Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Societal Impact of Using Drones to Support Urban Upgrading Projects

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or drones, have been gaining enormous popularity for many applications including informal settlement upgrading. Although UAVs can be used to efficiently collect highly detailed geospatial information, there are concerns regarding the ethical implications of its usage and the potential misuse of data. The aim of this study is therefore to evaluate the societal impacts of using UAVs for informal settlement mapping through two case studies in Eastern Africa. We discuss how the geospatial information they provide is beneficial from a technical perspective and analyze how the use of UAVs can be aligned with the values of: participation, empowerment, accountability, transparency, and equity. The local concept of privacy is investigated by asking citizens of the informal settlements to identify objects appearing in UAV images which they consider to be sensitive or private. As such, our research is an explicit example of how to increase citizen participation in the discussion of geospatial data security and privacy issues over urban areas and provides a framework of strategies illustrating how such issues can be addressed.
The Use (and Abuse) of CDS Spreads during Distress

Credit Default Swap spreads have been used as a leading indicator of distress. Default probabilities can be extracted from CDS spreads, but during distress it is important to take account of the stochastic nature of recovery value. The recent episodes of Landbanski, WAMU and Lehman illustrate that using the industry-standard fixed recovery rate assumption gives default probabilities that are low relative to those extracted from stochastic recovery value as proxied by the cheapest-to-deliver bonds. Financial institutions using fixed rate recovery assumptions could have a false sense of security, and could be faced with outsized losses with potential knock-on effects for other institutions. To ensure effective oversight of financial institutions, and to monitor the stability of the global financial system especially during distress, the stochastic nature of recovery rates needs to be incorporated.
A systematic approach to designing a WWW application

I n this sidebar, we demonstrate the systematic design principles and methodologies advocated by many of this special section’s authors for a World-Wide Web (WWW) application. We used these approaches to reimplement ACM SIGLINK’s LINKBase, containing abstracts from conferences and other hypermedia-related “events. ” We followed the seven steps of the Relationship Management (RM) methodology [3]. In the first step, entity-relationship design, we identified five entities (Organization, Event, Event_item, Person, and Publication) and eight relationships among them. The second step, entity design, involved slicing an entity’s attributes into different (overlapping) subsets, with a head slice connected to the others by structural links [2]. While the RM methodology prescribes guidelines for slicing a given entity, it does not discuss combining slices from different entities for presentation. We added the concept of a cross-entity slice combining elements from different entities to be presented in a single window. For example, to display details about a conference event adequately, we included attributes from the Organization, Person, and Publication entities. We also added the concept of a minimum slice—the minimal set of an entity’s attributes to include (as anchors) in slices from other entities. This concept is similar to identifying objects and groups of objects suggested by [1]. These anchors are the starting points of applicative or reference links, while anchors belonging to the same entity (for example, description in Figure 1) are the starting points of structural links [2]. Slicing helped us determine the appropriate chunks of information to be displayed without fragmentation, thus increasing local coherence [5]. The third step, navigation design, produced a Relationship Management Data (RMD) diagram featuring major entry points, indexes, guided tours, and other access structures. This step forced us to plan access structures carefully enabling us to
Functional analysis of the structural domain of ARF proteins in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Auxin response factors (ARFs) are key regulators of plant growth and development. Through interaction with auxin/indole acetic acid (Aux/IAA) proteins, they influence the expression of auxin response genes. An ARF gene family has been predicted in rice, but the functions of the individual structural domains of the OsARFs remain obscure. Bioinformatics was used to analyse the position of the DNA-binding domain (DBD), middle region (MR), and C-terminal dimerization domain (CTD) of OsARFs, and experimentally confirmed the presence of a classical monopartite nuclear localization signal (NLS) in the DBD. The DBD was shown to contribute to nuclear localization of OsARF proteins in addition to its known DNA-binding function. Interactions between 14 integrated OsARFs and 15 OsIAA proteins were tested using yeast two-hybrid assays. It was found that eight OsARF activators interacted with the 15 OsIAA proteins, while six OsARF repressors did not. The interactions between the MR+CTD or CTD of 10 OsARFs and 15 OsIAA proteins were also tested and the results were consistent with those of each intact OsARF, although some slight differences in interaction intensity were observed by α-galactosidase quantitative assays. The truncated CTD of OsARF11 did not interact with any OsIAA, implying that the CTD is required for ARF–IAA dimerization, and that the MR influences the interaction intensity in yeast. A subset of the interactions in yeast were also observed in tobacco plants using firefly luciferase complementation imaging assays, indicating that these interactions are specific in plants, and might have a special role in the auxin signalling response. This study provides new insight into the structure of OsARF proteins and ARF–Aux/IAA interactions.
Robust parallel robot calibration with partial information

A new algorithm for calibrating Gough platforms is proposed. It requires internal sensor measurements and only the position information is provided by external sensors. It removes the need to measure orientation, which is intricate and error-prone, by algebraic elimination. This approach, relying on resultant and dialytic elimination, produces an equivalent, yet simpler, set of equations. A numerical simulation is given to compare the existing techniques with our method using partial information, which proves to be significantly more robust, without compromising accuracy. It reduces initial error in pose determination by 99% and 80-98%, in two sets of experiments with realistic conditions. We compare different choices for the measured configurations and show the relevance of configurations at the workspace's boundary. This increases reliability by avoiding to use any random measured configurations.
Strong partitioning protocol for a multiprocessor VME system

The trend in implementing today's embedded applications is toward the use of commercial-off-the-shelf open architecture. Reducing costs and facilitating systems integration are among the motives for that trend. The use of the VME bus becomes very common in many industrial applications. The VME bus attracts developers with its rigorous specifications, multiprocessing support and boards availability through multiple vendors. However, VME bus standard supports multiprocessing through shared memory, which does not impose strong function partitioning and allows fault propagation from one board to another. Such weakness limits the use of the VME bus in highly critical applications such as avionics. This paper presents techniques for strong partitioning of multiprocessor applications that maintains fault containment on the VME bus. The suggested techniques do not require any modification in the standard and the existing boards, and consequently maintains the plug-and-play advantage of the VME bus hardware products. The techniques are equally applicable to other tightly coupled multiprocessor systems. In addition, the paper describes the implementation of these techniques and reports performance results. Finally, the benefits of this technology for a space vehicle and commercial avionics are discussed.
FUZZY TRUST AGGREGATION AND PERSONALIZED TRUST INFERENCE IN VIRTUAL SOCIAL NETWORKS

Virtual marketplaces on the Web provide people with great facilities to buy and sell goods similar to conventional markets. In traditional business, reputation is subjectively built for known persons and companies as the deals are made in the course of time. As it is important to do business with trustful individuals and companies, there is a need to survive the reputation concept in virtual markets. Auction sites generally employ reputation systems based on feedbacks that provide a global view to a cyber dealer. In contrast to global trust, people usually infer their personal trust about someone whose reputation is completely or partially unknown by asking their trusted friends. Personal reputation is what makes a person trusted for some people and untrusted for others. There should be a facility for users in a virtual market to specify how much they trust a friend and also a mechanism that infers the trust of a user to another user who is not directly a friend of her. There are two main issues that should be addressed in trust inference. First, the trust modeling and aggregation problem needs to be challenged. Second, algorithms should be introduced to find and select the best paths among the existing trust paths from a source to a sink. First, as trust to a person can be stated more naturally using linguistic expressions, this work suggests employing linguistic terms for trust specification. To this end, corresponding fuzzy sets are defined for trust linguistic terms and a fuzzy trust aggregation method is also proposed. Comparing the fuzzy aggregation method to the existing aggregation methods shows superiority of fuzzy approach especially at aggregating contradictory information. Second, this paper proposes an incremental trust inference algorithm. The results show improvement in preciseness of inference for the proposed inference algorithm over the existing and recently proposed algorithm named TidalTrust.
Enhanced Activity of Meprin-α, a Pro-Migratory and Pro-Angiogenic Protease, in Colorectal Cancer

Meprin-α is a metalloprotease overexpressed in cancer cells, leading to the accumulation of this protease in a subset of colorectal tumors. The impact of increased meprin-α levels on tumor progression is not known. We investigated the effect of this protease on cell migration and angiogenesis in vitro and studied the expression of meprin-α mRNA, protein and proteolytic activity in primary tumors at progressive stages and in liver metastases of patients with colorectal cancer, as well as inhibitory activity towards meprin-α in sera of cancer patient as compared to healthy controls. We found that the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)- induced migratory response of meprin-transfected epithelial cells was increased compared to wild-type cells in the presence of plasminogen, and that the angiogenic response in organ-cultured rat aortic explants was enhanced in the presence of exogenous human meprin-α. In patients, meprin-α mRNA was expressed in colonic adenomas, primary tumors UICC (International Union Against Cancer) stage I, II, III and IV, as well as in liver metastases. In contrast, the corresponding protein accumulated only in primary tumors and liver metastases, but not in adenomas. However, liver metastases lacked meprin-α activity despite increased expression of the corresponding protein, which correlated with inefficient zymogen activation. Sera from cancer patients exhibited reduced meprin-α inhibition compared to healthy controls. In conclusion, meprin-α activity is regulated differently in primary tumors and metastases, leading to high proteolytic activity in primary tumors and low activity in liver metastases. By virtue of its pro-migratory and pro-angiogenic activity, meprin-α may promote tumor progression in colorectal cancer.
BioCore Guide: A Tool for Interpreting the Core Concepts of Vision and Change for Biology Majors

Using a grassroots approach to incorporate feedback from more than 240 biologists, the authors have taken the core concepts of Vision and Change and created the BioCore Guide—a set of general principles and specific statements that expand upon the core concepts, creating a framework that biology departments can use to align with the goals of Vision and Change.
Information Acquisition, Coordination, and Fundamentals in a Financial Crisis

This paper reconciles the two explanations of a financial crisis, the self-fulfilling prophecy and the fundamental causes, in an empirically-relevant framework, by explicitly modeling the costly voluntary acquisition of information about fundamentals in a variant of Diamond and Dybvig [Diamond, D. , Dybvig, P., 1983. Bank runs, deposit insurance, and liquidity. Journal of Political Economy 91, 401-419]. The model exhibits strategic complementarity in information acquisition. In the "partial run" equilibrium investors engage in costly evaluation of projects, so that banks with lower-return projects fail. There also exist the classic "full-run" and "no-run" equilibria in which there is no project evaluation. Investors' coordination on a specific equilibrium is triggered by a self-fulfilling prophecy. So, financial crises are seen as both fundamentals-based and self-fulfilling prophecies-based phenomena.
Nonlocal PDEs-Based Morphology on Weighted Graphs for Image and Data Processing

Mathematical morphology (MM) offers a wide range of operators to address various image processing problems. These operators can be defined in terms of algebraic (discrete) sets or as partial differential equations (PDEs). In this paper, we introduce a nonlocal PDEs-based morphological framework defined on weighted graphs. We present and analyze a set of operators that leads to a family of discretized morphological PDEs on weighted graphs. Our formulation introduces nonlocal patch-based configurations for image processing and extends PDEs-based approach to the processing of arbitrary data such as nonuniform high dimensional data. Finally, we show the potentialities of our methodology in order to process, segment and classify images and arbitrary data.
QARI: Quality Aware Software Deployment for Wireless Sensor Networks

If we are to deploy sensor applications in a realistic business context, we must provide innovative middleware services to control and enforce required system behavior; in order to correctly interpret collected temperature data, for example, sensor applications require guarantees about minimal coverage and the number of available sensors. The extreme dynamism, scale and unreliability of wireless sensor networks represent major challenges in contemporary software management. This paper presents QARI, a middleware service for decentralized and quality aware software deployment, which offers a simple yet flexible way to define, enforce, and maintain software deployment specifications. We have evaluated QARI on the LooCI component model and the SunSPOT platform; results confirm that QARI enables quality aware software deployment for a single as well as multiple applications, and even in the presence of node failure and mobility.
Mitochondrial nutrients improve immune dysfunction in the type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats

The development of type 2 diabetes is accompanied by decreased immune function and the mechanisms are unclear. We hypothesize that oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction may play an important role in the immune dysfunction in diabetes. In the present study, we investigated this hypothesis in diabetic Goto‐Kakizaki rats by treatment with a combination of four mitochondrial‐targeting nutrients, namely, R‐α‐lipoic acid, acetyl‐L‐carnitine, nicotinamide and biotin. We first studied the effects of the combination of these four nutrients on immune function by examining cell proliferation in immune organs (spleen and thymus) and immunomodulating factors in the plasma. We then examined, in the plasma and thymus, oxidative damage biomarkers, including lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, reactive oxygen species, calcium and antioxidant defence systems, mitochondrial potential and apoptosis‐inducing factors (caspase 3, p53 and p21). We found that immune dysfunction in these animals is associated with increased oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction and that the nutrient treatment effectively elevated immune function, decreased oxidative damage, enhanced mitochondrial function and inhibited the elevation of apoptosis factors. These effects are comparable to, or greater than, those of the anti‐diabetic drug pioglitazone. These data suggest that a rational combination of mitochondrial‐targeting nutrients may be effective in improving immune function in type 2 diabetes through enhancement of mitochondrial function, decreased oxidative damage, and delayed cell death in the immune organs and blood.
Packaging Controlled Experiments Using an Evolutionary Approach Based on Ontology(S)

Depaitamento Dc Matematiea, Estatistica e Computacao Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho, Rua Roberto Simonscn, 305, CEP 19060-900 - Prcsidcntc Prudcntc - SP
Signal Modality Characterisation of EEG with Response to Steady-State Auditory and Visual BCI Paradigms

Novel nonlinear dynamical analysis of the electroencephalogram (EEG) data recorded in steady state brain stimulation paradigms is provided. This is achieved based on some recent developments in the local predictability in phase space, which allows for the assessment of the degree of nonlinearity and uncertainty within the EEG data. Both the responses from the visual and auditory experiments are addressed, based on the auditory steady-state responses (ASSR) and steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP). Simulation results show clear difference in the degree of nonlinearity and uncertainty between the segments of EEG data recorded before, during and after the stimulus. This provides a novel insight into the dynamics of the brain information processing mechanism captured in EEG.
Lame Duck Auditors : An Effective Constraint over Management Discretion ?

In this paper, we identify instances in which the auditor-client relationship has been terminated (i.e., the auditor resigns or the client dismisses the auditor) but the auditor continues to complete a subsequent quarterly review. Using discretionary accruals and earnings benchmark tests to proxy for the extent of earnings management, we contrast earnings management behavior during these “lame duck” auditor quarters with that in non-lame duck auditor quarters. Our results are inconsistent with the notion that lame duck auditors provide increased opportunity for management discretion because of reduced auditor involvement and/or effort. Instead, our results are more consistent with the argument that auditor independence is strengthened in lame duck situations because lame duck auditors appear to constrain earnings management behavior. Thus, our study may provide insights that are relevant to regulators, auditors, and other stakeholders who are interested in the factors that affect auditor independence.
The Unintended Consequences of Education Policies on South African Participation and Unemployment

In the late 1990s the South African Department of Education implemented two policies that were meant to reduce the large number of over-age learners in the school system: schools were no longer allowed to accept students who were more than two years older than the correct grade-age and students could not be held back more than once in each of four schooling phases. Our analysis uses school administrative data and household survey data to show that these policies coincided with a decrease in school enrolment of at least 400,000 and possibly more than 900,000 learners. These policies appear to have pushed many students into the labour market at earlier ages than was observed for previous generations, which explains much of the sudden increase in labour force participation and unemployment during this period. However, since these individuals would probably have entered the labour market sooner if not for their poor employment prospects, we argue that the resulting increase in unemployment signifies a more accurate reflection of disguised unemployment that already existed in the mid-1990s rather than a deterioration of labour market conditions.
Generalized cache tiling for dataflow programs

The dataflow programming paradigm has facilitated the expression of a great number of algorithmic applications on embedded platforms in a wide variety of applicative domains. Whether it is a Domain Specific Language (DSL) or a more generalistic one, the dataflow paradigm allows to intuitively state the successive steps of an algorithm and link them through data communications. The optimization of cache-memory in this context has been a subject of interest since the early '90s as the reuse and communication of data between the agents of a dataflow program is a key factor in achieving a high-performance implementation within the reduced limits of embedded architectures. In order to improve data reuse among the dataflow agents we propose a modelisation of the communications and data usage within a dataflow program. Aside from providing an estimate of the amount of cache-misses that a given scheduling generates, this model allows us to specify the associated optimization problem in a manner that is identical to loop-nest tiling. Improving on the existing state-of-the-art methods we extend our tiling technique to include non-uniform dependencies on one of the dimensions of the iteration space. When applying the proposed technique to dataflow programs expressed within the StreamIt framework we are able to showcase significant reductions in the number of cache-misses for a majority of test-cases when compared to existing optimizations.
Effects of locus of control on behavioral intention and learning performance of energy knowledge in game-based learning

Abstract Game-based learning has been gradually adopted in energy education as an effective learning tool because digital games have the potential to increase energy literacy and encourage behavior change. However, not every learner can benefit from this support. There is a need to examine how human factors affect learners’ reactions to digital games for supporting learning. This study addresses this issue by developing a digital educational game and examining the effects of locus of control on behavioral intention and learning performance of energy knowledge in game-based learning. The results demonstrated that learners with internal locus of control (ILC) outperformed external locus of control (ELC) learners in energy knowledge after interacting with the game. Moreover, the proposed game can reasonably reduce the differences in the behavioral intention of the ILC and ELC learners, indicating that ELC learners significantly improved their behavioral intention after playing the game, especially their external behavioral intention in the aspects of persuasion, legal action, and political action. The findings of this study are discussed to enhance the understanding of locus of control on behavioral intention and energy knowledge in the context of digital games.