Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recuperating Democratic Spaces in an Age of Militarisation and a ‘New Fascism’

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of Henry Giroux's contribution over the years to critical thinking in education and beyond. It focuses primarily on Giroux's recent works concerning the changing nature of the State (from the social to the carceral and neoliberal state), the war against youth and children, the culture of militarisation, torture, the emergence of a ‘new fascism’, the corporatisation of schools and higher education and the need for intellectuals to extend their work beyond the confines of academia to engage as public intellectuals, as well as the roles of critical pedagogy and cultural studies in this regard. The article draws on a range of writings, including both academic and more ‘public’ writings from such outlets as Truthout and Counterpunch. While much of what is written presents a bleak picture of the current international socio-economic scenario, Giroux's work is infused with a sense of hope and agency. It is inspired by a view of a world not as it is now but as it can and should be.
Feasibility based Large Margin Nearest Neighbor metric learning

Large margin nearest neighbor (LMNN) is a metric learner which optimizes the performance of the popular $k$NN classifier. However, its resulting metric relies on pre-selected target neighbors. In this paper, we address the feasibility of LMNN's optimization constraints regarding these target points, and introduce a mathematical measure to evaluate the size of the feasible region of the optimization problem. We enhance the optimization framework of LMNN by a weighting scheme which prefers data triplets which yield a larger feasible region. This increases the chances to obtain a good metric as the solution of LMNN's problem. We evaluate the performance of the resulting feasibility-based LMNN algorithm using synthetic and real datasets. The empirical results show an improved accuracy for different types of datasets in comparison to regular LMNN.
Increased expression of Drosophila Su(var)3-7 triggers Su(var)3-9-dependent heterochromatin formation

The Su(var)3-7 protein is essential for fly viability, and several lines of evidence support its key importance in heterochromatin formation: it binds to pericentric heterochromatin, it potently suppresses variegation and it interacts with HP1. However, the mode of action of Su(var)3-7 is poorly understood. Here we investigate in vivo the consequences of increased Su(var)3-7 expression on fly viability and chromatin structure. A large excess of Su(var)3-7 induces lethality, whereas lower doses permit survival and cause spectacular changes in the morphology of polytene chromosomes in males, and to a lesser extent in females. The male X is always the most affected chromosome: it becomes highly condensed and shortened, and its characteristic banding pattern is modified. In addition, Su(var)3-7 was found over the complete length of all chromosomes. This event coincides with the appearance of heterochromatin markers such as histone H3K9 dimethylation and HP1 at many sites on autosomes and, more strikingly, on the male X chromosome. These two features are strictly dependent on the histone-methyltransferase Su(var)3-9, whereas the generalised localisation of Su(var)3-7 is not. These data provide evidence for a dose-dependent regulatory role of Su(var)3-7 in chromosome morphology and heterochromatin formation. Moreover they show that Su(var)3-7 expression is sufficient to induce Su(var)3-9-dependent ectopic heterochromatinisation and suggest a functional link between Su(var)3-7 and the histone-methyltransferase Su(var)3-9.
Genotoxicity of nanomaterials: Refining strategies and tests for hazard identification

A workshop addressing strategies for the genotoxicity assessment of nanomaterials (NMs) was held on October 23, 2010 in Fort Worth Texas, USA. The workshop was organized by the Environmental Mutagen Society and the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Health and Environmental Sciences Institute. The workshop was attended by more than 80 participants from academia, regulatory agencies, and industry from North America, Europe and Japan. A plenary session featured summaries of the current status and issues related to the testing of NMs for genotoxic properties, as well as an update on international activities and regulatory approaches. This was followed by breakout sessions and a plenary session devoted to independent discussions of in vitro assays, in vivo assays, and the need for new assays or new approaches to develop a testing strategy for NMs. Each of the standard assays was critiqued as a resource for evaluation of NMs, and it became apparent that none was appropriate without special considerations or modifications. The need for nanospecific positive controls was questioned, as was the utility of bacterial assays. The latter was thought to increase the importance of including mammalian cell gene mutation assays into the test battery. For in‐vivo testing, to inform the selection of appropriate tests or protocols, it was suggested to run repeated dose studies first to learn about disposition, potential accumulation, and possible tissue damage. It was acknowledged that mechanisms may be at play that a standard genotoxicity battery may not be able to capture. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 54:229–239, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Isolation, Purification, and Characterization of Fungal Laccase from Pleurotus sp.

Laccases are blue copper oxidases (E.C. 1.10.3.2 benzenediol: oxygen oxidoreductase) that catalyze the one-electron oxidation of phenolics, aromatic amines, and other electron-rich substrates with the concomitant reduction of O2 to H2O. They are currently seen as highly interesting industrial enzymes because of their broad substrate specificity. A positive strain was isolated and characterized as nonspore forming Basidiomycetes Pleurotus sp. Laccase activity was determined using ABTS as substrate. Laccase was purified by ionexchange and gel filtration chromatography. The purified laccase was a monomer showed a molecular mass of 40 ± 1 kDa as estimated by SDS-PAGE and a 72-fold purification with a 22% yield. The optimal pH and temperature were 4.5 and 65°C, respectively. The K m and V max values are 250 (mM) and 0.33 (μmol/min), respectively, for ABTS as substrate. Metal ions like CuSO4, BaCl2, MgCl2, FeCl2, ZnCl2 have no effect on purified laccase whereas HgCl2 and MnCl2 moderately decrease enzyme activity. SDS and sodium azide inhibited enzyme activity, whereas Urea, PCMB, DTT, and mercaptoethanol have no effect on enzyme activity. The isolated laccase can be used in development of biosensor for detecting the phenolic compounds from the effluents of paper industries.
The many faces of guilt-by-association

This past decade has seen a remarkable growth in the availability of networked data and interest in analyzing and understanding these networks. This interest spans a wide variety of fields, each having a different perspective and set of analytic tools they bring to bear. Many of the analytical tools available for large networks evolve around global and local metrics to characterize or describe the network. These methods are often generative such as the exponential models from social network analysis (e.g., (Wasserman & Pattison, 1996)) or the Kronecker models that have come out of computer science (e.g., (Leskovec & Faloutsos, 2007)). We have also seen validation of the small worlds phenomena and in particular the six-degrees separation on data such as LinkedIn (Leskovec et al., 2008). More sophisticated tools such as clustering (e.g., (Clauset et al., 2004)) or relational learning (e.g., (Taskar et al., 2001; Neville & Jensen, 2007; Richardson & Domingos, 2006)) are often only tractable on relatively small networks.
Renormalized Mori–Zwanzig-reduced models for systems without scale separation

Model reduction for complex systems is a rather active area of research. For many real-world systems, constructing an accurate reduced model is prohibitively expensive. The main difficulty stems from the tremendous range of spatial and temporal scales present in the solution of such systems. This leads to the need to develop reduced models where, inevitably, the resolved variables do not exhibit (spatial and/or temporal) scale separation from the unresolved ones. We present a brief survey of recent results on the construction of Mori–Zwanzig-reduced models for such systems. The construction is inspired by the concepts of scale dependence and renormalization which first appeared in the context of high-energy and statistical physics.
Clinical validity of flexible spectral imaging color enhancement (FICE) in small-bowel capsule endoscopy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Patients and methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted. We measured pooled rate of lesion visualization improvement and improvement in lesion detection comparing FICE settings 1 – 3 and WLE, for angioectasias and ulcers/erosions. Pooled results were derived using the random-effects model because of high heterogeneity as measured by I 2. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to measure differences in lesion detection between WLE and the three FICE modes. Results 13 studies were analyzed. All studies used the PillCam SB 1 and/or SB 2 devices. Most used experienced readers. Improvement in delineation had been investigated in 4 studies; in the 3 studies entered into the meta-analysis, using FICE setting 1, 89 % of angioectasias and 45 % of ulcer/erosions were considered to show improved delineation. For FICE settings 2 and 3, small proportions of images showed improved delineation. Heterogeneity of studies was high with I 2 > 90 % in 4/6 analyses. Lesion detection had been investigated in 10 studies; meta-analysis included 5 studies. Lesion detection did not differ significantly between any of the FICE modes and WLE. Conclusions Overall, the use of the three FICE modes did not significantly improve delineation or detection rate in SBCE. In pigmented lesions, FICE setting 1 performed better in lesion delineation and detection.
Secure Mobile IP with HIP Style Handshaking and Readdressing for public-key based IP network

Mobile IP allows the mobile node roaming into a new IP network without losing its connection with its peer. Mobile IPv6 is using Mobile IP with Route Optimization to improve performance by avoiding the triangle routing and adopting Return Routability as a secure process for binding update. Host Identity Protocol (HIP) is an experimental security protocol which provides mobility management and multi-homing by its new namespace. Its architecture is similar to that of Mobile IP with Route Optimization. In this paper, we have introduced a Secure Mobile IP with HIP Style Handshaking and Readdressing (SMIP),which has stronger security, better performance and lower binding cost in binding update process compared with Mobile IPv6. The dependence of home agent in the new scheme is also shown dramatically decreased. The initiated scheme integrated the primary features of two completely different mobility management solutions and has set up a migration path from mobile-IP based solution to a public-key based solution in mobile IP networks.
Genetic Variation and Atherosclerosis

A family history of atherosclerosis is independently associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular events. The genetic factors underlying the importance of inheritance in atherosclerosis are starting to be understood. Genetic variation, such as mutations or common polymorphisms has been shown to be involved in modulation of a range of risk factors, such as plasma lipoprotein levels, inflammation and vascular calcification. This review presents examples of present studies of the role of genetic polymorphism in atherosclerosis.
Effects of current frequency on the MAO coatings on AA7050

In order to solve the corrosion and wear of 7050 aluminium alloy (AA7050) caused by the marine environment and prepare excellent coating structure to prolong its service life, the micro-arc oxidation (MAO) ceramic coatings were prepared at the current frequency of 50, 250, 500, 750, 1000 Hz in the silicate electrolyte, respectively. To analyse the surface morphology, phase composition, corrosion resistance and wear resistance of ceramic coatings, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electrochemical workstation, friction-abrasion tester were used. The results showed that when the current frequency was too low, the mono-pulse energy would be too high and the surface of MAO ceramic coating would be rough, which affected the compactness of the coating. Nevertheless, when the current frequency was too high, it will be unfavourable to the growth of MAO ceramic coating, and the corrosion resistance and wear resistance of the as-prepared coatings were poor.
Cloning and sequencing of the gene encoding universal stress protein from Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolated from Jack‐in‐a‐Box outbreak

A gene encoding the universal stress protein (uspA) was cloned from Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolated from a Jack‐in‐a‐Box outbreak. The nucleotide sequence was determined and the amino acid sequence predicted. The gene was found to be highly conserved and shared 97% homology with the same gene of E. coli K‐12. Within an 800‐base pair (bp) region sequenced, a 15‐bp mismatch existed between E. coli K‐12 and O157:H7, of which 11 base pairs were internal to the structural gene of uspA. However, only an area with a 4‐bp mismatch caused an amino acid substitution, changing an alanine to an arginine at position 140.
Abusing Good Intentions

The present study aims to understand how Machiavellians switch from one kind of response to another in different circumstances to maximize their profit. We set up a specific experimental paradigm that involved both a cooperative and competitive version of a public goods game. We found that Machiavellianism accounts for the total amount of money paid by the players (N = 144) across five rounds in the cooperative but not in the competitive game. Compared with the others, individuals with higher scores on Mach scale contributed less to the public goods in the cooperative condition, but no difference was found in the competitive condition. Finally, this relationship was influenced by the sequence of the games. These results indicate that Machiavellians skillfully evaluate social environments and strive to exploit those with abundant contributions to public goods.
The Effect of Risk Factors on the Duration of Cognitive Impairment: A Multistate Life Table Analysis of the U.S. Health and Retirement Survey

Objectives: Improved health may extend or shorten the duration of cognitive impairment by postponing incidence or death. We assessed the duration of cognitive impairment by BMI, smoking and levels of education.Methods: Multistate life tables estimated the duration of cognitive impairment. Regression models determine the age specific transition probabilities to disease and death in a both genders and three races of the US population from the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS), 1992-2004. Exposures are self-reported BMI, smoking and education, outcome is cognitive functioning determined by the Telephone Interview Cognitive Screen (TICS). Results: At age 55, white men and women may expect to live respectively 1.7 (1.5; 1.9) and 2.7 (2.4; 2.9) years with cognitive impairment. Black non-Hispanic males and females live 3.7 [2.8,4.6] and 3.7 [3.0,4.5] years longer with cognitive impairment than whites. BMI makes no difference. (Ever) smoking decreases duration of cognitive impairment among men and women with respectively 0.7 [0.3,1.2] and 0.9 [0.5,1.3] years compared to never smokers. Highly educated men and women expect to live respectively 1.1 [0.7,1.4] and 1.9 [1.4,2.4] years with cognitive impairment, lowly educated men and women 2.7 [2.2,3.1] and 3.8 [3.3,4.3] years with cognitive impairment.Discussion: Our findings confirm the brain reserve hypothesis. While life extension increases the duration of dementia, higher levels of education compress this cognitive disability. Large differences by race remain after controlling for risk factors.
Resource Optimization of SOA-Technologies in Embedded Networks

Embedded networks are fundamental infrastructures of many different kinds of domains, such as home or industrial automation, the automotive industry, and future smart grids. Yet they can be very heterogeneous, containing wired and wireless nodes with different kinds of resources and service capabilities, such as sensing, acting, and processing. Driven by new opportunities and business models, embedded networks will play an ever more important role in the future, interconnecting more and more devices, even from other network domains. Realizing applications for such types of networks, however, is a highly challenging task, since various aspects have to be considered, including communication between a diverse assortment of resource-constrained nodes, such as microcontrollers, as well as flexible node infrastructure. Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) with Web services would perfectly meet these unique characteristics of embedded networks and ease the development of applications. Standardized Web services, however, are based on plain-text XML, which is not suitable for microcontroller-based devices with their very limited resources due to XML’s verbosity, its memory and bandwidth usage, as well as its associated significant processing overhead. This thesis presents methods and strategies for realizing efficient XMLbased Web service communication in embedded networks by means of binary XML using Efficient XML Interchange (EXI) format. We present a code generation approach to create optimized and dedicated service applications in resource-constrained embedded networks. In so doing, we demonstrate how EXI grammar can be optimally constructed and applied to the Web service and service requester context. In addition, so as to realize an optimized service interaction in embedded networks, we design and develop an optimized filter-enabled service data dissemination that takes into account the individual resource capabilities of the nodes and the connection quality within embedded networks. We show different approaches for efficiently evaluating binary XML data and applying it to resource constrained devices, such as microcontrollers. Furthermore, we will present the effectful placement of binary XML filters in embedded networks with the aim of reducing both, the computational load of constrained nodes and the network traffic. Dissimilar evaluation results of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) applications prove the efficiency of our approach as compared to existing solutions and they also prove the seamless and successful applicability of SOA-based technologies in the microcontroller-based environment.
Influence of control/display ratio on the perception of mass of manipulated objects in virtual environments

This paper describes two psychophysical experiments which were conducted to evaluate the influence of the control/display (C/D) ratio on the perception of mass of manipulated objects in virtual environments (VE). In both experiments, a discrimination task was used in which participants were asked to identify the heavier object between two virtual balls. Participants could weigh each ball via a haptic interface and look at its synthetic display on a computer screen. Unknown to the participants, two parameters varied between each trial: the difference of mass between the balls and the C/D ratio used in the visual display when weighing the comparison ball. The data collected demonstrated that the C/D ratio significantly influenced the result of the mass discrimination task and sometimes even reversed it. The absence of gravity force largely increased this effect. These results suggest that if the visual motion of a manipulated virtual object is amplified when compared to the actual motion of the user's hand (i.e. if the C/D ratio used is smaller than 1), the user tends to feel that the mass of the object decreases. Thus, decreasing or amplifying the motions of the user in a VE can strongly modify the perception of haptic properties of objects that he/she manipulates. Designers of virtual environments could use these results for simplification considerations and also to avoid potential perceptual aberrations.
Work and non-work stressors, psychological distress and obesity: evidence from a 14-year study on Canadian workers

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the contribution of work, non-work and individual factors to obesity with regard to gender-related differences, and to clarify the mediating role that psychological distress plays in these dynamics in Canada from 1994 to 2008 using the Canadian National Population Health Survey (NPHS). Design Longitudinal. Settings The NPHS is a randomised longitudinal cohort study with biennial interviews of the Canadian adult population from 18 to 64. Participants 5925 non-obese workers in cycle 1 (49% were women). Measurements Obesity was measured using the body mass index (BMI), with a threshold of BMI >30 kg/m2. BMI was corrected in accordance with the recommendations of Connor Gorber et al to adjust for gender bias in responses. Results Of the work characteristics evaluated, only decision authority was associated with obesity for women but not for men. Living as a couple, child-related strains, psychotropic drug use, hypertension, being physically inactive and low psychological distress were obesity risk factors but were not moderated by gender. Overall, psychological distress did not mediate the associations that work factors have on obesity. Conclusions Our study suggests that men and women differ little in the extent to which work, non-work and individual factors predict obesity. However, for women, the level of decision authority is associated with a lower obesity risk. In addition, psychological distress did not mediate the contribution of work factors and actually seems, contrary to expectations, to decrease the obesity risk when work, non-work and individual factors are taken into account.
Semi-supervised Pattern Classification Using Optimum-Path Forest

We introduce a semi-supervised pattern classification approach based on the optimum-path forest (OPF) methodology. The method transforms the training set into a graph, finds prototypes in all classes among labeled training nodes, as in the original supervised OPF training, and propagates the class of each prototype to its most closely connected samples among the remaining labeled and unlabeled nodes of the graph. The classifier is an optimum-path forest rooted at those prototypes and the class of a new sample is determined, in an incremental way, as the class of its most closely connected prototype. We compare it with the supervised version using different learning strategies and an efficient method, Transductive Support Vector Machines (TSVM), on several datasets. Experimental results show the semi-supervised approach advantages in accuracy with statistical significance over the supervised method and TSVM. We also show the gain in accuracy of semi-supervised approach when more representative samples are selected for the training set.
Fabrication of a Hybrid Carbon-Based Composite for Flexible Heating Element With a Zero Temperature Coefficient of Resistance

We report on a hybrid carbon-based composite for zero temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) heating element, forming edge-island type composite comprised of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon blacks (CBs) with a polydimethylsiloxane. The island-shaped CB composite is placed between a copper connection electrode and the CNT composite, acting as both a buffer and distribution layer against current flow for a zero TCR. The degree of control over this zero TCR was characterized by examining the thickness ratio between the CNT and CB layers. The optimized edge-island composite structure showed a constant normalized resistance (with <;3% deviation) to 200 °C with a rapid heating property. This edge-island composite structure could be widely used for heat-related or sensor applications, solving safety, and accuracy issues.