Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Negotiations in the UN Commission on Sustainable Development: Coalitions, Processes, and Outcomes

This research examines state coalitions' negotiation processes during four sessions of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). It asks whether coalition type affects the negotiation process and whether process affects the negotiated outcome. Negotiation analysts expect convergent bargaining behaviors to lead to compromises between negotiators' positions and problem solving behaviors to lead to the integration of these positions, with the latter assumed to be the superior outcome. The CSD negotiations offer an empirical test of these hypotheses, as well as hypotheses regarding expected negotiation processes for different coalition types. The study uses data gathered by the author at CSD sessions in 1994, 1996, 1997, and 1998 and finds support for the process-outcome hypotheses. The examination also provides a basis from which to offer lessons for future CSD sessions. I explore how changes in process timing, third party roles, and issue framing could encourage a problem solving process and integrative decisions at the CSD.
A Case for Handshake in Nanophotonic Interconnects

Nanophotonics has been proposed to design low latency and high bandwidth NOC for future Chip Multi-Processors (CMPs). Recent nanophotonic NOC designs adopt the token-based arbitration coupled with credit-based flow control, which leads to low bandwidth utilization. In this work, we propose two handshake schemes for nanophotonic interconnects in CMPs, Global Handshake (GHS) and Distributed Handshake (DHS), which get rid of the traditional credit-based flow control, reduce the average token waiting time, and finally improve the network throughput. Furthermore, we enhance the basic handshake schemes with setaside buffer and circulation techniques to overcome the Head-Of-Line (HOL) blocking. Our evaluation shows that the proposed handshake schemes improve network throughput by up to 62% under synthetic workloads. With the extracted trace traffic from real applications, the handshake schemes can reduce the communication delay by up to 59%. The basic handshake schemes add only 0.4% hardware overhead for optical components and negligible power consumption. In addition, the performance of the handshake schemes is independent of on-chip buffer space, which makes them feasible in a large scale nanophotonic interconnect design.
Grid-Based Belief Propagation for Cooperative Localization

We present a novel parametric message representation for belief propagation (BP) that provides a novel grid-based way to address the cooperative localization problem in wireless networks. The proposed Grid-BP approach allows faster calculations than non-parametric representations and works well with existing grid-based coordinate systems, e.g., NATO's military grid reference system (MGRS). This overcomes the hidden challenge inherent in all distributed localization algorithms that require a universally known global reference system (GCS), even though every node localizes using arbitrary local coordinate systems (LCSs) for a reference. Simulation results demonstrate that Grid-BP achieves similar accuracy at much reduced complexity when compared to common techniques that assume ideal reference
Towards Human-Like Machine Comprehension: Few-Shot Relational Learning in Visually-Rich Documents

Key-value relations are prevalent in Visually-Rich Documents (VRDs), often depicted in distinct spatial regions accompanied by specific color and font styles. These non-textual cues serve as important indicators that greatly enhance human comprehension and acquisition of such relation triplets. However, current document AI approaches often fail to consider this valuable prior information related to visual and spatial features, resulting in suboptimal performance, particularly when dealing with limited examples. To address this limitation, our research focuses on few-shot relational learning, specifically targeting the extraction of key-value relation triplets in VRDs. Given the absence of a suitable dataset for this task, we introduce two new few-shot benchmarks built upon existing supervised benchmark datasets. Furthermore, we propose a variational approach that incorporates relational 2D-spatial priors and prototypical rectification techniques. This approach aims to generate relation representations that are more aware of the spatial context and unseen relation in a manner similar to human perception. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method by showcasing its ability to outperform existing methods. This study also opens up new possibilities for practical applications.
A MOTION CONTROL METHOD OF FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE OMNI-DIRECTIONAL MOBILE ROBOTS BASED ON MULTI POINTS PREVIEW CONTROL

Aiming at the problem that the traditional control methods can’t satisfactorily complete the trajectory tracking task, so a multi point preview control method based on automobile driving is designed for the motion control of four-wheel drive omni-directional mobile robot. Lateral position error and curvature of each preview point are calculated based on the robot’s lateral position error model. Meanwhile, by considering the current position error and preview point’s position error, a fuzzy controller is designed. The fuzzy controller adjusts the lateral velocity and longitudinal velocity according to the preview information of the different path conditions, so as to realize the expected trajectory tracking. Experiment results show that the tracking errors of different paths are obviously reduced, and the tracking precision is greatly improved , which means the preview control method presented in this paper is effective. It can realize fast track even when the tracking path varies a lot.
Cathespin H Is an Fgf10 Target Involved in Bmp4 Degradation during Lung Branching Morphogenesis*

During lung development, signaling by Fgf10 (fibroblast growth factor 10) and its receptor Fgfr2b is critical for induction of a gene network that controls proliferation, differentiation, and branching of the epithelial tubules. The downstream events triggered by Fgf10-Fgfr2b signaling during this process are still poorly understood. In a global screen for transcriptional targets of Fgf10, we identified Ctsh (cathepsin H), a gene encoding a lysosomal cysteine protease of the papain family, highly up-regulated in the developing lung epithelium. Here we show that among other cathepsin genes present in the lung, Ctsh is the only family member selectively induced by Fgf10 in the lung epithelium. We provide evidence that, during branching morphogenesis, epithelial expression of Ctsh overlaps temporally and spatially with that of Bmp4 (bone morphogenetic protein 4), another target of Fgf10. Moreover, we show that Ctsh controls the availability of mature Bmp4 protein in the embryonic lung and that inhibiting Ctsh activity leads to a marked accumulation of Bmp4 protein and disruption of branching morphogenesis. Tightly controlled levels of Bmp4 signaling are critical for patterning of the distal lung epithelium. Our study suggests a potentially novel posttranscriptional mechanism in which Ctsh rapidly removes Bmp4 from forming buds to limit Bmp4 action. The presence of both Ctsh and Bmp4 or Bmp4 signaling activity in other developing structures, such as the kidney, yolk sac, and choroid plexus, suggests a possible general role of Ctsh in regulating Bmp4 proteolysis in different morphogenetic events.
Scarring alopecia: A classification based on microscopic criteria

Scarring alopecias are a heterogeneous group of disorders which restilt in the common eiidpoint of follicular destrucdon. The scarring alopecias have been historically grotiped and categot ized according to clinical criteria. This categorization is not ideal. The term "scarring" is ctinibeisonie, potentially inaccurate and may have different meaning for the clitiician and pathologist, bttt it is a wellestablished term in the liieratme and in clinical use. For this reason alone, we continue to strnggle with the term and ajjply it as appropriately as possible to the clitiical-palhologic entities discussed in this review. For this review, we have classified these types of permanent alopecia i\ito two broad categories: primar)' scarring alopecia and secondary scarring alopecia. A third type of scarring alopecia exists. This latter group of diseases, which may be termed tiansitiotial scan ing alopecia, is the restill of persistence ol" abnormalities of follicular dynamics lestiltitig iu die eventtial "drop-otU" of affected Follicles, Examples oF this type of scarringalopecia incltide chronic, on-going tracdoti alopecia and trichotillomania, as well as persistent, nonremitting alopecia areata, atidtogenetic alopecia and telogeu effinvium (1). This interesting and clinically impottant pattern of scarring alopecia will not be discussed further in this review since our putpose is to describe the histopathologic changes of the types of alopecia classically defined as scarring.
Extraction and recognition of periodically deforming objects by continuous, spatio-temporal shape description

We demonstrate a novel approach to modelling arbitrary temporally-deforming objects using spatio-temporal Fourier descriptors. This is a continuous boundary descriptor, which can handle shapes that vary in a periodic manner (such as a walking subject). As such, we can handle non-rigid, moving shapes that self-occlude. We show how this approach has led to successful shape extraction and description with both laboratory-sourced and real-world data. A consequence of exploiting temporal shape correlation in this approach has led to very good tolerance of noise and other positive performance factors. Further to this, our new approach holds sufficient descriptive power not only for extraction, but also for description purposes, and we have been pleased to note high recognition rates in human gait recognition on a large database.
Junction Temperature Elevation as a Result of Thermal Cross Coupling in a Multi-Device Power Electronic Module

Thermal cross coupling effects between various semiconductor elements of a 350A IGBT and cooler are determined from transient thermal impedance measurements from junction to ambient. The dynamic thermal behaviour of the module and cooler is represented in the Laplace transform domain by a matrix-vector formulation in which the temperature elevation of each element is related to the power dissipated in all the active elements. A PSpice representation of the model is developed, in which each term of the trans-impedance matrix is represented by a cascaded R-C network. Results from the simulation of a PWM inverter show that the load power frequency influences the thermal cross-coupling effects within the module. It is clear that thermal cross-coupling is a significant additional source of junction temperature elevation and under some load power conditions can increase the depth of thermal cycles
Instantaneous Visual Analysis of Blood Flow in Stenoses Using Morphological Similarity

The emergence of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) enabled the simulation of intricate transport processes, including flow in physiological structures, such as blood vessels. While these so-called hemodynamic simulations offer groundbreaking opportunities to solve problems at the clinical forefront, a successful translation of CFD to clinical decision-making is challenging. Hemodynamic simulations are intrinsically complex, time-consuming, and resource-intensive, which conflicts with the time-sensitive nature of clinical workflows and the fact that hospitals usually do not have the necessary resources or infrastructure to support CFD simulations. To address these transfer challenges, we propose a novel visualization system which enables instant flow exploration without performing on-site simulation. To gain insights into the viability of the approach, we focus on hemodynamic simulations of the carotid bifurcation, which is a highly relevant arterial subtree in stroke diagnostics and prevention. We created an initial database of 120 high-resolution carotid bifurcation flow models and developed a set of similarity metrics used to place a new carotid surface model into a neighborhood of simulated cases with the highest geometric similarity. The neighborhood can be immediately explored and the flow fields analyzed. We found that if the artery models are similar enough in the regions of interest, a new simulation leads to coinciding results, allowing the user to circumvent individual flow simulations. We conclude that similarity-based visual analysis is a promising approach toward the usability of CFD in medical practice.
Balancing Antiviral Potency and Host Toxicity: Identifying a Nucleotide Inhibitor with an Optimal Kinetic Phenotype for HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase

Two novel thymidine analogs, 3′-fluoro-3′-deoxythymidine (FLT) and 2′,3′-didehydro-3′-deoxy-4′-ethynylthymidine (Ed4T), have been investigated as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) for treatment of HIV infection. Ed4T seems very promising in phase II clinical trials, whereas toxicity halted FLT development during this phase. To understand these different molecular mechanisms of toxicity, pre–steady-state kinetic studies were used to examine the interactions of FLT and Ed4T with wild-type (WT) human mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ (pol γ), which is often associated with NRTI toxicity, as well as the viral target protein, WT HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT). We report that Ed4T-triphosphate (TP) is the first analog to be preferred over native nucleotides by RT but to experience negligible incorporation by WT pol γ, with an ideal balance between high antiretroviral efficacy and minimal host toxicity. WT pol γ could discriminate Ed4T-TP from dTTP 12,000-fold better than RT, with only an 8.3-fold difference in discrimination being seen for FLT-TP. A structurally related NRTI, 2′,3′-didehydro-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine, is the only other analog favored by RT over native nucleotides, but it exhibits only a 13-fold difference (compared with 12,000-fold for Ed4T) in discrimination between the two enzymes. We propose that the 4′-ethynyl group of Ed4T serves as an enzyme selectivity moiety, critical for discernment between RT and WT pol γ. We also show that the pol γ mutation R964C, which predisposes patients to mitochondrial toxicity when receiving 2′,3′-didehydro-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine to treat HIV, produced some loss of discrimination for FLT-TP and Ed4T-TP. These molecular mechanisms of analog incorporation, which are critical for understanding pol γ-related toxicity, shed light on the unique toxicity profiles observed during clinical trials.
The Bag-of-Opinions Method for Review Rating Prediction from Sparse Text Patterns

The problem addressed in this paper is to predict a user's numeric rating in a product review from the text of the review. Unigram and n-gram representations of text are common choices in opinion mining. However, unigrams cannot capture important expressions like "could have been better", which are essential for prediction models of ratings. N-grams of words, on the other hand, capture such phrases, but typically occur too sparsely in the training set and thus fail to yield robust predictors. This paper overcomes the limitations of these two models, by introducing a novel kind of bag-of-opinions representation, where an opinion, within a review, consists of three components: a root word, a set of modifier words from the same sentence, and one or more negation words. Each opinion is assigned a numeric score which is learned, by ridge regression, from a large, domain-independent corpus of reviews. For the actual test case of a domain-dependent review, the review's rating is predicted by aggregating the scores of all opinions in the review and combining it with a domain-dependent unigram model. The paper presents a constrained ridge regression algorithm for learning opinion scores. Experiments show that the bag-of-opinions method outperforms prior state-of-the-art techniques for review rating prediction.
Spatially Integrated Social Research and Official Statistics: Methodological Remarks and Empirical Results on Local Development

Abstract This paper aims to elucidate some aspects of confluence of thedevelopments in modern methods of spatial analysis and in the public statistics’data generating processes, along with empirical illustration of theseinterconnections from the development policy evaluation standpoint. Especially,how the growing availability of data at the finest level of territorial division(such as commune/gmina-level data within the Local Data Bank system) mayimprove decisional processes at the regional and local level, while payingspecial attention to allocation of resources assuming geographic system oftargeting public support or intervention. Three interrelated questions that areempirically treated in the context of both β-convergence and σ-convergence issues at the local level involve (i) measurement of the level of local(under)development /local deprivation; (ii) assessment of how responsive andequitable are distributive policies in the domain of area-addressed publicresources; and (iii) evaluation of their impacts in terms of convergence andsocial cohesion, which are among chief objectives of development policy(especially in the ‘new’ EU member states). Streszczenie Celem artykułu jest podkreślenie współzależności pomiędzy rozwojem nowoczesnych metod analizy przestrzennej a podażą odpowiednich danych generowanych w ramach statystyki publicznej. Przedmiotem rozważań jest sposób w jaki rosnąca dostępność danych na poziomie jednostek terytorialnych (gmin), może zwiększyć efektywność procesów decyzyjnych zachodzących na szczeblu lokalnym i regionalnym, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem decyzji dotyczących alokacji publicznych środków rozwoju (lokalnego) poprzez tzw. geograficzne adresowanie interwencji publicznych.
Modeling the relation between the intensity just-noticeable difference and loudness for pure tones and wideband noise

A classical problem in auditory theory is the relation between the loudness L(I) and the intensity just-noticeable difference (JND) ΔI(I). The intensity JND is frequently expressed in terms of the Weber fraction defined by J(I)≡ΔI/I because it is anticipated that this ratio should be a constant (i.e., Weber’s law). Unfortunately, J(I) is not a constant for the most elementary case of the pure tone JND. Furthermore it remains unexplained why Weber’s law holds for wide-band stimuli. We explore this problem and related issues. The loudness and the intensity JND are defined in terms of the first and second moments of a proposed random decision variable called the single-trial loudness L(I), namely the loudness is L(I)≡EL(I), while the variance of the single trial loudness is σL2≡E(L−L)2. The JND is given by the signal detection assumption ΔL=d′σL, where we define the loudness JND ΔL(I) as the change in loudness corresponding to ΔI(I). Inspired by Hellman and Hellman’s recent theory [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 87,.
The profile less considered: The Trafficking of Men in South Africa

ABSTRACT Human trafficking can broadly be described as the illegal trade of human beings mainly for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labour. Trafficking is most commonly associated across the world with the trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation, to some extent with the trafficking of children for sexual exploitation, and to a lesser extent with trafficking for labour exploitation. While the trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation has been explored at length, the trafficking of men and boys for both sexual and labour exploitation has received less attention. Consequently, victim assistance focuses almost exclusively on women and children who have been trafficked for sexual exploitation. Reports of male victims are rare as men have traditionally been overlooked as potential victims of trafficking. Generally, very little is known about the trafficking of men. The trafficking of men in South Africa, or as a regional phenomenon in southern Africa; the extent to which it exists, the exploitative purposes for which its victims are trafficked, suffers from a similar lack of attention. Human trafficking violates several human rights of the trafficked and the impact of trafficking on individuals is severe. One of the stated objectives of the United Nations Trafficking Protocol is the protection of victims of trafficking. Sustained research on the trafficking of men and boys in South Africa is required to shed more light on the forms of exploitation men and boys are subject to. This will inform policy and practice and allow for effective protection and assistance for a hitherto neglected population.
Psychological Correlates of Anorexic and Bulimic Symptomatology

The purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which several psychological and personality variables relate to anorexic and bulimic symptomatology in female undergraduates. Past research investigating the relationship between such variables and eating disorders has been contradictory for several reasons, including lack of theoretical bases, discrepant criteria, or combination of anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Recent investigators have concluded that it is important to examine subdiagnostic levels of eating pathology, especially within a college population. Thus, the present investigation used a female undergraduate sample in determining the extent to which several psychological factors--obsessiveness, dependency, over-controlled hostility, assertiveness, perceived control, and self-esteem--account for anorexic and bulimic symptomatology. Regression analyses revealed that anorexic symptoms were best explained by obsessiveness and then two measures of dependency, emotional reliance on another and autonomy. Bulimic symptoms were related most strongly to lack of social self-confidence (a dependency measure) and obsessiveness. Clinical implications and directions for future research are addressed.
The Caregiving Dilemma: Work in an American Nursing Home

Along with increasing life expectancy comes the knowledge that many Americans will one day enter nursing homes. Who are the people who will care for us or for our relatives? Nancy Foner provides a major study of institutional care that focuses on nursing aides, who are the backbone of American nursing homes. She examines the strains and paradoxes facing nursing aides--asked, on the one hand, to provide compassionate care and, on the other, to cope with the pressures of the workplace and the institution. Aides are expected to look after patients, who are predominantly older women, with kindness and consideration, but nursing home regulations and bureaucratic forces often hinder even the best efforts to offer consistently supportive care. Positioned at the bottom of the nursing hierarchy, aides must cope with the needs of frail, dependent residents, pressures from patients' relatives and from their own families, and demands of supervisors and coworkers. Foner's detailed description and analysis of caregiving dilemmas, based on intensive field research in a New York facility, brings the perspective of the nursing aides to the fore. This is a timely contribution to the study of work, bureaucracy, and the future of an aging American population.