Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identifying Features of Fitness Landscapes and Relating Them to Problem Difficulty

Abstract Complex combinatorial problems are most often optimised with heuristic solvers, which usually deliver acceptable results without any indication of the quality obtained. Recently, predictive diagnostic optimisation was proposed as a means of characterising the fitness landscape while optimising a combinatorial problem. The scalars produced by predictive diagnostic optimisation appear to describe the difficulty of the problem with relative reliability. In this study, we record more scalars that may be helpful in determining problem difficulty during the optimisation process and analyse these in combination with other well-known landscape descriptors by using exploratory factor analysis on four landscapes that arise from different search operators, applied to a varied set of quadratic assignment problem instances. Factors are designed to capture properties by combining the collinear variances of several variables. The extracted factors can be interpreted as the features of landscapes detected by the variables, but disappoint in their weak correlations with the result quality achieved by the optimiser, which we regard as the most reliable indicator of difficulty available. It appears that only the prediction error of predictive diagnostic optimisation has a strong correlation with the quality of the results produced, followed by a medium correlation of the fitness distance correlation of the local optima.
A Three-Step Multimodal Analysis Framework for Modeling Corticomuscular Activity With Application to Parkinson’s Disease

Corticomuscular coupling analysis based on multiple datasets such as electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) signals provides a useful tool for understanding human motor control systems. A popular conventional method to assess corticomuscular coupling has been the pair-wise magnitude-squared coherence (MSC) between EEG and concomitant EMG recordings. However, there are certain limitations associated with the MSC, including the difficulty in robustly assessing group inference, only dealing with two types of datasets simultaneously and the biologically implausible assumption of pair-wise interactions. To overcome such limitations, in this paper, we propose assessing corticomuscular coupling by combining multiset canonical correlation analysis (M-CCA) and joint independent component analysis (jICA). The proposed method takes advantage of the M-CCA and jICA to ensure that the extracted components are maximally correlated across multiple datasets and meanwhile statistically independent within each dataset. Simulations were performed to illustrate the performance of the proposed method. We also applied the proposed method to concurrent EEG, EMG, and behavior data collected in a Parkinson's disease (PD) study. The results reveal highly correlated temporal patterns among the three types of signals and corresponding spatial activation patterns. In addition to the expected motor areas, the corresponding spatial activation patterns demonstrate enhanced occipital connectivity in the PD subjects, consistent with previous medical findings.
Futures trading with transaction costs

A model for optimal consumption and investment is posed whose solution is provided by the classical Merton analysis when there is zero transaction cost. A probabilistic argument is developed to identify the loss in value when a proportional transaction cost is introduced. There are two sources of this loss. The first is a loss due to “displacement” that arises because one cannot maintain the optimal portfolio of the zero-transactioncost problem. The second loss is due to “transaction,” a loss in capital that occurs when one adjusts the portfolio. The first of these increases with increasing tolerance for departure from the optimal portfolio in the zero-transaction-cost problem, while the second decreases with increases in this tolerance. This paper balances the marginal costs of these two effects. The probabilistic analysis provided here complements earlier work on a related model that proceeded from a viscosity solution analysis of the associated Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation.
Experiences of homophobia among gay and bisexual men: results from a cross-sectional study in seven countries

Experiences of homophobic discrimination are associated with an increased prevalence of psychological disorders and increased odds of reporting suicidal ideation among gay and bisexual men. We examine two domains of homophobia – external homophobic discrimination and internalised homophobia – and their associations with sexual orientation, demographic characteristics, relationships and social support among a sample of gay and bisexual men from seven countries. Sexually active gay and bisexual men aged over 18 and residing in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, Thailand, the UK and the USA were recruited through banner advertisements on Facebook. Two outcomes were examined: reporting experiences of homophobic discrimination and reporting feelings of internalised homophobia. No covariates were consistently significantly associated with experiencing external homophobic discrimination across countries. Across all countries, bisexually identifying respondents reported significantly greater feelings of internalised homophobia. Respondents in Brazil and the UK reporting a main partner, and respondents in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, Thailand and the USA reporting a larger gay/bisexual social network, reported significantly fewer feelings of internalised homophobia. Results suggest an ameliorative effect of social networks on experiencing homophobia. Additional research should focus on the mechanisms through which social networks reduce feelings of internalised homophobia.
The Role of Right Prefrontal and Medial Cortex in Response Inhibition: Interfering with Action Restraint and Action Cancellation Using Transcranial Magnetic Brain Stimulation

The ability of inhibiting impulsive urges is paramount for human behavior. Such successful response inhibition has consistently been associated with activity in pFC. The current study aims to unravel the differential involvement of different areas within right pFC for successful action restraint versus action cancellation. These two conceptually different aspects of action inhibition were measured with a go/no-go task (action restraint) and a stop signal task (action cancellation). Localization of relevant prefrontal activation was based on fMRI data. Significant task-related activation during successful action restraint was localized for each participant individually in right anterior insula (rAI), right superior frontal gyrus, and pre-SMA. Activation during successful action cancellation was localized in rAI, right middle frontal gyrus, and pre-SMA. Subsequently, fMRI-guided continuous thetaburst stimulation was applied to these regions. Results showed that the disruption of neural activity in rAI reduced both the ability to restrain (go/no-go) and cancel (stop signal) responses. In contrast, continuous thetaburst stimulation-induced disruption of the right superior frontal gyrus specifically impaired the ability to restrain from responding (go/no-go), while leaving the ability for action cancellation largely intact. Stimulation applied to right middle frontal gyrus and pre-SMA did not affect inhibitory processing in neither of the two tasks. These findings provide a more comprehensive perspective on the role of pFC in inhibition and cognitive control. The results emphasize the role of inferior frontal regions for global inhibition, whereas superior frontal regions seem to be specifically relevant for successful action restraint.
Panel Conditioning Effects in Longitudinal Social Science Surveys

Does participating in one wave of a longitudinal survey affect respondents’ reports of their social and economic well-being in follow-up survey waves? If survey participation does alter respondents’ subsequent answers to questions about their social and economic well-being, then this calls into question the validity of information derived from any number of widely used data resources. In this paper, we estimate the magnitude of what methodologists have called panel conditioning or “time-insurvey” effects. Previous efforts to estimate the magnitude of panel conditioning effects have utilized methodologically weak designs and have focused on consequences for a limited range of measures. We use a stronger research design and use large-scale survey data on a wide range of measures of individuals’ social and economic well-being to test a series of theoretically derived hypotheses about the circumstances under which panel conditioning effects should be most severe. Preliminary results generally support these hypotheses.
Comparative Effectiveness of Different Chemotherapeutic Regimens on Survival of People Aged 66 and Older with Stage III Colon Cancer: A “Real World” Analysis Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare Data

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effectiveness and utilization trends of irinotecan (IRI)‐based and oxaliplatin (OX)‐based regimens with those of 5‐fluorouracil and leucovorin (5FU/LV) alone in people aged 66 and older with Stage III colon cancer.
Crystal structure of 4-(dimethylamino)pyridinium 4-aminobenzoate dihydrate

In the title hydrated molecular salt, C7H11N2 +·C7H6NO2 −·2H2O, the cation is protonated at the pyridine N atom and the dihedral angle between the benzene ring and the CO2 − group in the anion is 8.5 (2)°. In the crystal, the cation forms an N—H⋯O hydrogen bond to the anion and the anion forms two N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds to adjacent water molecules. Both water molecules form two O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds to carboxylate O atoms. In combination, these hydrogen bonds generate a three-dimensional network and two weak C—H⋯π interactions are also observed.
Observational constraints on the braneworld model with brane-bulk energy exchange

We investigate the viability of the braneworld model with energy exchange between the brane and bulk by using the most recent observational data related to the background evolution. We show that this energy exchange behaves like a source of dark energy and can alter the profile of the cosmic expansion. The new supernova Type Ia (SNIa) Gold sample, Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS) data, the position of the acoustic peak at the last scattering surface from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) observations and the baryon acoustic oscillation peak found in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) are used to constrain the free parameters of this model. To infer its consistency with the age of the Universe, we compare the age of old cosmological objects with that computed using the best-fitting values for the model parameters. At 68 per cent level of confidence, the combination of Gold sample SNIa, cosmic microwave
The Institutionalization of Knowledge in an Automotive Factory: Templates, Inscriptions, and the Problem of Durability

This paper focuses on the process of institutionalization of technical and organizational knowledge in the work setting. Drawing on a rich qualitative study, we apply an inscription—delegation model to the analysis of knowledge dynamics in a greenfield automotive plant. In particular, we depict knowledge institutionalization as a recursive process that involves the progressive writing, enactment and reproduction of a generative template or code within a stable medium. We first reconstruct the chain of transformations by which agency and knowledge are embedded into a variety of technical and organizational artifacts, leading to the creation of a cognitive and institutional order. We then focus on the frictions and tensions that can emerge in the transformations, and we discuss problems of vulnerability and durability that may arise in the maintenance and reproduction of such order.
Shortest Component Path Generation of C2-Style Architecture Using Improved A* Algorithm

There are always more than one shortest paths between two components in software architecture, and in the application of path selection with additional constraints, several optimal or near optimal paths are desired. Traditional A * algorithm has been successfully used in software testing activities such as finding the shortest path, selecting test suites and test suites prioritization. Little work has been specifically targeted towards the shortest component path of software architecture applications. In this paper, we propose an improved A * algorithm, and combine with an example to explain the algorithm solving process. Finally, we implement the A * algorithm and the improved A * algorithm, and the results are compared. It is shown that the shortest component path using improved A * algorithm is completely feasible and effective.
Restoring society to post-structuralist politics

Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe’s post-Marxist analysis pushed Gramsci’s anti-determinism to its limits, embracing a post-structuralist, discourse-centred politics. Mouffe’s subsequent programme for radical democracy has sought a renewed democratic left project. While radical democracy’s post-structuralism enables important insights into political subjectivity and antagonism in contemporary democracies, it also weakens its own critical and strategic capacity. By recuperating its Gramscian heritage, radical democracy could be more theoretically and politically effective. In contrast to discourses operating in an entirely open and contingent political field, Gramscian theory offers a more realist – but non-determinist – account of the structural, enabling and constraining properties of ideologies. It also allows for a distinctive institutional space for society. Society is the site upon which political identities are articulated, and from which existing power relations are challenged. But a conception of society also points to the institutional limits to politics, notable by their absence in post-structuralism and radical democracy.
Whale, Whale, Everywhere: Increasing Abundance of Western South Atlantic Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Their Wintering Grounds

The western South Atlantic (WSA) humpback whale population inhabits the coast of Brazil during the breeding and calving season in winter and spring. This population was depleted to near extinction by whaling in the mid-twentieth century. Despite recent signs of recovery, increasing coastal and offshore development pose potential threats to these animals. Therefore, continuous monitoring is needed to assess population status and support conservation strategies. The aim of this work was to present ship-based line-transect estimates of abundance for humpback whales in their WSA breeding ground and to investigate potential changes in population size. Two cruises surveyed the coast of Brazil during August-September in 2008 and 2012. The area surveyed in 2008 corresponded to the currently recognized population breeding area; effort in 2012 was limited due to unfavorable weather conditions. WSA humpback whale population size in 2008 was estimated at 16,410 (CV = 0.228, 95% CI = 10,563–25,495) animals. In order to compare abundance between 2008 and 2012, estimates for the area between Salvador and Cabo Frio, which were consistently covered in the two years, were computed at 15,332 (CV = 0.243, 95% CI = 9,595–24,500) and 19,429 (CV = 0.101, 95% CI = 15,958–23,654) whales, respectively. The difference in the two estimates represents an increase of 26.7% in whale numbers in a 4-year period. The estimated abundance for 2008 is considered the most robust for the WSA humpback whale population because the ship survey conducted in that year minimized bias from various sources. Results presented here indicate that in 2008, the WSA humpback whale population was at least around 60% of its estimated pre-modern whaling abundance and that it may recover to its pre-exploitation size sooner than previously estimated.
Mid-Infrared Observations of Class I/Flat-Spectrum Systems in Six Nearby Molecular Clouds

We have obtained new mid-infrared observations of 65 Class I/flat-spectrum (FS) objects in the Perseus, Taurus, Chamaeleon I and II, ρ Ophiuchi, and Serpens dark clouds. These objects represent a subset of the young stellar objects (YSOs) from our previous near-infrared multiplicity surveys. We detected 45 out of 48 (94%) of the single sources, 16 out of 16 (100%) of the primary components, and 12 out of 16 (75%) of the secondary/triple components of the binary/multiple objects surveyed. One target, IRS 34, a 0. ″31 separation FS binary, remains unresolved at near-infrared wavelengths. The composite spectral energy distributions for all of our sample YSOs are either Class I or FS, and in 15 out of 16 multiple systems at least one of the individual components displays a Class I or FS spectral index. However, the occurrence of mixed pairings, such as FS with Class I, FS with Class II, and, in one case, an FS with a Class III (Cha I T33B), is suprisingly frequent. Such behavior is not consistent with that of multiple systems among T Tauri stars (TTSs), where the companion of a classical TTS also tends to be a classical TTS, although other mixed pairings have been previously observed among Class II YSOs. Based on an analysis of the spectral indices of the individual binary components, there appears to be a higher proportion of mixed Class I/FS systems (65%-80%) than that of mixed classical and weak-lined TTSs (25%-40%), demonstrating that the envelopes of Class I/FS systems are rapidly evolving during this evolutionary phase. In general, the individual binary/multiple components suffer very similar extinctions, Av, suggesting that most of the line-of-sight material is either in the foreground of the molecular cloud or circumbinary. We report the discovery of a steep spectral index secondary companion to ISO-Cha I 97, detected for the first time via our mid-infrared observations. In our previous near-infrared imaging survey of binary/multiple Class I and FS YSOs, ISO-Cha I 97 appeared to be single. With a spectral index of α ≥ +3.9, the secondary component of this system is a member of a rare class of very steep spectral index YSOs, those with α > +3. Only three such objects have previously been reported, all of which are either Class 0 or Class I.
The Neurocutaneous Flap Based on the Dorsal Branches of the Ulnar Artery and Nerve: A New Flap for Extensive Reconstruction of the Hand

&NA; Soft‐tissue repair in the hand often requires skin flaps due to exposure of bone, tendons, nerves, and arteries. However, alternatives for flap surgery are very limited, especially in dealing with palmar hand reconstruction. In the present report, the dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve and its accompanying artery were studied anatomically, and a neurocutaneous flap distally based on these structures was developed. The flap was raised on the medial aspect of the hand and distal half of the forearm, and its rotation point was located dorsally near the metacarpalphalangeal joints. The clinical use of this flap for the repair of skin defects in the hand is reported. All the clinical flaps survived completely, including a 3.5 × 13‐cm large flap. Donor site morbidity was minimal. This flap represents a new alternative in hand reconstruction. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 101: 1537, 1998.)
Deep electrical structure of northern Alberta (Canada): implications for diamond exploration

Geophysical studies of upper mantle structure can provide constraints on diamond formation. Teleseismic and magnetotelluric data can be used in diamond exploration by mapping the depth of the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary. Studies in the central Slave Craton and at Fort-a-la-Corne have detected conductors in the lithospheric mantle close to, or beneath, diamondiferous kimberlites. Graphite can potentially explain the enhanced conductivity and may imply the presence of diamonds at greater depth. Petrologic arguments suggest that the shallow lithospheric mantle may be too oxidized to contain graphite. Other diamond-bearing regions show no upper mantle conductor suggesting that the correlation with diamondiferous kimberlites is not universal. The Buffalo Head Hills in Alberta host diamondiferous kimberlites in a Proterozoic terrane and may have formed in a subduction zone setting. Long period magnetotelluric data were used to investigate the upper mantle resistivity structure of this region. Magnetotell.
Altered pulmonary function in children with asthma associated with highway traffic near residence

Cross-sectional analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of exposure to highway traffic on pulmonary function in Fresno, California. Traffic and spirometry data were available for 214 children (enrollment ages six to 11 years). Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the relations between pulmonary function and traffic parameters. Heavy-duty vehicle count was used as a surrogate measure for diesel-related exposures. Pulmonary function was non-significantly associated with longer distance-to-road and non-significantly associated with higher traffic intensity. Evaluation of effect modification by FEF25–75/FVC (a measure of intrinsic airway size) showed that all pulmonary function measures of flow were significantly inversely related to a traffic metric that incorporates traffic intensity and roadway proximity. The results indicate that residence proximity to highway traffic is associated with lower pulmonary function among children with asthma, and smaller airway size is an important modifier of the effect of traffic exposure on pulmonary function and a marker of increased susceptibility.
A refined look at Bernstein's AES side-channel analysis

In a recent manuscript Dan Bernstein claims the successful extraction of an AES key from a network server through another client computer. His side-channel attack was actually the simplest conceivable timing analysis of AES. Although Bernstein gave no thorough analysis of his methodology or the underlying technique the paper contained the full C-source code. This was actually very useful to repeat, analyze and extend his experiments and technique. Our paper improves upon the work done by Bernstein in the following ways:
Antitumor and antimicrobial activities of endophytic fungi from medicinal parts of Aquilaria sinensis

The purpose of this study was to isolate and characterize endophytic fungi from the stem tissue which can produce fragrant ingredients in Aquilaria sinensis (also called agarwood) to determine their antitumor and antimicrobial activities. Twenty-eight fungal endophytes were isolated from agarwood by strict sterile sample preparation and were classified into 14 genera and 4 taxonomic classes (Sordariomycetes, Dothideomycetes, Saccharomycetes, and Zygomycetes) based on molecular identification. Of the 28 isolates, 13 (46.4%) showed antimicrobial activity against at least one of the test strains by the agar well diffusion method, and 23 isolates (82.1%) displayed antitumor activity against at least one of five cancer cell lines by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The diameters of inhibition zones of YNAS07, YNAS14, HNAS04, HNAS05, HNAS08, and HNAS11 were equal to or higher than 14.0 mm against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, B. subtilis, Aspergillus fumigatus, and B. subtilis, respectively. The inhibition rates of YNAS06, YNAS08, and HNAS06 were not less than 60% to 293-T, 293-T, and SKVO3 cells, respectively. These results suggest that the endophytic fungi associated with agarwood will provide us with not only useful micro-ecological information, but also potential antimicrobial and antitumor agents.