Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
House of Difference: Cultural Politics and National Identity in Canada

The unexpected global rise of intolerant nationalism at the end of the twentieth century has received much attention, and yet intolerance also manifests itself in more subtle ways, even in nations such as Canada, with its mythologized history of tolerance and its official policies of multiculturalism. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and interviews with white Canadians and government bureaucrats, as well as an in-depth analysis of national identity and its construction, Mackey explores ideas of racial and cultural difference, multiculturalism, and pluralism. She argues that official policies and attitudes of multicultural 'tolerance' for 'others' reinforce the dominant Anglo-Canadian culture by abducting the cultures of minority groups, pressing them into the service of nation-building without promoting genuine respect or autonomy. The book also contributes to an understanding of how official 'multicultural tolerance' has contributed to the rise of the new right in recent years. Mapping the contradictions and ambiguities in the cultural politics of Canadian identity, The House of Difference opens up new understandings of the operations of 'tolerance' and western liberalism in a supposedly post-colonial era.
Efficacy of minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for single-segment lumbar degenerative disease

Lumbar degenerative disease is the major cause of low back pain. Currently, surgical treatment remains the standard care for lumbar degenerative disease. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and complications of minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) for the treatment of single-segment lumbar degenerative disease. A total of 75 patients with single-segment lumbar degenerative disease that underwent MIS-TLIF from 2011 to 2014 in Wuxi People’s Hospital were enrolled, while 120 cases undergoing open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (O-TLIF) during the study period were randomly sampled as controls. The duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss, duration of intraoperative X-ray scan, creatine kinase level, time to first post-surgical ambulation, incidence of post-surgical complications, rate of interbody fusion, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were compared between MIS-TLIF and O-TLIF groups. The mean intraoperative blood loss, time to first post-surgical ambulation and serum creatine kinase level were significantly lower in MIS-TLIF group than in O-TLIF group (P 0.05). VAS score and ODI significantly reduced one year post-surgery compared to those before surgery in both groups (P<0.05). In conclusion, MIS-TLIF is an effective treatment for lumbar degenerative disease, which alleviates surgical invasiveness, reduces intraoperative blood loss, and accelerates recovery.
Exact and Approximate Solutions of Source Localization Problems

We consider least squares (LS) approaches for locating a radiating source from range measurements (which we call R-LS) or from range-difference measurements (RD-LS) collected using an array of passive sensors. We also consider LS approaches based on squared range observations (SR-LS) and based on squared range-difference measurements (SRD-LS). Despite the fact that the resulting optimization problems are nonconvex, we provide exact solution procedures for efficiently computing the SR-LS and SRD-LS estimates. Numerical simulations suggest that the exact SR-LS and SRD-LS estimates outperform existing approximations of the SR-LS and SRD-LS solutions as well as approximations of the R-LS and RD-LS solutions which are based on a semidefinite relaxation.
2-Methoxystypandrone inhibits signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and nuclear factor-κB signaling by inhibiting Janus kinase 2 and IκB kinase

Constitutive activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) or the nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) pathway occurs frequently in cancer cells and contributes to oncogenesis. The activation of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and IκB kinase (IKK) are key events in STAT3 and NF‐κB signaling, respectively. We have identified 2‐methoxystypandrone (2‐MS) from a traditional Chinese medicinal herb Polygonum cuspidatum as a novel dual inhibitor of JAK2 and IKK. 2‐MS inhibits both interleukin‐6‐induced and constitutively‐activated STAT3, as well as tumor necrosis factor‐α‐induced NF‐κB activation. 2‐MS specifically inhibits JAK and IKKβ kinase activities but has little effect on activities of other kinases tested. The inhibitory effects of 2‐MS on STAT3 and NF‐κB signaling can be eliminated by DTT or glutathione and can last for 4 h after a pulse treatment. Furthermore, 2‐MS inhibits growth and induces death of tumor cells, particularly those with constitutively‐activated STAT3 or NF‐κB signaling. We propose that the natural compound 2‐MS, as a potent dual inhibitor of STAT3 and NF‐κB pathways, is a promising anticancer drug candidate.
Antimicrobial Action of Compounds from Marine Seaweed

Seaweed produces metabolites aiding in the protection against different environmental stresses. These compounds show antiviral, antiprotozoal, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. Macroalgae can be cultured in high volumes and would represent an attractive source of potential compounds useful for unconventional drugs able to control new diseases or multiresistant strains of pathogenic microorganisms. The substances isolated from green, brown and red algae showing potent antimicrobial activity belong to polysaccharides, fatty acids, phlorotannins, pigments, lectins, alkaloids, terpenoids and halogenated compounds. This review presents the major compounds found in macroalga showing antimicrobial activities and their most promising applications.
Designing a consistent accounting research - evidence from linkages between accounting and religion

This paper has a methodological purpose, as we are aiming to show practices of accounting research designing. In that heuristic, we are basing our argument on Burrell's and Morgan's (1979), Feyerabend's (1975), Quattrone's (2000, 2004b) and Lowe's (2004a, b) epistemo-methodological writings and consider accounting research a comprehensive coherent whole in which methodology choices must be consistent with ontological assumptions revealed in research questions and influencing epistemological stances. We evidence our claim through the bottom-up in-depth study of a research stream characterised by a form of homogeneity and revealing various designs though. We found it in works on linkages between accounting and religion, all publications on the subject focusing on the Church of England or the Victorian Synod Church of Australia, and arriving at opposed conclusions. Indeed, two bodies of literature emerge, one concluding on semantic dichotomies between accounting and religion, and another viewing accounting as a religious practice. Thence, we argue the difference lies in the intertwinement of research question formulation with ontological assumptions, epistemological stances and methodology choices.
eFactfinder-An Intelligent Search System for Web Semantic Document Topic Clustering

Searching for information on the internet to a large extent depends on our ability to track all related topics and classify them into groups of similar topics. Users of web search engines are often forced to sift through a long ordered list of search result in the form of documents, snippets or text fragments, a time consuming and inconvenient prospect in order to identify relevant topics inside the results. Existing search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN often return a review the list and examine the title and (short) snippets sequentially in order to identify their desired results. This is an even more time consuming task when multiple sub-topics of the given query are mixed together. The inquirers for information are being confronted with an information overload which the conventional search engines/methods do not seem to be able to tackle. We propose a model that can track and then classify documents based on similarity of their topics. Document component model, was used to extract the set of components in a document, using web services through API and statistics of words model was used to find out topics from a collection of text document. Clustering technique is used to group the documents into groups of similar topic already extracted by statistics of word model and hyperlink based ranking model, ranks the documents in each cluster. The essence of applying these techniques is to build an intelligent information retrieval system which cluster internet documents into similar topic using an unsupervised machine learning techniques to reduce the percentage of irrelevant documents that are retrieved and presented to the user and to visualize the results from a web search in a manner that allows the user to choose relevant pages effectively. This should allow search engines to achieve better user perceived accuracy and reduce information overload.
Overview of NTCIR-9 1CLICK

This is an overview of the NTCIR-9One Click Access (1CLICK) “pilot” task. In contrast to traditional Web search which requires the user to scan a ranked list of URLs, visit individual URLs and gather pieces of information he needs, 1CLICK aims to satisfy the user with a single textual output, immediately after the user clicks on the SEARCH button. Systems are expected to present important pieces of information first and to minimise the amount of text the user has to read. As our first trial, we designed a Japanese 1CLICK task with a nugget-based test collection. Three research teams participated in the task, using diverse approaches (information extraction, passage retrieval and summarisation). Our results suggest that the 1CLICK evaluation framework is a useful complement to traditional 10-blue-link evaluation. We therefore hope to expand the language scope in the next round, at NTCIR-10.
In situ ichthyoplankton imaging system (ISIIS): system design and preliminary results

Over the last two decades, there has been an accelerating advancement of acoustic and optical plankton samplers, opening many opportunities for fine‐scale studies of plankton distribution. To date, however, the imaging systems have been limited in the volume of water being sampled, thereby restricting their utility to quantifying highly abundant, small zooplankton like copepods, but not relatively rarer, larger ichthyo‐ and other meso‐zooplankton (e.g., larval decapods, salps, pteropods, ctenophores, etc.). Here we describe an imaging system, In situ ichthyoplankton imaging system (ISIIS), that is capable of In situ (i.e., noninvasive) sampling of sufficiently large volumes of water at very high resolution, allowing quantitative measurement of these rare plankton, while at the same time also recording the smaller more abundant taxa. Capitalizing on state‐of‐the‐art digital line scan cameras and high‐throughput computer data transfer and storage, combined with shadow photographic lighting techniques, we have designed and built a towed system capable of imaging at 68‐micron pixel resolution, yet with up to a 20‐cm depth of field (with a 14‐cm field of view). This system is coupled with various environmental sensors (e.g., CTD, fluorometer), enabling the evaluation of fine‐scale, taxon‐specific distributions in relation to environmental conditions. Field testing demonstrated high‐resolution imagery of plankters, while quantitatively imaging >70 L s−1 continuously for a 78‐min trial.
Highly sensitive sequencing reveals dynamic modifications and activities of small RNAs in mouse oocytes and early embryos

Expression, modification, and activity of microRNAs are dynamically regulated in early mouse embryos unveiled by sensitive sequencing. Small RNAs play important roles in early embryonic development. However, their expression dynamics and modifications are poorly understood because of the scarcity of RNA that is obtainable for sequencing analysis. Using an improved deep sequencing method that requires as little as 10 ng of total RNA or 50 oocytes, we profile small RNAs in mouse oocytes and early embryos. We find that microRNA (miRNA) expression starts soon after fertilization, and the mature miRNAs carried into the zygote by sperm during fertilization are relatively rare compared to the oocyte miRNAs. Intriguingly, the zygotic miRNAs display a marked increase in 3′ mono- and oligoadenylation in one- to two-cell embryos, which may protect the miRNAs from the massive degradation taking place during that time. Moreover, bioinformatics analyses show that the function of miRNA is suppressed from the oocyte to the two-cell stage and appears to be reactivated after the two-cell stage to regulate genes important in embryonic development. Our study thus provides a highly sensitive profiling method and valuable data sets for further examination of small RNAs in early embryos.
Parallel solution of large scale Traveling Salesman Problems by using clustering and Evolutionary Algorithms

Evolutionary Algorithms provide reasonable speed in time for solving optimization problems. However, these approaches may stay insufficient when the problem gets bigger and needs more hardware resource. Because it is not feasible to improve memory and computation power depending on the problem size, there is a need for developing new techniques in order to solve these optimization problems in less time with smaller error ratios. In this study, it is aimed to solve the Traveling Salesman Problem, one of the NP-complete complexity problems, by partitioning the problem with a clustering technique, K-Means, and solving these pieces with Genetic Algorithm and finally combining these solutions into one. As the experimental results suggest, in comparison to solving large scale optimization problems as single problems, solving them by partitioning them yields more convincing results in both solution quality and time. In addition, it is observed that the performance of the technique yields better as the problem size gets bigger.
Generating Tetrahedral Mesh for Manifold Surface Model

In this paper, we present an efficient algorithm to generate tetrahedral volume mesh for 3D models with manifold surface. Our algorithm first evaluates an initial cube which completely encompasses the model to be meshed, and then subdivides the cube into a set of uniformly tetrahedral mesh. Then all the tetrahedra intersected with the model surface are refined by red green refinement strategy. As a result, an initial indention volume mesh is generated after removing all the basic volume units outside the meshed model with a signed distance function defined on the surface model. Finally, we deal with the rough indention mesh according to the relationship between the surface model and intersected tetrahedra. Experiments show that our algorithm can robustly create volume meshes for various manifold surface models.
Self‐Financing Trading Strategies for Sliding, Rolling‐Horizon, and Consol Bonds

The time evolution of a sliding bond is studied in discrete‐ and continuous‐time setups. By definition, a sliding bond represents the price process of a discount bond with a fixed time to maturity. Examples of measure‐valued trading strategies (introduced by Bj"ork et al. 1997a, 1997b) which are based on the price process of a sliding bond are discussed. In particular, a self‐financing strategy that involves holding at any time one unit of a sliding bond is examined (the wealth process of this strategy is referred to as the rolling‐horizon bond). In contrast to the sliding bond, which does not represent a tradable security, the rolling‐horizon bond (or the rolling‐consol bond) may play the role of a fixed‐income security with infinite lifespan in portfolio management problems.
Spherically symmetric models for charged radiating stars and voids: Theoretical approach

We study the matching of a general spherically symmetric spacetime with a Vaidya-Reissner-Nordstrom solution. To that end, we study the properties of spherically symmetric electromagnetic fields and develop the proper gravitational and electromagnetic junction conditions. We prove that generic spacetimes can be matched to a Vaidya-Reissner-Nordstrom solution or one of its specializations, and that these matchings have clear physical interpretations. Furthermore, the non-spacelike nature of the matching hypersurface is proved under very general hypotheses. We obtain the fundamental result that any spherically symmetric body, be it in evolution or not, has un upper limit for the total net electric charge that carries.
Pangenome Analysis of Burkholderia pseudomallei: Genome Evolution Preserves Gene Order despite High Recombination Rates

The pangenomic diversity in Burkholderia pseudomallei is high, with approximately 5.8% of the genome consisting of genomic islands. Genomic islands are known hotspots for recombination driven primarily by site-specific recombination associated with tRNAs. However, recombination rates in other portions of the genome are also high, a feature we expected to disrupt gene order. We analyzed the pangenome of 37 isolates of B. pseudomallei and demonstrate that the pangenome is ‘open’, with approximately 136 new genes identified with each new genome sequenced, and that the global core genome consists of 4568±16 homologs. Genes associated with metabolism were statistically overrepresented in the core genome, and genes associated with mobile elements, disease, and motility were primarily associated with accessory portions of the pangenome. The frequency distribution of genes present in between 1 and 37 of the genomes analyzed matches well with a model of genome evolution in which 96% of the genome has very low recombination rates but 4% of the genome recombines readily. Using homologous genes among pairs of genomes, we found that gene order was highly conserved among strains, despite the high recombination rates previously observed. High rates of gene transfer and recombination are incompatible with retaining gene order unless these processes are either highly localized to specific sites within the genome, or are characterized by symmetrical gene gain and loss. Our results demonstrate that both processes occur: localized recombination introduces many new genes at relatively few sites, and recombination throughout the genome generates the novel multi-locus sequence types previously observed while preserving gene order.
Software architecture of sensor data distribution in planetary exploration

Data from mobile and stationary sensors will be vital in planetary surface exploration. The distribution and collection of sensor data in an ad-hoc wireless network presents unique challenges. Some of the conditions encountered in the field include: irregular terrain, mobile nodes, routing loops from clients associating with the wrong access point or repeater, network routing reconfigurations caused by moving repeaters, signal fade, and hardware failures. These conditions present the following problems: data errors, out of sequence packets, duplicate packets, and drop out periods (when the node is not connected). To mitigate the effects of these impairments, robust and reliable software architecture tolerant of communications outages must be implemented. This paper describes such a robust and reliable software infrastructure that meets the challenges of a distributed ad hoc network in a difficult environment and presents the results of actual field experiments testing the principles and exploring the underlying technology
Foreign Tourist Satisfaction with English Communicative Competence of Hotel Staff on Koh Chang, Trat

This research aims to investigate the satisfaction of foreign tourists with the English communicative competence of hotel/resort staff on Koh Chang, Trat Province, Thailand. The measures of this study were a questionnaire which assessed the degree of satisfaction and in-depth interviews with three participants. Data was collected from 149 foreign tourists, who had stayed at various accommodations on Koh Chang while they visited the island between May and December 2017. The findings showed that overall satisfaction with English communicative competence was at a high level (x̅ = 4.14). Additionally, five factors of competence were examined in detail. The analysis of these five factors of competence—rules of word formation and vocabulary, sentence formation, logical form of sequencing ideas, logical form of utterances, and appropriateness of communicative acts— demonstrated that appropriateness of communicative acts was the most significant competence with regard to tourist satisfaction. This finding is in-line with the in-depth interviews which raised some concerns about the appropriateness of asking questions during small talk. Some inappropriate questions that the tourists mentioned concerned income, family, private life, etc., which suggests a lack of cultural sensitivity by hotel staff. Sociocultural awareness is an important factor which should be included in the ESL/EFL learning context.
The relationship between teacher perceptions of autonomy in the classroom and standards based accountability reform

Title of Document: THE RELATOINSHIP BETWEEN TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF AUTONOMY IN THE CLASSROOM AND STANDARDS BASED ACCOUNTABILITY REFORM Dina Sparks, Doctor of Philosophy, 2012 Directed By: Dr. Robert Croninger and Dr. Betty Malen, Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership Over the past 30 years, standards based accountability reform (SBA) has taken hold in public education. SBA reform includes defined academic expectations, curricula standards, measureable assessments, and performance accountability. SBA impacts multiple levels of public education. Its most recent federal codification, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, includes sanctions meant to influence what happens in classrooms. Historically, teachers have held a great deal of control over the activities in the classroom. Research suggests that teacher control (i.e. autonomy) over the classroom often resulted in uneven implementation of reform policies across schools, the transformation of policies to fit existing practice or the insulation of classrooms altogether from policy reform. To achieve its stated goals, SBA seeks to influence teacher and school practices, particularly where students fail to meet performance goals. This study examines the intersection of teacher perceptions of autonomy and SBA reforms, including NCLB. The study uses four waves of nationally representative Schools and Staffing Survey data from 1993-94 to 2007-08 to investigate changes in teacher autonomy over time and to examine specific school and teachers characteristics associated with changes in autonomy in 2007-08. Over-time findings reveal that teachers perceived lower classroom autonomy between 2003-04 and 2007-08. Across all four waves of data, the variation in teachers’ classroom autonomy increased, and more of this increased variation occurred between schools rather than within schools. Findings for 2007-08 reveal that teachers who taught in elementary schools or taught tested subjects perceived lower levels of autonomy than did teachers in secondary schools or who taught non-tested subjects. Further analyses based on state application of adequate yearly progress (AYP) sanctions revealed a differential effect on teacher autonomy for Title I schools and for schools that failed to make AYP. Findings from this study suggest that although NCLB targets Title I schools, teachers in all schools perceive lower autonomy based on the grade level and the subject matter taught, and that state policies regarding NCLB may lead to uneven or unintended effects on teacher perceptions of autonomy in the classroom. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF AUTONOMY IN THE CLASSROOM AND STANDARDS BASED ACCOUNTABILITY REFORM