and grandparents; and twenty-five interviews among key informants. Seven social themes were identified: (i) embarrassment to breast-feed in public; (ii) migrant experience; (iii) women’s role in society; (iv) association of formula with higher social status; (v) marketing by the infant food industry; (vi) perception of a non-breast-feeding culture; and (vii) lack of breast-feeding social programmes. Conclusions Socio-structural factors influence infant feeding practices in low-income communities in Tijuana. We hypothesize that messages emphasizing Mexican traditions along with modern healthy practices could help to re-establish and normalize a breast-feeding culture in this population. The target audience for these messages should not be limited to mothers but also include family, health-care providers, the work environment and society as a whole.
ON SOME POLYNOMIALS RELATED TO WEIGHT ENUMERATORS OF LINEAR CODES∗

A linear code can be thought of as a vector matroid represented by the columns of the code’s generator matrix; a well-known result in this context is Greene’s theorem on a connection of the weight polynomial of the code and the Tutte polynomial of the matroid. We examine this connection from the coding-theoretic viewpoint, building upon the rank polynomial of the code. This enables us to obtain bounds on all-terminal reliability of linear matroids and new proofs of two known results: Greene’s theorem and a connection between the weight polynomial and the partition polynomial of the Potts model.
BreakSeek: a breakpoint-based algorithm for full spectral range INDEL detection

Although recent developed algorithms have integrated multiple signals to improve sensitivity for insertion and deletion (INDEL) detection, they are far from being perfect and still have great limitations in detecting a full size range of INDELs. Here we present BreakSeek, a novel breakpoint-based algorithm, which can unbiasedly and efficiently detect both homozygous and heterozygous INDELs, ranging from several base pairs to over thousands of base pairs, with accurate breakpoint and heterozygosity rate estimations. Comprehensive evaluations on both simulated and real datasets revealed that BreakSeek outperformed other existing methods on both sensitivity and specificity in detecting both small and large INDELs, and uncovered a significant amount of novel INDELs that were missed before. In addition, by incorporating sophisticated statistic models, we for the first time investigated and demonstrated the importance of handling false and conflicting signals for multi-signal integrated methods.
Highly Efficient Solid Gear-Shaped Silicon Nanowire for Solar Energy Harvesting

Silicon nano-wire (SiNW) is a viable solution to harvest large amount of photons from the sun. In this letter, novel solid gear-shaped SiNW is presented and particle swarm optimization technique is used to optimize its geometrical parameters. The defined optimization goal was to increase the absorption capabilities of the proposed SiNW at the maximum wavelength emission of the sun, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda =500$ </tex-math></inline-formula> nm. For the sake of fabrication flexibility, we have also introduced the complementary of the proposed optimized SiNW with the same optimized dimensions. The optimal SiNW and its complementary structure with 1-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-thick Si substrate offer ultimate efficiencies of about 50.21% and 45.12% employing 3-D-finite-difference time-domain method. It is worth noting that the ultimate efficiencies of the proposed SiNWs are higher than that of the previous work of slanting SiNWs and funnel-shaped SiNW.
Visual servoing from robust direct color image registration

To date, there exist only few works on the use of color images for visual servoing. Perhaps, this is due to the difficulties usually found to cope with illumination changes in these images. This paper presents new parametric models and optimization methods for robustly and directly registering color images. Direct methods refer to those that exploit the pixel intensities, without resorting to image features. We then show how a robust and generic visual servoing scheme can be constructed using the obtained optimal parameters. The proposed models ensure robustness to arbitrary illumination changes in color images, do not require prior knowledge (including the spectral ones) of the object, illuminants or camera, and naturally encompass gray-level images. Furthermore, the exploitation of all information within the images, even from areas where no features exist, allow the algorithm to achieve high levels of accuracy. Various results are reported to show that visual servoing can indeed be highly accurate and robust despite unknown objects and unknown imaging conditions.
The directed circular arrangement problem

We consider the problem of embedding a directed graph onto evenly-spaced points on a circle while minimizing the total weighted edge length. We present the first poly-logarithmic approximation factor algorithm for this problem which yields an approximation factor of O(log n log log n), thus improving the previous Õ(√n) approximation factor. In order to achieve this, we introduce a new problem which we call the directed penalized linear arrangement. This problem generalizes both the directed feedback edge set problem and the directed linear arrangement problem. We present an O(log n log log n) approximation factor algorithm for this newly defined problem. Our solution uses two distinct directed metrics ("right" and "left") which together yield a lower bound on the value of an optimal solution. In addition, we define a sequence of new directed spreading metrics that are used for applying the algorithm recursively on smaller subgraphs. The new spreading metrics allow us to define an asymmetric region growing procedure that accounts simultaneously for both incoming and outgoing edges. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a region growing procedure is defined in directed graphs that allows for such an accounting.
Combined Phospholipid Biomarker-16S rRNA Gene Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis Analysis of Bacterial Diversity and Physiological Status in an Intertidal Microbial Mat

ABSTRACT A combined lipid biomarker-16S rRNA gene denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis was used to monitor changes in the physiological status, biomass, and microbial composition of a microbial mat. In the morning hours, an increase in the biomass of layers containing a high density of phototrophs and a decrease in the growth rate in the deep layers were observed. The combined approach also revealed differences in major groups of microorganisms, including green nonsulfur, gram-positive, and heterotrophic bacteria.
Flying Yellow Elephant : Predictable and Efficient MapReduce in the Cloud

Today, growing datasets require new technologies as standard technologies — such as parallel DBMSs — do not easily scale to such level. On the one side, there is the MapReduce paradigm allowing non-expert users to easily define large distributed jobs. On the other side, there is Cloud Computing providing a pay-as-you-go infrastructure for such computations. This PhD project aims at improving the combination of both technologies, especially for the following issues: (i) predictability of performance, (ii) runtime optimization and (iii) Cloud-aware scheduling. These issues can result in significant runtime overhead or non-optimal use of computing resources, which in a Cloud setting directly correlates to high monetary cost. We present preliminary results that confirm a significant improvement on performance when addressing some of these issues. Further, we discuss research challenges and initial ideas for above mentioned issues.
Variable-Resolution Displays: A Theoretical, Practical, and Behavioral Evaluation

Variable-resolution display techniques present visual information in a display using more than one resolution. For example, gaze-contingent variable-resolution displays allocate computational resources for image generation preferentially to the area around the center of gaze, where visual sensitivity to detail is the greatest. Using such displays reduces the amount of computational resources required as compared with traditional uniform-resolution displays. The theoretical benefits, imple-mentational issues, and behavioral consequences of variable-resolution displays are reviewed. A mathematical analysis of computational efficiency for a two-region variable-resolution display is conducted. The results are discussed in relation to applications that are limited by computational resources, such as virtual reality, and applications that are limited by bandwidth, such as internet image transmission. The potential for variable-resolution display techniques as a viable future technology is discussed.
On the Robustness of the Winner's Curse Phenomenon

We set out to find ways to help decision makers overcome the "winner's curse," a phenomenon commonly observed in asymmetric information bargaining situations, and instead found strong support for its robustness. In a series of manipulations of the "Acquiring a Company Task," we tried to enhance decision makers' cognitive understanding of the task. We did so by presenting them with different parameters of the task, having them compare and contrast these different parameters, giving them full feedback on their history of choices and resulting outcomes, and allowing them to interact with a human opponent instead of a computer program. Much to our surprise, none of these manipulations led to a better understanding of the task. Our results demonstrate and emphasize the robustness of the winner's curse phenomenon.
Lifted Message Passing as Reparametrization of Graphical Models

Lifted inference approaches can considerably speed up probabilistic inference in Markov random fields (MRFs) with symmetries. Given evidence, they essentially form a lifted, i.e., reduced factor graph by grouping together indistinguishable variables and factors. Typically, however, lifted factor graphs are not amenable to off-the-shelf message passing (MP) approaches, and hence requires one to use either generic optimization tools, which would be slow for these problems, or design modified MP algorithms. Here, we demonstrate that the reliance on modified MP can be eliminated for the class of MP algorithms arising from MAP-LP relaxations of pairwise MRFs. Specifically, we show that a given MRF induces a whole family of MRFs of different sizes sharing essentially the same MAP-LP solution. In turn, we give an efficient algorithm to compute from them the smallest one that can be solved using off-the-shelf MP. This incurs no major overhead: the selected MRF is at most twice as large as the fully lifted factor graph. This has several implications for lifted inference. For instance, running MPLP results in the first convergent lifted MP approach for MAP-LP relaxations. Doing so can be faster than solving the MAP-LP using lifted linear programming. Most importantly, it suggests a novel view on lifted inference: it can be viewed as standard inference in a reparametrized model.