Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Landscape features associated with infection by a malaria parasite (Plasmodium mexicanum) and the importance of multiple scale studies

In a 3-year study, we examined landscape features (aspect, slope, sun exposure, canopy cover, type of ground cover, and nearest water source) that were potentially related to prevalence of infection with Plasmodium mexicanum in fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) within a 4.5 ha study area in northern California, USA. Logistic regression analysis showed that ground cover type was the primary mediator of the probability of P. mexicanum infection. Infected lizards were captured more often in rock and/or leaf litter locations than in grassy ones. In another experiment, the study area was divided into 9 sites (0.07–0.33 ha), and infection prevalence was calculated for each. Three sites with high (>30%) infection prevalence had significantly more rocky outcrops and leaf litter than those with low (<20%) or moderate (20–30%) infection prevalence (N = 3 sites each). We conclude that lizard site selection may influence the probability of exposure to infected vectors and thus the likelihood of P. mexicanum infection. We also demonstrate that studies at different spatial scales may be required to understand fully the relationship between landscape features and parasite distribution.
From Spontaneous Motor Activity to Coordinated Behaviour: A Developmental Model

In mammals, the developmental path that links the primary behaviours observed during foetal stages to the full fledged behaviours observed in adults is still beyond our understanding. Often theories of motor control try to deal with the process of incremental learning in an abstract and modular way without establishing any correspondence with the mammalian developmental stages. In this paper, we propose a computational model that links three distinct behaviours which appear at three different stages of development. In order of appearance, these behaviours are: spontaneous motor activity (SMA), reflexes, and coordinated behaviours, such as locomotion. The goal of our model is to address in silico four hypotheses that are currently hard to verify in vivo: First, the hypothesis that spinal reflex circuits can be self-organized from the sensor and motor activity induced by SMA. Second, the hypothesis that supraspinal systems can modulate reflex circuits to achieve coordinated behaviour. Third, the hypothesis that, since SMA is observed in an organism throughout its entire lifetime, it provides a mechanism suitable to maintain the reflex circuits aligned with the musculoskeletal system, and thus adapt to changes in body morphology. And fourth, the hypothesis that by changing the modulation of the reflex circuits over time, one can switch between different coordinated behaviours. Our model is tested in a simulated musculoskeletal leg actuated by six muscles arranged in a number of different ways. Hopping is used as a case study of coordinated behaviour. Our results show that reflex circuits can be self-organized from SMA, and that, once these circuits are in place, they can be modulated to achieve coordinated behaviour. In addition, our results show that our model can naturally adapt to different morphological changes and perform behavioural transitions.
The Informant in Quantitative Research

The anthropological use of the informant is distinguished from the social survey in that the respondents are selected not for their representativeness but rather on the bases of informedness and ability to communicate with the social scientist. As such, the method seems to have general social science utility. In a study of the comparative morale often submarine crews, the rankings provided by three offship informants correlate . 9 with rankings resulting from anonymous morale ballots filled out by all crew members and shows satisfactory agreement with other measures of morale.
Distributed lifelong reinforcement learning with sub-linear regret

In this paper we propose a distributed second-order method for lifelong reinforcement learning (LRL). Upon observing a new task, our algorithm scales state-of-the-art LRL by approximating the Newton direction up-to-any arbitrary precision ∊ > 0, while guaranteeing accurate solutions. We analyze the theoretical properties of this new method and derive, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, sublinear regret under this setting.
Supernovae in isolated galaxies, in pairs and in groups of galaxies

In order to investigate the influence of environment on supernova (SN) production, we have performed a statistical investigation of the SNe discovered in isolated galaxies, in pairs and in groups of galaxies. 22 SNe in 18 isolated galaxies, 48 SNe in 40 galaxy members of 37 pairs and 211 SNe in 170 galaxy members of 116 groups have been selected and studied. We found that the radial distributions of core-collapse SNe in galaxies located in different environments are similar, and consistent with those reported by Bartunov, Makarova & Tsvetkov. SNe discovered in pairs do not favour a particular direction with respect to the companion galaxy. Also, the azimuthal distributions inside the host members of galaxy groups are consistent with being isotropics. The fact that SNe are more frequent in the brighter components of the pairs and groups is expected from the dependence of the SN rates on the galaxy luminosity. There is an indication that the SN rate is higher in galaxy pairs compared with that in groups. This can be related to the enhanced star formation rate in strongly interacting systems. It is concluded that, with the possible exception of strongly interacting systems, the parent galaxy environment has no direct influence on SN production.
Ecosystem Processes and Human Influences Regulate Streamflow Response to Climate Change at Long-Term Ecological Research Sites

Analyses of long-term records at 35 headwater basins in the United States and Canada indicate that climate change effects on streamflow are not as clear as might be expected, perhaps because of ecosystem processes and human influences. Evapotranspiration was higher than was predicted by temperature in water-surplus ecosystems and lower than was predicted in water-deficit ecosystems. Streamflow was correlated with climate variability indices (e.g., the El Niño—Southern Oscillation, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, the North Atlantic Oscillation), especially in seasons when vegetation influences are limited. Air temperature increased significantly at 17 of the 19 sites with 20- to 60-year records, but streamflow trends were directly related to climate trends (through changes in ice and snow) at only 7 sites. Past and present human and natural disturbance, vegetation succession, and human water use can mimic, exacerbate, counteract, or mask the effects of climate change on streamflow, even in reference basins. Long-term ecological research sites are ideal places to disentangle these processes.
The Implications of Parekh's Cultural Pluralism

This paper assesses the special difficulties faced by a liberal democratic system which seeks to maintain its democratic credentials when governing a culturally diverse society. The argument focuses upon the analysis of cultural pluralism developed in two recent pieces of Bhikhu Parekh. After clarifying the nature of Parekh's culturally pluralistic society, the cultural specificity of liberal democracy is examined Finally, Parekh's attempt to reconcile the two through ‘operative public values’ is shown to be inadequate in such a manner that the ability of a liberal democratic system to ever bring lasting well-being in a situation of cultural diversity is thrown into doubt.
Ru(CO)3Cl(Glycinate) (CORM-3): a carbon monoxide-releasing molecule with broad-spectrum antimicrobial and photosensitive activities against respiration and cation transport in Escherichia coli.

AIMS Carbon monoxide (CO) delivered to cells and tissues by CO-releasing molecules (CO-RMs) has beneficial and toxic effects not mimicked by CO gas. The metal carbonyl Ru(CO)3Cl(glycinate) (CORM-3) is a novel, potent antimicrobial agent. Here, we established its mode of action. RESULTS CORM-3 inhibits respiration in several bacterial and yeast pathogens. In anoxic Escherichia coli suspensions, CORM-3 first stimulates, then inhibits respiration, but much higher concentrations of CORM-3 than of a classic protonophore are required for stimulation. Proton translocation measurements (H(+)/O quotients, i.e., H(+) extrusion on pulsing anaerobic cells with O2) show that respiratory stimulation cannot be attributed to true "uncoupling," that is, dissipation of the protonmotive force, or to direct stimulation of oxidase activity. Our data are consistent with CORM-3 facilitating the electrogenic transmembrane movement of K(+) (or Na(+)), causing a stimulation of respiration and H(+) pumping to compensate for the transient drop in membrane potential (ΔΨ). The effects on respiration are not mimicked by CO gas or control Ru compounds that do not release CO. Inhibition of respiration and loss of bacterial viability elicited by CORM-3 are reversible by white light, unambiguously identifying heme-containing oxidase(s) as target(s). INNOVATION This is the most complete study to date of the antimicrobial action of a CO-RM. Noteworthy are the demonstration of respiratory stimulation, electrogenic ion transport, and photosensitive activity, establishing terminal oxidases and ion transport as primary targets. CONCLUSION CORM-3 has multifaceted effects: increased membrane permeability, inhibition of terminal oxidases, and perhaps other unidentified mechanisms underlie its effectiveness in tackling microbial pathogenesis.
The Structuring of Invisibility Among the Hidden Homeless: The Politics of Space, Stigma, and Identity Construction

This ethnographic portrayal relies on participant observations at two supplemental support programs for youth without homes, narratives collected through in-depth interviews with educators and case managers, and focus group interviews with youth participants to explore the discursive (re)production of invisibility among youth without homes. Structuration theory is used to frame macro and micro forces coalescing to enable and constrain processes of invisibility among the hidden homeless. Analysis reveals how invisibility shapes (and is shaped by) processes of stigmatization, “street smarts” as enacted by youth, and “Mayberry” and “not in my backyard” community discourses, and how the disappearance of youth without homes simultaneously serves and undermines various stakeholders.
Modeling of Hydrogel Coated Fiber Bragg Grating pH Sensor

This paper present the modeling and simulation of the hydrogel coated FBG for pH sensor application. The hydrogel swelling was modeled by using Poisson-Nernst-Planck equation and mechanical equilibrium equation. The simulation was done by assuming that the hydrogel was coated on unetched fiber and etched fiber. The strain induced at the fiber core was analyzed using finite element method. It was found that at the region near the jacketed fiber, the strain is distributed nonuniformly. The non uniform area for etched fiber is shorter than that of unetched fiber. The Bragg wavelength shift due to strain of the etched fiber is much larger than that of the unetched fiber.
From WordNet to a Knowlege Base

At Boeing we have been attempting to use WordNet – an online lexical resource – for machine reasoning, using both its taxonomic information and other information (e.g., parts relations). While we get some leverage, it is clear that WordNet is drastically limited in the types of knowledge it contains. In this paper, we will describe our work in this area, some of our attempts to expand on WordNet, and present a vision for what we believe a future WordNet-like resource should look like – a large knowledge base with vastly richer representational structures – and the potential such a resource would offer for machine reasoning.
Data Quality Evaluation in Medical Database Watermarking

The use of watermarking in the protection of medical relational databases requires that the introduced distortion does not hinder records interpretation. In this paper, we present the preliminary results of a watermarked data quality evaluation protocol developed so as to analyze the perception the practitioner has of the watermark. These results show that some attributes are more appropriate for watermarking than others and also that incoherent or unlikely records resulting from careless watermarking are easily identified by an expert.
A neuropsychological comparison of schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like psychosis of epilepsy

Background. The schizophrenia-like psychoses of epilepsy (SLPE) might represent a secondary form of schizophrenia in which the pathology is relatively confined to the temporal lobe. To test this possibility we have compared the neuropsychological profile of schizophrenia and SLPE. Our main hypothesis was that both psychotic groups would show deficits of temporal lobe function but that prefrontal impairment, as measured by tests of executive function, would be found only in the primary schizophrenic group. Methods. Four groups were studied: (1) patients with SLPE (N = 25); (2) patients with epilepsy but not psychiatric history (N = 24); (3) patients with schizophrenia (N = 22); and (4) healthy volunteers (N = 24). Neuropsychological testing comprised measures of pre-morbid IQ, current verbal and performance IQ, information processing, digit span, motor speed, verbal and visual learning and memory, verbal fluency, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, the Stroop test and the trail making task. Results. Patients with schizophrenia and those with SLPE had almost identical neuropsychological profiles, with impairments of attention, episodic memory (verbal > visual) and executive function. The epileptic controls showed similar though less severe impairments of memory and of some tests of executive function. Conclusions. Our results do not support the hypothesis that the pathophysiology of SLPE and schizophrenia are distinct. While our findings suggest an important role for dominant temporal lobe abnormality in schizophrenia, both in its primary form and in that occurring in patients with epilepsy, they also implicate generalized cognitive impairment, manifest in particular as attentional deficits, in both forms of the disorder.
Critical points and transitions in an electric power transmission model for cascading failure blackouts.

Cascading failures in large-scale electric power transmission systems are an important cause of blackouts. Analysis of North American blackout data has revealed power law (algebraic) tails in the blackout size probability distribution which suggests a dynamical origin. With this observation as motivation, we examine cascading failure in a simplified transmission system model as load power demand is increased. The model represents generators, loads, the transmission line network, and the operating limits on these components. Two types of critical points are identified and are characterized by transmission line flow limits and generator capability limits, respectively. Results are obtained for tree networks of a regular form and a more realistic 118-node network. It is found that operation near critical points can produce power law tails in the blackout size probability distribution similar to those observed. The complex nature of the solution space due to the interaction of the two critical points is examined. (c) 2002 American Institute of Physics.
Environmental Affordances and Children in Post-conflict Belfast

This paper examines the experiences of children in post-conflict Belfast as peace and social change afford new opportunities at the same time as they regulate behaviours and spatial practices. Theoretically and empirically it draws on the concept of environmental affordances in order to map the experiences of 11-year-old children in separate inner-city segregated and middle-class communities. Whilst the recession has affected the pace of urban restructuring, children in the expanding mixed and largely middle-class city extract multiple advantages from their area in ways not available to segregated communities. The paper concludes by highlighting the implications for effective listening strategies in the management of divided communities.
Central Nervous System Demyelination and Remyelination is Independent from Systemic Cholesterol Level in Theiler's Murine Encephalomyelitis

High dietary fat and/or cholesterol intake is a risk factor for multiple diseases and has been debated for multiple sclerosis. However, cholesterol biosynthesis is a key pathway during myelination and disturbances are described in demyelinating diseases. To address the possible interaction of dyslipidemia and demyelination, cholesterol biosynthesis gene expression, composition of the body's major lipid repositories and Paigen diet‐induced, systemic hypercholesterolemia were examined in Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis (TME) using histology, immunohistochemistry, serum clinical chemistry, microarrays and high‐performance thin layer chromatography. TME‐virus (TMEV)‐infected mice showed progressive loss of motor performance and demyelinating leukomyelitis. Gene expression associated with cholesterol biosynthesis was overall down‐regulated in the spinal cord of TMEV‐infected animals. Spinal cord levels of galactocerebroside and sphingomyelin were reduced on day 196 post TMEV infection. Paigen diet induced serum hypercholesterolemia and hepatic lipidosis. However, high dietary fat and cholesterol intake led to no significant differences in clinical course, inflammatory response, astrocytosis, and the amount of demyelination and remyelination in the spinal cord of TMEV‐infected animals. The results suggest that down‐regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis is a transcriptional marker for demyelination, quantitative loss of myelin‐specific lipids, but not cholesterol occurs late in chronic demyelination, and serum hypercholesterolemia exhibited no significant effect on TMEV infection.
“Code Yourself” and “A Programar”: A bilingual MOOC for teaching computer science to teenagers

In a technology-fueled world, coding is an essential skill for young people. MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), which are free online courses available to a very large number of people, are an effective and increasingly popular option for teaching scientific topics to a worldwide audience. However, despite the large number of MOOCs available on computer science, there is a scarcity of coding-related MOOCs that are designed for children and teenagers. In this paper, we present a programming MOOC that was recently developed by The University of Edinburgh and Universidad ORT Uruguay for teenager high school students with no prior programming experience. The MOOC was collaboratively developed by the two teams, resulting in a shared instructional design but with a bilingual delivery: “Code Yourself” in English and “A Programar” in Spanish. In this paper, we describe the course design for a young audience and we discuss the international co-development of the course materials. Furthermore, we present results from its simultaneous bilingual delivery in spring 2015, where around 85000 students participated. Student surveys show encouraging results: more than 93% found that the course met or exceeded their expectations, and more than 90% stated that they plan to continue programming in the future.
Factors Associated with Risky Sexual Practices among Female Sex Workers in Karnataka, India

Introduction The objectives of this study are to develop a summary measure of risky sexual practice and examine the factors associated with this among female sex workers (FSWs) in Karnataka, India. Materials and Methods Data were drawn from special behavioral surveys (SBS) conducted in 2007 among 577 FSWs in two districts of Karnataka, India: Belgaum and Bangalore. FSWs were recruited using the two-stage probability sampling design. FSWs' sexual practice was considered risky if they reported inconsistent condom use with any sexual partner and reported experience of one of the following vulnerabilities to HIV risk: anal sex, alcohol consumption prior to sex and concurrent sexual relationships. Results About 51% of FSWs had engaged in risky sexual practice. The odds of engaging in risky sex were higher among FSWs who were older (35+ years) than younger (18–25 years) (58% vs. 45%, Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2–3.4), who were currently married than never married (61% vs. 51%, AOR: 4.8, 95% CI: 2.5–9.3), who were in sex work for 10+ years than those who were in sex work for less than five years (66% vs. 39%, AOR: 2.6, 95% CI: 1.6–4.2), and who had sex with 3+ clients/day than those who had sex with fewer clients (67% vs. 38%, AOR: 3.7, 95% CI:2.5–5.5). Conclusion FSWs who are older, currently married, practicing sex work for longer duration and with higher clientele were more likely to engage in risky sexual practices. HIV prevention programs should develop strategies to reach these most-at risk group of FSWs to optimize the effectiveness of such programs.
An Arnoldi Method for Nonlinear Symmetric Eigenvalue Problems

where T (λ) ∈ R is a family of symmetric matrices depending on a parameter λ ∈ J , and J ⊂ R is an open interval which may be unbounded. As in the linear case T (λ) = λI −A a parameter λ is called an eigenvalue of T (·) if problem (1) has a nontrivial solution x 6= 0 which is called a corresponding eigenvector. We assume that the matrices T (λ) are large and sparse. For sparse linear eigenvalue problems most efficient methods are iterative projection methods, where approximations to the wanted eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors are obtained from projections of the eigenproblem to subspaces which are expanded in the course of the algorithm. Methods of this type are the Lanczos algorithm for symmetric problems, and Arnoldi’s method and the JacobiDavidson method, e.g., for more general problems. Taking advantage of shift–and– invert techniques in Arnoldi’s method one gets approximate eigenvalues closest to the shift. Ruhe [5] generalized this approach. He suggested the rational Krylov method using several shifts in one run, thus getting good approximations to all eigenvalues in a union of regions around the shifts chosen. In some sense, Ruhe [6] and Hager and Wiberg [3], [2] generalized this approach to sparse nonlinear eigenvalue problems by nesting the linearization of problem (1) by Regula falsi and the solution of the resulting linear eigenproblem by Arnoldi’s method, where the Regula falsi iteration and the Arnoldi recursion are knit together. Similarly as in the rational Krylov process they construct a sequence
Toward a higher standard: the changing organizational context of accountability for educational results

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the full range of choices that academic institutions presently have for attending to educational results.Design/methodology/approach – The approach takes the form of a systematic comparison of the eight models currently available to colleges and universities for attending to educational results, relative to four necessary organizational purposes: individual student improvement, individual student accountability, organizational improvement, and organizational accountability.Findings – This is a time of innovation, not of standardization. As new choices become available, the standard for accountability for educational results continues to rise.Originality/value – The choices, ranging from established practices to expected alternatives to unexpected innovations, differ significantly in their capacities.