Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Normative Balance and Electoral Reform: A Finnish Puzzle and a Comparative Analysis

The Finnish electoral system has recently been changed to slightly increase proportionality, but nothing has been done to make cabinet alternatives more ‘identifiable’ before the election. This outcome poses a major puzzle for one important theoretical approach to electoral system change. This approach sees normatively ‘unbalanced’ systems as vulnerable to reform and would have expected a significant increase in the pre-electoral identifiability of competing cabinet options. The article explains the Finnish case by embedding it in a comparative model of normative tradeoffs in democratic design. Based on Finnish case evidence and a statistical analysis of 100 elections in 32 democracies (from 2001 to 2011), the article argues that the type of democracy exemplified by Finland is not normatively unbalanced. In particular, the lack of pre-electoral identifiability is compensated for by an unconstrained multidimensionality of partisan preferences. While it may be true that normatively balanced designs are more stable, there is more than one way to be balanced.
Assessing the Potential Strength of a Bank Capital Channel in Europe: A Principal Component Analysis

The asymmetric impact of the recent financial crisis on the European countries' real activity raised the question of the heterogeneity of the transmission channels of shocks in the euro area. In this article, we suggest an assessment of this heterogeneity based on the banks' capital channel (BCC). To this end, we follow an original and global perspective, studying the combination of several key indicators through a Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Based on data collected before the beginning of the crisis, the analysis identifies Germany and Italy as the European economies a priori the most exposed to a financial shock passing through the BCC, while Finland, France or Spain would be the least exposed. The comparison of these a priori results to the post-crisis economic performance of the largest European countries supports the idea of a heterogeneous bank capital channel inside the union.
An uncertainty principle for neural coding: Conjugate representations of position and velocity are mapped onto firing rates and co‐firing rates of neural spike trains

The hippocampal system contains neural populations that encode an animal’s position and velocity as it navigates through space. Here, we show that a population of spiking neurons can map information about position and velocity onto two orthogonal codes—a firing rate code (R) and a co-firing rate code (Ṙ)—which behave as conjugates of one another: if one code conveys information about position, then the other conveys information about velocity. We describe two biologically inspired methods for decoding R and Ṙ, referred to as sigma and sigma-chi decoding, respectively. Simulations of head direction (HD) and grid cell spike trains show that if neural firing rates are tuned for position (but not velocity), then position is recovered from R via sigma decoding, whereas velocity is recovered from Ṙ via sigma-chi decoding. Conversely, simulations of an oscillatory interference code implemented by theta cell spike trains show that if co-firing rates are tuned for position (but not velocity), then position is recovered from Ṙ via sigma-chi decoding, whereas velocity is recovered from R via sigma decoding. This conjugate relationship between R and Ṙ mirrors the “uncertainty principle” from physics, in that the more information one code conveys about position, the more the other conveys about velocity, and vice versa. Theoretical models of hippocampal networks are often simulated using linear units that derive their outputs only from R, and not from Ṙ. The conjugate coding principle implies that these models may be limited in their ability generate accurate predictions about connectivity within biological networks composed from nonlinear neurons that are capable of deriving their outputs from both and R and Ṙ.
Integration of GIS and Multicriteria Evaluation for School Site Selection A Case Study of Belgut Constituency

Site selection is a complex problem that involve, technical, political social, environmental and economic demands that are difficult to satisfy via one method which may be in conflict with others. Schools need be located on safe places; these safe locations should also be optimal and economical to the public in terms of accountability. Location of these schools has always been done without use of any scientific methods and has led to sprouting of schools located in unsuitable locations. The study area, Belgut Constituency in Kericho County, has schools with less than minimum land size, over enrolment and close to flood prone areas. This was due to lack of regulations on establishment of new emerging schools. Hence there is need to use combination of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) tools and multi criteria evaluation (MCE) methods in locating them in the most suitable location. This way, incidences of congested, dangerous locations, underutilized schools and human bias will be eliminated. The research study objective was to locate the physical site for any school using GIS technology integrated with Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a tool in MCE for finding a suitable location of any new school. Also a weighted overlay method, a tool in ArcGIS, was used to combine all the identified criteria and the results indicated that there are suitable and economically viable areas to add new schools to the eastern part of Belgut which totals to 32 Ha with a small part falling in the central and south western part. From the results it was recommended that in locating new schools the management should embrace use of GIS technology integrated with MCE methods in locating their new schools effectively economically and socially. The authority concerned with school location and safety need to make and published a preferred criteria for use in Kenya.
Applying a behavioural change model to the adoption of freight electric vehicles: lessons for effective instruments

Objectives and motivation The adoption of electric mobility (e-mobility) is important to achieve the objectives as set in the “Roadmap to a single European transport area” (EC, 2011). In addition to the exclusion of ‘conventionally fuelled’ cars by 2050, the roadmap sets a specific ambition for city logistics, which should be essentially CO2-free in major urban centres by 2030. Next to European CO2 targets, cities adopt emobility as measure to reduce local air pollution. While vans and trucks represent approximately 10% in total national fleets (BOVAG, 2014), they are responsible for about 70% of the road transport related NOx concentrations in cities (TNO, 2015). Cleaning logistics fleets is crucial to achieve the GHG emission reduction targets for transport and to improve the sustainability of cities. Despite many incentive programs and improvements in the technology of electric freight vehicles (EFV), large scale implementation of EFV does not come off. The market share of electric vehicles among vans and trucks in the Netherlands is only 0,08% (BOVAG-RAI, 2014) and its growth in the last years is unpromising as compared to personal electric cars. So why does the logistics sector does not adopt this highly needed technology? An increasing number of projects such as ENCLOSE, FREVUE and NSR E-Mobility focus on the uptake of freight electric vehicles in urban areas. The projects explore current challenges, demonstrate the viability of EFV in pilot studies and disseminate knowledge. The preconditions for large-scale uptake of EFV that are mentioned in these projects are related to:  Presence and affordability of vehicles and charging infrastructure;  Suitability of logistics operations;  Policy scheme of public authorities. Behavioural aspects seems to be left out of scope in these projects. ENCLOSE (2014) addresses ‘user acceptance’, but only as an issue within the early implementation phase, that is, among test drivers. FREVUE (2013) mentions the potential positive influence of EFV on the company’s image, which may imply a positive behavioural attitude towards EFV from an entrepreneurial perspective. Yet proof of this influence is lacking and more importantly, it is not known whether non-EFV companies commonly share or, are aware of this vision. Let alone, whether it motivates them to adopt e-mobility for their logistics operations. Research on the preconditions for EFV uptake from a non-user’s behavioural perspective, is lacking. Simultaneously, policy makers introduce financial incentives, supportive measures and pilot projects, while not being aware of the behavioural status of the target group. The objective of this paper is to provide lessons for appropriate instruments, for each phase of behavioural change, to increase the effectiveness of government spending on the uptake of EFV.
Efficacy of Co-administration of Liuwei Dihuang Pills and Ginkgo Biloba Tablets on Albuminuria in Type 2 Diabetes: A 24-Month, Multicenter, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial

Purpose: We investigated the effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) on the occurrence and progression of albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, multicenter, controlled trial, we enrolled 600 type 2 diabetes without diabetic nephropathy (DN) or with early-stage DN. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive Liuwei Dihuang Pills (LWDH) (1.5 g daily) and Ginkgo biloba Tablets (24 mg daily) orally or matching placebos for 24 months. The primary endpoint was the change in urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) from baseline to 24 months. Results: There were 431 patients having UACR data at baseline and 24 months following-up in both groups. Changes of UACR from baseline to follow-up were not affected in both groups: −1.61(−10.24, 7.17) mg/g in the TCM group and −0.73(−7.47, 6.75) mg/g in the control group. For patients with UACR ≥30 mg/g at baseline, LWDH and Ginkgo biloba significantly reduced the UACR value at 24 months [46.21(34.96, 58.96) vs. 20.78(9.62, 38.85), P < 0.05]. Moreover, the change of UACR from baseline to follow-up in the TCM group was significant higher than that in the control group [−25.50(−42.30, −9.56] vs. −20.61(−36.79, 4.31), P < 0.05]. Conclusion: LWDH and Ginkgo biloba may attenuate deterioration of albuminuria in type 2 diabetes patients. These results suggest that TCM is a promising option of renoprotective agents for early stage of DN. Trial registration: The study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. (no. ChiCTR-TRC-07000037, chictr.org)
Finding big matchings in planar graphs quickly

It is well-known that every $n$-vertex planar graph with minimum degree 3 has a matching of size at least $\frac{n}{3}$. But all proofs of this use the Tutte-Berge-formula for the size of a maximum matching. Hence these proofs are not directly algorithmic, and to find such a matching one must apply a general-purposes maximum matching algorithm, which has run-time $O(n^{1.5}\alpha(n))$ for planar graphs. In contrast to this, this paper gives a linear-time algorithm that finds a matching of size at least $\frac{n}{3}$ in any planar graph with minimum degree 3.
Maximal margin classifiers applied to DGA-based diagnosis of power transformers

The paper addresses a modern approach to the problem of power transformer diagnosis. The method called support vector machines enables the creation of an expert system for oil transformer technical condition diagnosis. The system, which is based on real results of chromatography of gases dissolved in transformer oil (DGA), performs better than an internationally acknowledged standard – the IEC code.
Estuarine circulation reversals and related rapid changes in winter near-bottom oxygen conditions in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea

Abstract. The reversal of estuarine circulation caused by southwesterly wind forcing may lead to vanishing of stratification and subsequently to oxygenation of deep layers during the winter in the Gulf of Finland. Six conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD)+oxygen transects (130 km long, 10 stations) were conducted along the thalweg from the western boundary to the central gulf (21 December 2011–8 May 2012). Two bottom-mounted ADCP were installed, one near the western border and the second in the central gulf. A CTD with a dissolved oxygen sensor was deployed close to the western ADCP. Periods of typical estuarine circulation were characterized by strong stratification, high salinity, hypoxic conditions and inflow to the gulf in the near-bottom layer. Two circulation reversals were observed: one in December–January and one in February. The first reversal event was well developed; it caused the disappearance of the stratification and an increase in the oxygen concentration from hypoxic values to 270 μmol L−1 (to 6 mL L−1) throughout the water column along the thalweg and lasted approximately 1.5 months. Shifts from estuarine circulation to reversed circulation and vice versa were both associated with strong longitudinal (east–west) gulf currents (up to 40 cm s−1) in the deep layer. The change from oxygenated to hypoxic conditions in the western near-entrance area of the gulf occurred very rapidly, within less than a day, due to the intrusion of the hypoxic salt wedge from the NE Baltic Proper. In the eastern part of the gulf, good oxygen conditions caused by reversals remained for a few months.
Resource addition drives taxonomic divergence and phylogenetic convergence of plant communities

Anthropogenic environmental changes are known to affect the Earth's ecosystems. However, how these changes influence assembly trajectories of the impacted communities remains a largely open question. In this study, we investigated the effect of elevated nitrogen (N) deposition and increased precipitation on plant taxonomic and phylogenetic β‐diversity in a 9‐year field experiment in the temperate semi‐arid steppe of Inner Mongolia, China. We found that both N and water addition significantly increased taxonomic β‐diversity, whereas N, not water, addition significantly increased phylogenetic β‐diversity. After the differences in local species diversity were controlled using null models, the standard effect size of taxonomic β‐diversity still increased with both N and water addition, whereas water, not N, addition, significantly reduced the standard effect size of phylogenetic β‐diversity. The increased phylogenetic convergence observed in the water addition treatment was associated with colonizing species in each water addition plot being more closely related to species in other replicate plots of the same treatment. Species colonization in this treatment was found to be trait‐based, with leaf nitrogen concentration being the key functional trait. Synthesis. Our analyses demonstrate that anthropogenic environmental changes may affect the assembly trajectories of plant communities at both taxonomic and phylogenetic scales. Our results also suggest that while stochastic processes may cause communities to diverge in species composition, deterministic process could still drive communities to converge in phylogenetic community structure.
The NAD+-dependent deacetylase Sir2 enables evolution of new traits by regulating distinct gene sets in two yeast species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces lactis

Evolutionary adaptation increases the fitness of an organism in its environment. It can occur through rewiring of gene regulatory networks, such that an organism responds appropriately to environmental changes. We investigated whether sirtuin deacetylases, which repress transcription and require NAD+ for activity, could facilitate the evolution of potentially adaptive responses by serving as transcriptional rewiring points. If so, bringing genes under the control of sirtuins could enable organisms to mount appropriate responses to stresses that decrease NAD+ levels. To explore how the genomic targets of sirtuins shift over evolutionary time, we compared two yeast species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces lactis that display differences in cellular metabolism and lifecycle timing in response to nutrient availability. We identified sirtuin-regulated genes through a combination of chromatin immunoprecipitation and RNA expression. In both species, regulated genes were associated with NAD+ homeostasis, mating, and sporulation, but the specific genes differed. In addition, regulated genes in K. lactis were associated with other processes, including utilization of non-glucose carbon sources, heavy metal efflux, DNA synthesis, and production of the siderophore pulcherrimin. Consistent with the species-restricted regulation of these genes, sirtuin deletion impacted relevant phenotypes in K. lactis but not S. cerevisiae. Finally, sirtuin-regulated gene sets were depleted for broadly-conserved genes, consistent with sirtuins regulating processes restricted to a few species. Taken together, these results are consistent with the notion that sirtuins serve as rewiring points that allow species to evolve distinct responses to low NAD+ stress.
Meta-analysis of the diagnostic value of Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-sialylated mucin1 and the prognostic role of mucin1 in human cholangiocarcinoma

Objective Serum carbohydrate antigen 19–9 (CA19-9) is a widely used tumour marker for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). However, it is not a necessarily good CCA marker in terms of diagnostic accuracy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of Wisteria floribundaagglutinin-sialylated Mucin1 (WFA-MUC1) and the prognostic role of Mucin1 (MUC1) in human CCA. Design Meta-analysis. Data sources Studies published in PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure up to 11 October 2017. Eligibility criteria We included reports assessing the diagnostic capacity of WFA-MUC1 and the prognostic role of MUC1 in CCA. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of WFA-MUC1 and/or CA19-9 was described, and the HRs including 95% CI and the corresponding p value for MUC1 can be extracted. Data extraction and synthesis Two independent researchers extracted data and assessed risk of bias. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity data of WFA-MUC1 were extracted and analysed as bivariate data. Pooled HRs and its 95% CI for MUC1 were calculated with a random-effects meta-analysis model on overall survival of resectable CCA. Results Sixteen reports were included in this study. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of WFA-MUC1 were 0.76 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.81) and 0.72 (95% CI 0.59 to 0.83) in serum, 0.85 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.89) and 0.72 (95% CI 0.64 to 0.80) in bile and 0.72 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.87) and 0.85 (95% CI 0.70 to 0.93) in tissue, respectively. The summary ROC (SROC) were 0.77 (95% CI 0.73 to 0.81) in serum, 0.88 (95% CI 0.85 to 0.90) in bile and 0.86 (95% CI 0.83 to 0.89) in tissue, respectively. Furthermore, the pooled sensitivity and specificity and the SROC of CA19-9 in serum were 0.67 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.72), 0.86 (95% CI 0.75 to 0.93) and 0.75 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.79), respectively. The pooled HRs for MUC1 was 2.20 (95% CI 1.57 to 3.01) in CCA and 4.17 (95% CI 1.71 to 10.17) in mass-forming intrahepatic CCA. Conclusions Compared with CA19-9, WFA-MUC1 was shown to possess stronger diagnostic capability. MUC1 could serve as a prognosis factor for poor outcomes of CCA, particularly, mass-forming intrahepatic CCA.
Harnessing Radiation Biology to Augment Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is the most common adult primary brain tumor and carries a dismal prognosis. Radiation is a standard first-line therapy, typically deployed following maximal safe surgical debulking, when possible, in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy. For other systemic cancers, standard of care is being transformed by immunotherapies, including checkpoint-blocking antibodies targeting CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1, with potential for long-term remission. Ongoing studies are evaluating the role of immunotherapies for GBM. Despite dramatic responses in some cases, randomized trials to date have not met primary outcomes. Challenges have been attributed in part to the immunologically “cold” nature of glioblastoma relative to other malignancies successfully treated with immunotherapy. Radiation may serve as a mechanism to improve tumor immunogenicity. In this review, we critically evaluate current evidence regarding radiation as a synergistic facilitator of immunotherapies through modulation of both the innate and adaptive immune milieu. Although current preclinical data encourage efforts to harness synergistic biology between radiation and immunotherapy, several practical and scientific challenges remain. Moreover, insights from radiation biology may unveil additional novel opportunities to help mobilize immunity against GBM.
Strategyproof Facility Location for Three Agents

We consider the facility location problem in metric space, focusing on the case of three agents. We show that selecting the reported location of each agent with probability proportional to the distance between the other two agents results in a mechanism that is strategyproof in expectation, and dominates the random dictator mechanism in terms of utilitarian social welfare. We further improve the upper bound for three agents on a circle to 7/6 (whereas random dictator obtains 4/3); and provide the first lower bounds for randomized strategyproof facility location, using linear programming. Finally, we calculate the exact approximation ratio of the (deterministic and strategyproof) mechanism that selects the median on each axis in the plane.
Comparison of on-line SCC analysers and herd testing for estimating mastitis detection rates.

On-line somatic cell count (SCC) analysers automatically test for SCC during milking for individual cows, providing farmers with more measurements than conventional herd testing. The purpose of this study was to determine whether more frequent milk sampling increases detection of elevated SCC due to mastitis. We compared the rate of detection of mastitis events using on-line SCC analysers with that using conventional herd testing with a simulated dataset of 100 random herds of 1,000 cows. Five herd test scenarios (two, four, six, eight, or ten herd-test dates per lactation) were compared to 20 on-line SCC analyser scenarios (varying based on whether cows were milked once or twice daily and the proportion of on-line SCC analysers installed on bails, ranging from 2% (i.e. one in 50 bails) up to 100%). Random mastitis events for each cow were modelled based on composite cow SCC and individual quarter bacteriological data derived from a dataset of 2,345 cow-lactations. We then calculated the average probability of on-line SCC analysers and of herd testing detecting these mastitis events, assuming 280 days of lactation. Herd testing four or ten times per lactation was found to detect 47% or 75% of mastitis cases, respectively. On-line SCC analysers installed on 10% of bails with once-a-day milking detected 84% of cases. We observed that on-line SCC analysers, even on a small proportion of bails, were more likely to detect mastitis events than standard herd testing, in a simulated dataset.