Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Voters' Perceptions of Party Politics - A Multilevel Approach

79 Introduction . 79 The role of belief systems and perceptual agreement for effective policy representation . 82 How do institutional contexts affect voters’ perceptual agreement? 86 Hypotheses and theoretical expectations . 95 Data and methodological considerations . 98 Operationalizations . 101 Results – does the institutional context affect voters’ perceptual agreement? 106 Discussion and conclusions . 120 Appendices I, II & III . 122 Article 2 Political Parties and Perceptual Agreement – The influence of party related factors on voters’ perceptions in proportional electoral systems ______________________________________________________ 137 Abstract . 137 Introduction . 138 The importance of perceptual agreement . 139 Determinants behind perceptual agreement . 142 Data and research design . 143 Operationalizations . 146 Analysis . 149 Summary and conclusions . 155 Appendices I & II . 157.137 Introduction . 138 The importance of perceptual agreement . 139 Determinants behind perceptual agreement . 142 Data and research design . 143 Operationalizations . 146 Analysis . 149 Summary and conclusions . 155 Appendices I & II . 157 Article 3 Misperceptions and Effective Representation – The simultaneous effect of electoral systems, political parties and individual characteristics on voters’ perceptions of party positions a multilevel approach ____________________________________________________ 161 Abstract . 16
Molecular Detection and Typing of Human Papillomaviruses in Paraffin-Embedded Cervical Cancer and Pre-Cancer Tissue Specimens

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the important reasons of mortality among females. Prevention, early diagnosis and immediate treatment can affect the rate of mortality in this cancer and several epidemiological studies have shown a strong relationship between human papilloma viruses (HPVs) and cervical cancer. Objectives: The present study was conducted to survey HPV infections in a women population with cervical cancer and cervical dysplasia/metaplasia in southwest of Iran. Materials and Methods: 72 paraffin-embedded cervical biopsies which had been previously archived from women with cervical cancer and cervical dysplasia were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Afterward, the detected HPV strains were typed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of PCR amplicons. Results: 60 out of 72 samples had necessary requirements and HPV DNA was detected in 43.3% of these samples. Most HPV positive samples belonged to women aged from 48 to 63 years. On the other hand, HPV infection among patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was 48.78% and in women with dysplasia/metaplasia was 26.66%. The most prevalent type of the human papilloma virus was HPV16 (100%). Conclusions: Knowing the most prevalent type of the human papilloma viruses circulating in the population (HPV16) can be applied in the future screening and managing programs of this major disease and also in vaccination against the prevalent types of the virus. Meanwhile, it seems that more studies should be performed to determine the role of different risk factors involved in development of the disease, especially those related with social behaviors and traditions with respect to different areas.
Cryptographic Token Key Initialization Protocol (CT-KIP) Version 1.0 Revision 1

This document constitutes Revision 1 of Cryptographic Token Key Initialization Protocol (CT-KIP) Version 1.0 from RSA Laboratories' One-Time Password Specifications (OTPS) series. The body of this document, except for the intellectual property considerations section, is taken from the CT-KIP Version 1.0 document, but comments received during the IETF review are reflected; hence, the status of a revised version. As no "bits-on-the-wire" have changed, the protocol specified herein is compatible with CT-KIP Version 1.0. CT-KIP is a client- server protocol for initialization (and configuration) of cryptographic tokens. The protocol requires neither private-key capabilities in the cryptographic tokens, nor an established public- key infrastructure. Provisioned (or generated) secrets will only be available to the server and the cryptographic token itself. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
Roles of Glutamate Receptors and the Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) Signaling Pathway in Activity-dependent Dendritic Protein Synthesis in Hippocampal Neurons*

Local protein synthesis in neuronal dendrites is critical for synaptic plasticity. However, the signaling cascades that couple synaptic activation to dendritic protein synthesis remain elusive. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of glutamate receptors and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling in regulating dendritic protein synthesis in live neurons. We first characterized the involvement of various subtypes of glutamate receptors and the mTOR kinase in regulating dendritic synthesis of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter controlled byαCaMKII 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions in cultured hippocampal neurons. Specific antagonists of N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA), α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), and metabotropic glutamate receptors abolished glutamate-induced dendritic GFP synthesis, whereas agonists of NMDA and metabotropic but not AMPA glutamate receptors activated GFP synthesis in dendrites. Inhibitions of the mTOR signaling, as well as its upstream activators, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and AKT, blocked NMDA receptor-dependent dendritic GFP synthesis. Conversely, activation of mTOR signaling stimulated dendritic GFP synthesis. In addition, we also found that inhibition of the mTOR kinase blocked dendritic synthesis of the endogenous αCaMKII and MAP2 proteins induced by tetanic stimulations in hippocampal slices. These results identify critical roles of NMDA receptors and the mTOR signaling pathway for control of synaptic activity-induced dendritic protein synthesis in hippocampal neurons.
“Zero-Fare” Group Tours in China: An Analytic Framework

This study addresses the problem of the so-called “zero-fare” group tours, a terminology that is believed to be originated in Chinese media to denote a sort of inferior quality in China's outbound package tours. Previous research on this problem failed, on the one hand, to define “zero-fare” group tours in a scholarly and systematical way and, on the other, to draw a line between the cause of “zero-fare” group tours and their factual matters—in short, a distinction between what they are and why they are. In this regard, this study presents the factual matters of “zero-fare” group tours derived from a content analysis of news reports pertaining to “zero-fare” group tours over the period 2003–2010 in China. Drawing upon these factual matters, this study proposes an analytic framework to portray the problem of “zero-fare” group tours to incorporate three fundamental elements, namely, low price in the source market, inferior quality at the destination, and the “zero-fare” relationship between outbound tour operators and inbound tour operators that jointly operate group package tours. Explanatory research based on this framework can therefore proceed to inquire into the mechanism by which this framework is manifested.
Model-guided strip size selection for minimal execution time on imagine stream processor

Strip-mining is a critical optimization for improving the effectiveness of memory hierarchy of Imagine. In this paper, we present an efficient compiler algorithm for selecting the optimal strip size to minimize the execution time of stream programs. First, we build a graceful analytical model that characterizes the effect of strip size on key performance factors. Then, we design a novel algorithm for selecting optimal strip size according to the model analysis and apply it to some stream programs. Furthermore, we implement the algorithm in the stream compiler. The experimental results show that when the algorithm is used, the execution time is close to the experimentally best. It is certain that our algorithm can efficiently exploit the tremendous potential of Imagine.
Anemia as a useful biomarker in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with R-CHOP immunochemotherapy

The aim of the current study is to evaluate the prognostic value of anemia, an easily estimable parameter in patients with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma treated with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (R‐CHOP) immunochemotherapy. A total of 157 patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma treated with ≥1 cycle of R‐CHOP were included. Hemoglobin level without red cell transfusion within 7 days of initiation of treatment was chosen as a parameter of baseline cancer‐induced anemia. To investigate the clinical significance of chemotherapy‐induced anemia and its recovery after completion of treatment, 87 patients in complete remission for ≥6 months from the time of the last cycle of R‐CHOP were grouped and analyzed separately. Patients with a cancer‐induced anemia of hemoglobin <10 g/dL showed inferior event‐free and disease‐free survival compared to those with hemoglobin ≥10 g/dL. This finding was observed irrespective of the status of pre‐treatment bone marrow involvement. In multivariate analysis, hemoglobin <10 g/dL was found to be an international prognostic index‐independent prognostic factor. Risk of relapse was significantly higher for patients who were still anemic at 6 months after R‐CHOP, compared to those who achieved complete recovery from chemotherapy‐induced anemia within 6 months.
Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic female business owners: Discrimination and social support

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on the positive and negative effects of gender and ethnicity in relation to discrimination and the problems encountered in accessing social support (including emotional and instrumental support). Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative data were collected through in‐depth interviews with 40 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) female small business owners based in north west England. The main aims and objectives of the study were to: investigate the discriminatory experiences of BAME female small business owners related to their gender and ethnicity; and to identify the forms (formal and informal) and types (emotional/instrumental) of social support available in relation to their entrepreneurial activities that enabled them to cope with and overcome, the discrimination they may encounter.Findings – Over half of the respondents in the study had experienced discriminations because of their gender, ethnic background or both. This was attributed to a number .
Application of a fuzzy learning intervention approach to a Glycolytic-Glycogenolytic pathway model

In recent years, may researchers have been interested in modeling and developing therapeutic intervention strategies for biological systems. The objective of intervention strategies is to move an undesirable state of a diseased network towards a more desirable one. It is well known that biological phenomena are complex nonlinear processes that are impossible to perfectly represent using mathematical models, and hence it is of real importance to develop model-free nonlinear intervention strategies that are capable of effectively guiding the target variables to their desired values. Non-adaptive direct fuzzy controllers have been found to be very useful for such applications. However, due to the time-varying nature of biological systems, non-adaptive techniques often fail to maintain the desired closed-loop performance. Hence, there is a need for adaptive strategies that are capable not only of controlling but also maintaining the desired performance in the presence of plant uncertainties or parameter variations. This paper addresses the application problem of controlling a biological system representing the Glycolytic-Glycogenolytic system, where the simulation results show the efficacy of fuzzy controllers in controlling and maintaining the desired performance.
Feature Label Extraction of Online Video

This paper proposes online video feature label extraction method during the time when they were retrieved from the Internet. This method is used in an online video retrieving system to extract feature labels of a video clip automatically. By collecting attributes of videos, basic features are produced, and then capture the key frames of video. Create label templates, analyze and extract other features by matching the image analysis result in the template library to decide the feature labels of the online video clips.
Osteopontin Reduces Biofilm Formation in a Multi-Species Model of Dental Biofilm

Background Combating dental biofilm formation is the most effective means for the prevention of caries, one of the most widespread human diseases. Among the chemical supplements to mechanical tooth cleaning procedures, non-bactericidal adjuncts that target the mechanisms of bacterial biofilm formation have gained increasing interest in recent years. Milk proteins, such as lactoferrin, have been shown to interfere with bacterial colonization of saliva-coated surfaces. We here study the effect of bovine milk osteopontin (OPN), a highly phosphorylated whey glycoprotein, on a multispecies in vitro model of dental biofilm. While considerable research effort focuses on the interaction of OPN with mammalian cells, there are no data investigating the influence of OPN on bacterial biofilms. Methodology/Principal Findings Biofilms consisting of Streptococcus oralis, Actinomyces naeslundii, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus downei and Streptococcus sanguinis were grown in a flow cell system that permitted in situ microscopic analysis. Crystal violet staining showed significantly less biofilm formation in the presence of OPN, as compared to biofilms grown without OPN or biofilms grown in the presence of caseinoglycomacropeptide, another phosphorylated milk protein. Confocal microscopy revealed that OPN bound to the surface of bacterial cells and reduced mechanical stability of the biofilms without affecting cell viability. The bacterial composition of the biofilms, determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization, changed considerably in the presence of OPN. In particular, colonization of S. mitis, the best biofilm former in the model, was reduced dramatically. Conclusions/Significance OPN strongly reduces the amount of biofilm formed in a well-defined laboratory model of acidogenic dental biofilm. If a similar effect can be observed in vivo, OPN might serve as a valuable adjunct to mechanical tooth cleaning procedures.
Probabilistic prediction of malaria using morphological and textural information

The objective of this paper is to introduce a computer assisted prediction of malaria infection particularly Plasmodium vivax based on the morphological and textural information. Here erythrocytes have been segmented from light microscopic images of peripheral blood smear using marker controlled watershed followed by pre-processing. Thereafter texture and morphology of erythrocytes are extracted using geometrical and Haralick texture measure. Finally statistically significant features are fitted with multivariate regression model. This predictive model is good fitted (−2 Log Likelihood = 24.636 and Chi-Square = 820.949) and it gives 88.77 % prediction accuracy.
Detection of absence epileptic seizures using support vector machine

An application of support vector machine is presented as a tool for events detection in the electroencephalogram recorded from a patient clinically diagnosed with absence epilepsy. A comparison of five kernels is shown (linear, quadratic, polynomial, RBP and MLP) evaluating their efficiency for the detection of this epileptic event occurrence. The kernel with the best performance is the quadratic, with 99.43% accuracy in this specific case.
Modeling and verifying context-aware non-monotonic reasoning agents

This paper complements our previous work on formal modeling of resource-bounded context-aware systems, which handle inconsistent context information using defeasible reasoning, by focusing on automated analysis and verification. A case study demonstrates how model checking techniques can be used to formally analyze quantitative and qualitative properties of a context-aware system based on message passing among agents. The behavior (semantics) of the system is modeled by a term rewriting system and the desired properties are expressed as LTL formulas. The Maude LTL model checker is used to perform automated analysis of the system and verify non-conflicting context information guarantees it provides.
An Efficient Association Rules Mining Algorithm Based on Coding and Constraints

The mining association rules is an important research field in data mining. The traditional association rule mining methods often generate too many candidate items and have to scan whole database for generating each candidate item. An efficient association rules mining scheme has been proposed in this paper. First, the sub-block coding method is used for the properties. Moreover, the constraints are made for the antecedent and consequent of rules. By using above strategies, the number of candidate items has reduced as well as the scanning size of the database. Therefore, the algorithm greatly improves the operating efficiency. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is more effective than the traditional approach. Keywords-association rule; Apriori algorithm;constraint; code
The method for metabonomics data analysis applied on the urine of the rats administered with Liu Wei Di Huang Pills

Data sets from metabonomics or metabolic profiling experiments are becoming increasingly complex, which are hard to summarize and visualize without appropriate tools. The use of chemometric tools, such as orthogonal signal correction (OSC), principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares to latent structure discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and OSC-PLS-DA make the data dimensionality reduction and interpretation much easier. Here we showed a system method based on PCA, OSC-PLS-DA for metabonomic data analysis; Furthermore, the loading plots of mass data were used for the biomarkers discovery. As an example, dataset from Liu Wei Di Huang Pills administrated rats urine collected by LC/MS/MS was used to demonstrate this method. The results indicate that PCA combined with OSC-PLS-DA was a time-saving tool for data interpretation and biomarkers discovery.
A change-detection algorithm based on structure and colour

The paper proposes a novel change-detection algorithm for automated video surveillance applications. The algorithm is based on the idea of incorporating into the background model a set of simple low-level features capable of capturing effectively "structural" (i.e. robust with respect to illumination variations) information. Thanks to this approach, and unlike most conventional change-detection algorithms, the proposed algorithm is capable of handling correctly still and slow objects as well as of working properly throughout very long time spans. Moreover, the algorithm can naturally interact with the higher-level processing modules found in advanced video-based surveillance systems in order to allow for flexible and intelligent background maintenance.
Role of APOBEC3 in Genetic Diversity among Endogenous Murine Leukemia Viruses

The ability of human and murine APOBECs (specifically, APOBEC3) to inhibit infecting retroviruses and retrotransposition of some mobile elements is becoming established. Less clear is the effect that they have had on the establishment of the endogenous proviruses resident in the human and mouse genomes. We used the mouse genome sequence to study diversity and genetic traits of nonecotropic murine leukemia viruses (polytropic [Pmv], modified polytropic [Mpmv], and xenotropic [Xmv] subgroups), the best-characterized large set of recently integrated proviruses. We identified 49 proviruses. In phylogenetic analyses, Pmvs and Mpmvs were monophyletic, whereas Xmvs were divided into several clades, implying a greater number of replication cycles between the integration events. Four distinct primer binding site types (Pro, Gln1, Gln2 and Thr) were dispersed within the phylogeny, indicating frequent mispriming. We analyzed the frequency and context of G-to-A mutations for the role of mA3 in formation of these proviruses. In the Pmv and Mpmv (but not Xmv) groups, mutations attributable to mA3 constituted a large fraction of the total. A significant number of nonsense mutations suggests the absence of purifying selection following mutation. A strong bias of G-to-A relative to C-to-T changes was seen, implying a strand specificity that can only have occurred prior to integration. The optimal sequence context of G-to-A mutations, TTC, was consistent with mA3. At least in the Pmv group, a significant 5′ to 3′ gradient of G-to-A mutations was consistent with mA3 editing. Altogether, our results for the first time suggest mA3 editing immediately preceding the integration event that led to retroviral endogenization, contributing to inactivation of infectivity.
High performance finite impulse response filter on graphics processors

A high performance FIR filtering algorithm on the GPU is presented based on the traditional overlapped-save method for the fast FIR filter. This algorithm exploits a symmetric segmentation approach to partition the input data into the blocks for processing. And this approach can optimize the GPU memory access and minimize the branch divergence of the warp. In addition, a zero-padding method, extending the length of the short time-domain coefficients of the FIR filter to the best size which the FFT library running on the GPU can obtain the best performance, is utilized to improve the algorithm's performance gain for the short tap length of the FIR filter. The throughput of this algorithm can achieve over 600M samples per second throughput for the host-memory to host-memory on the NVIDIA Tesla M2090 with typical performance improvements of 4 to 6 times over Intel IPP for large chunk size.
The economics of the construction industry

The global revolution in public management has led many reformers to call for public managers to reinvent themselves as public entrepreneurs. Larry D. Terry strongly opposes this view, and in its place presents an original normative theory of administrative leadership that integrates legal, sociological, and constitutional theory. Terry draws on the works of Philip Selznik, Carl J. Friedrich, Chester Barnard and others in advancing his concept of "Administrative Conservatorship. " He depicts bureaucratic leaders as "Conservators" of public bureaucracies, vigorously protecting the integrity of the bureaucracy, and when called upon, adapting to change. Filled with illustrative examples, Leadership of Public Bureaucracies is a thoughtful, well-reasoned alternative to public management orthodoxy and the New Public Management.
Automated cutting and handling of carbon fiber fabrics in aerospace industries

The use of composite components in aerospace industries has become more and more important since the 1980s. Especially structures made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic are well suited for aircrafts where highly stressable but lightweight constructions are required. However, the efficient use of this technology is still limited by a largely manual production process. To increase automation, the paper presents a completely new approach which allows the automated cutting and handling of carbon fiber textiles. This includes a detailed analysis of the current industrial process and its automation potential, the construction of a special handling tool and the development of a suitable automation software. Experimental results show the flexibility and feasibility of the approach.