Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An algorithm to reconstruct a target DNA sequence from its spectrum connected at a given level

In order to sequence a target DNA, it is first cleaved into many shorter overlapping fragments by chemical or physical techniques. The nucleotide sequence of each fragment is then determined (read) by established methods. The set of all read fragments which cover the target DNA sequence is called its spectrum. It is believed that the shortest superstring of a spectrum is the best candidate for the target DNA sequence. The general problem of finding the shortest superstring for any given set of strings s is NP-hard. Fortunately, the biological instance of this problem is easier. It is not likely that two read fragments, each consisting of several hundred letters, which come from consecutive locations on the target DNA sequence have an overlap of only a few letters; typically, the overlap will be longer. Thus one may reasonably assume that two strings in the spectrum have significant overlap (connectivity) if they come from consecutive locations on the target DNA sequence. A class of important instances satisfying this assumption are those whose spectra are from DNA microarrays. This assumption allows us to claim and show the following: if the spectrum S of a target DNA sequence is substring-free and connected at level t, and the target DNA sequence has no repeats of size t or larger, then there exists an algorithm to reconstruct the target DNA sequence in the linear time O(|S|) after an overlap graph of the spectrum is built.
Addiction and responsibility

X he subject of addiction has attracted increasing interest over the past decade from moral philosophers (W tson, 1999; Wallace, 1999), legal th orists (Corrado, 2000a, 2000b; M rse, 1 9), nd, most intriguingly, from economists (Becker, 1992; B cker a Mur hy, 1988) and other social scientist (Els er, 19 a, 1999b; lst r an Sk g, 1999). Am ng the factors that explain this escalating i t llectual n ere t i addic on a h cr ck ep d mic beginni in the mid-1980 (w ic rigge ed the latest drug wa ); the surgeon general's 1988 report on nicotine addiction; advances in the science of addiction, especially in neuroscience; tobacco litigation predicated on the addictiveness of nicotine; and continuing public debate on the premises of the nation's policies toward users of illicit drugs. The advances in neuroscience serve as my point of departure in this paper. Remarkable scientific achievements over the past 25 years especially in the last decade have significantly advanced our understanding of addiction in a variety of respects. First, neuroscientists have discovered the neural circuits activated by using addictive drugs the brain's common pathways of addiction and have thereby intensified the search for pharmacological treatments (McLellan et al., 2000: 1691). Leshner (1997: 46) has summarized the scientific findings:
of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society Title Word predictability and frequency effects in a rational model of reading Permalink

This paper presents results from the first rational model of eye movement control in reading to make predictions for the full range of the eye movement record. The model identifies the text through Bayesian inference and makes eye movement decisions to maximize the efficiency of text identification, going beyond leading approaches which select model parameters to maximize the fit to human data. Two simulations with the model demonstrate that it can produce effects of word predictability and frequency on eye movements in reading similar to those produced by humans, providing evidence that many properties of human reading behavior may be understood as following from the nature of efficient text identification.
La représentation des connaissances

Knowledge is now linked with a technology in which artificial intelligence is a component. That is to say by using technology to explore the human psyche scientifically, one holds a mirror to mankind, a mirror of which it has no idea. The following questions are posed. Can language be understood by a machine ? What does one make of expert systems nowadays ?
Derivation and testing of pair potentials for protein folding. When is the quasichemical approximation correct?

Many existing derivations of knowledge‐based statistical pair potentials invoke the quasichemical approximation to estimate the expected side‐chain contact frequency if there were no amino acid pair‐specific interactions. At first glance, the quasichemical approximation that treats the residues in a protein as being disconnected and expresses the side‐chain contact probability as being proportional to the product of the mole fractions of the pair of residues would appear to be rather severe. To investigate the validity of this approximation, we introduce two new reference states in which no specific pair interactions between amino acids are allowed, but in which the connectivity of the protein chain is retained. The first estimates the expected number of side‐chain contacts by treating the protein as a Gaussian random coil polymer. The second, more realistic reference state includes the effects of chain connectivity, secondary structure, and chain compactness by estimating the expected side‐chain contact probability by placing the sequence of interest in each member of a library of structures of comparable compactness to the native conformation. The side‐chain contact maps are not allowed to readjust to the sequence of interest, i.e., the side chains cannot repack. This situation would hold rigorously if all amino acids were the same size. Both reference states effectively permit the factorization of the side‐chain contact probability into sequence‐dependent and structure‐dependent terms. Then, because the sequence distribution of amino acids in proteins is random, the quasichemical approximation to each of these reference states is shown to be excellent. Thus, the range of validity of the quasichemical approximation is determined by the magnitude of the side‐chain repacking term, which is, at present, unknown. Finally, the performance of these two sets of pair interaction potentials as well as side‐chain contact fraction‐based interaction scales is assessed by inverse folding tests both without and with allowing for gaps.
Real-time humanoid visual system based on region segmentation

This paper presents a visual system for a humanoid robot. The eye mechanism possesses five degrees of freedom; its dimensions and motion behavior imitate real human eye. The software combines the techniques of image segmentation, region extraction, region correspondence, and projective geometry of camera to achieve the function of distance determination. Unlike general fixed stereo system, the errors from eyeball rotation are also considered. An angle control algorithm is implemented in the system to reduce the errors. This system could be applied in obstacles detection and objects capture.
Mental health for youth: Applying an African-centered approach

ABSTRACT Service delivery challenges persist for African American youth who are impacted by mental health conditions. Along with access, of primary concern is the absence of an Afrocentric perspective that can be used to honor the cultural uniqueness, personal strengths, and interconnectedness of those receiving services. The African-centered philosophy, a system based on holistic values and ways of living, is encouraged as a standard framework in mental health service delivery. Nguzo Saba principles, also rooted in the Afrocentric paradigm, can be essential in improving mental health practices by countering the conventional pathological approach and promoting a commitment to augment service delivery for the individual and strengthen access in the community. This article discusses the historical and cultural significance of the African-centered philosophy in mental health practice and utilizes a case study narrative to demonstrate its usefulness in mental health service delivery.
Traversing the spaces of higher education through writing

Writing functions as an important tool that spans various spaces in higher education. Moving away from a ‘skills approach’ to writing, this article argues that the writing centre serves as an intermediary between students and academic lecturers. The article discusses how the current practices at the writing centre promotes the development of writing as a key construct that spans a number of spaces in higher education. The article draws on the collaborative initiatives with two different disciplines. The data collection on stakeholders’ responses indicates that a more structured, purposeful writing-intensive approach needs to be undertaken within the disciplines in order to address institutional objectives of access and success in higher education.
El aporte de la contabilidad y sus informes financieros a la sostenibilidad empresarial : una mini revision de literatura

Globalization, economic and social growth, new political, legal and economic speeches, they have given the company, in general, an approach that goes beyond the economic and private interests, integrating social and public in their operations leading the generation of practices and organizational strategies to boost the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). This article aims to present the new scenario for accounting disciplines within the framework of the progressive implementation of CSR, demonstrating an important step from addressing purely quantitative indicators to qualitative reports. In conclusion, it should be noted that CSR is the result of an architecture based on social issues where all stakeholders in the business environment are participants in its construction. This finds its genesis in the socio-economic environments that are robustly attached to the principles of morality and ethics. So, they how reports as means or tools to develop strategies to invigorate business operations focused on the common good: sustainable development.
Interoperation of an UHF RFID Reader and a TCP/IP Device via Wired and Wireless Links

A main application in radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor networks is the function that processes real-time tag information after gathering the required data from multiple RFID tags. The component technologies that contain an RFID reader, called the interrogator, which has a tag chip, processors, coupling antenna, and a power management system have advanced significantly over the last decade. This paper presents a system implementation for interoperation between an UHF RFID reader and a TCP/IP device that is used as a gateway. The proposed system consists of an UHF RFID tag, an UHF RFID reader, an RF end-device, an RF coordinator, and a TCP/IP I/F. The UHF RFID reader, operating at 915 MHz, is compatible with EPC Class-0/Gen1, Class-1/Gen1 and 2, and ISO18000-6B. In particular, the UHF RFID reader can be combined with the RF end-device/coordinator for a ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4) interface, which is a low-power wireless standard. The TCP/IP device communicates with the RFID reader via wired links. On the other hand, it is connected to the ZigBee end-device via wireless links. The web based test results show that the developed system can remotely recognize information of multiple tags through the interoperation between the RFID reader and the TCP/IP device.
Invasion strategies in clonal aquatic plants: are phenotypic differences caused by phenotypic plasticity or local adaptation?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The successful spread of invasive plants in new environments is often linked to multiple introductions and a diverse gene pool that facilitates local adaptation to variable environmental conditions. For clonal plants, however, phenotypic plasticity may be equally important. Here the primary adaptive strategy in three non-native, clonally reproducing macrophytes (Egeria densa, Elodea canadensis and Lagarosiphon major) in New Zealand freshwaters were examined and an attempt was made to link observed differences in plant morphology to local variation in habitat conditions. METHODS Field populations with a large phenotypic variety were sampled in a range of lakes and streams with different chemical and physical properties. The phenotypic plasticity of the species before and after cultivation was studied in a common garden growth experiment, and the genetic diversity of these same populations was also quantified. KEY RESULTS For all three species, greater variation in plant characteristics was found before they were grown in standardized conditions. Moreover, field populations displayed remarkably little genetic variation and there was little interaction between habitat conditions and plant morphological characteristics. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that at the current stage of spread into New Zealand, the primary adaptive strategy of these three invasive macrophytes is phenotypic plasticity. However, while limited, the possibility that genetic diversity between populations may facilitate ecotypic differentiation in the future cannot be excluded. These results thus indicate that invasive clonal aquatic plants adapt to new introduced areas by phenotypic plasticity. Inorganic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous were important in controlling plant size of E. canadensis and L. major, but no other relationships between plant characteristics and habitat conditions were apparent. This implies that within-species differences in plant size can be explained by local nutrient conditions. All together this strongly suggests that invasive clonal aquatic plants adapt to a wide range of habitats in introduced areas by phenotypic plasticity rather than local adaptation.
Assessing Rotation-Invariant Feature Classification for Automated Wildebeest Population Counts

Accurate and on-demand animal population counts are the holy grail for wildlife conservation organizations throughout the world because they enable fast and responsive adaptive management policies. While the collection of image data from camera traps, satellites, and manned or unmanned aircraft has advanced significantly, the detection and identification of animals within images remains a major bottleneck since counting is primarily conducted by dedicated enumerators or citizen scientists. Recent developments in the field of computer vision suggest a potential resolution to this issue through the use of rotation-invariant object descriptors combined with machine learning algorithms. Here we implement an algorithm to detect and count wildebeest from aerial images collected in the Serengeti National Park in 2009 as part of the biennial wildebeest count. We find that the per image error rates are greater than, but comparable to, two separate human counts. For the total count, the algorithm is more accurate than both manual counts, suggesting that human counters have a tendency to systematically over or under count images. While the accuracy of the algorithm is not yet at an acceptable level for fully automatic counts, our results show this method is a promising avenue for further research and we highlight specific areas where future research should focus in order to develop fast and accurate enumeration of aerial count data. If combined with a bespoke image collection protocol, this approach may yield a fully automated wildebeest count in the near future.
The Schoolwork Engagement Inventory: Factorial Structure, Measurement Invariance by Gender and Educational Level, and Convergent Validity in Secondary Education (12-18 Years)

This study analyzes the dimensionality, reliability, metric invariance, and convergent validity of the Schoolwork Engagement Inventory (SEI) in secondary education. Participants in the study were 679 students in compulsory and post-compulsory secondary education in a large city in Eastern Spain during the 2014-2015 academic year. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that the one-factor model of the SEI is superior to the other alternative models considered, providing an overall schoolwork engagement score in this educational stage. Reliability was also adequate and the instrument was found to be invariant by gender and educational level. Latent mean comparisons revealed a significant decline in schoolwork engagement throughout secondary compulsory education, and returning to higher levels in post-compulsory secondary education. A CFA also showed SEI’s convergent validity with self-regulated learning, given its direct relationship with metacognitive strategies and self-efficacy for learning, and its inverse relationship with test anxiety.
Ethyl acetate extract of Hypericum japonicum induces apoptosis via the mitochondria-dependent pathway in vivo and in vitro

The widely-used Chinese medicinal herb Hypericum japonicum, also known as Hypericum japonicum Thunb or Tianjihuang, displays potent anti-carcinogenic effects against liver cancer. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of Hypericum japonicum remains to be elucidated. The present study investigated the in vivo efficacy of ethyl acetate extract of Hypericum japonicum (EAEHJ) against tumor growth in an H22 cell-bearing liver cancer mouse model. Treatment with EAEHJ significantly reduced tumor weight, but had no effect on murine body weight. The results of the present study also showed that EAEHJ induced H22 cell apoptosis in vivo. In addition, the anti-carcinogenic effects of EAEHJ were investigated in vitro. The results of the present study demonstrate that both phospholipid asymmetry in the plasma membrane and mitochondrial membrane potential were deregulated in HepG2 human hepatoma cells, following treatment with EAEHJ. Treatment with EAEHJ also increased the ratio of pro-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X protein (Bax) to anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, and activated the caspase-9 signaling pathway. These results suggest that EAEHJ is able to trigger the apoptosis of liver cancer cells via the mitochondria-dependent pathway.
Thin elastic shells with variable thickness for lithospheric flexure of one-plate planets

SUMMARY Planetary topography can either be modelled as a load supported by the lithosphere, or as a dynamic effect due to lithospheric flexure caused by mantle convection. In both cases the response of the lithosphere to external forces can be calculated with the theory of thin elastic plates or shells. On one-plate planets the spherical geometry of the lithospheric shell plays an important role in the flexure mechanism. So far the equations governing the deformations and stresses of a spherical shell have only been derived under the assumption of a shell of constant thickness. However, local studies of gravity and topography data suggest large variations in the thickness of the lithosphere. In this paper, we obtain the scalar flexure equations governing the deformations of a thin spherical shell with variable thickness or variable Young's modulus. The resulting equations can be solved in succession, except for a system of two simultaneous equations, the solutions of which are the transverse deflection and an associated stress function. In order to include bottom loading generated by mantle convection, we extend the method of stress functions to include loads with a toroidal tangential component. We further show that toroidal tangential displacement always occurs if the shell thickness varies, even in the absence of toroidal loads. We finally prove that the degree-one harmonic components of the transverse deflection and of the toroidal tangential displacement are independent of the elastic properties of the shell and are associated with translational and rotational freedom. While being constrained by the static assumption, degree-one loads can deform the shell and generate stresses. The flexure equations for a shell of variable thickness are useful not only for the prediction of the gravity signal in local admittance studies, but also for the construction of stress maps in tectonic analysis.
Characterization of a Bioflocculant (MBF-UFH) Produced by Bacillus sp. AEMREG7

A bioflocculant named MBF-UFH produced by a Bacillus species isolated from sediment samples of Algoa Bay of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa was characterized. The bacterial identification was through 16S rDNA sequencing; nucleotide sequences were deposited in GenBank as Bacillus sp. AEMREG7 with Accession Number KP659187. The production of the bioflocculant was observed to be closely associated with cell growth. The bioflocculant had the highest flocculating activity of 83.2% after 72 h of cultivation, and approximately 1.6 g of purified MBF-UFH was recovered from 1 L of fermentation broth. Its chemical analyses indicated that it is a glycoprotein composed of polysaccharide (76%) and protein (14%). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that it consisted of hydroxyl, amide, carboxyl and methoxyl as the functional moieties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the amorphous structure of MBF-UFH and flocculated kaolin clay particles. The maximum flocculating activity of 92.6% against kaolin clay suspension was achieved at 0.3 mg/mL over pH ranges of 3–11 with the peak flocculating rate at pH 8 in the presence of MgCl2. The bioflocculant retained high flocculating activity of 90% after heating at 100 °C for 1 h. MBF-UFH appears to have immense potential as an alternative to conventional chemical flocculants.
Polylogarithmic Approximations for the Capacitated Single-Sink Confluent Flow Problem

A single-sink confluent flow is a routing of multiple demands to a sink r such that any flow exiting a node v must use a single arc. Hence, a confluent flow routes on a tree within the network. In uncapacitated (or uniform-capacity) networks, there is an O(1)-approximation algorithm for demand maximization and a logarithmic approximation algorithm for congestion minimization [6]. We study the case of capacitated networks, where each node v has its own capacity μ(v). Indeed, it was recently shown that demand maximization is in approximable to within polynomial factors in capacitated networks [20]. We circumvent this lower bound in two ways. First, we prove that there is a polylogarithmic approximation algorithm for demand maximization in networks that satisfy the ubiquitous no-bottleneck assumption (NBA). Second, we show a bicriteria result for capacitated networks without the NBA: there is a polylog factor approximation guarantee for demand maximization provided we allow congestion 2. We model the capacitated confluent flows problem using a multilayer linear programming formulation. At the heart of our approach for demand maximization is a rounding procedure for flows on multilayer networks which can be viewed as a proposal algorithm for an extension of stable matchings. In addition, the demand maximization algorithms require, as a subroutine, an algorithm for approximate congestion minimization in a special class of capacitated networks that may be of independent interest. Specifically, we present a polylogarithmic approximation algorithm for congestion minimization in monotonic networks - those networks with the property that μ(u) ≤ μ(v) for each arc (u, v).
Boundary non-local charges from the open spin chain

The N site open XXZ quantum spin chain with a right non-diagonal boundary and special diagonal left boundary is considered. The boundary non-local charges originally obtained from a field theoretical viewpoint, for the sine–Gordon model on the half line, are recovered from the spin chain point of view. Furthermore, the symmetry of the open spin chain is exhibited. More specifically, we show that certain non-local charges commute with the transfer matrix of the open spin chain, depending on the choice of boundary conditions. In addition, we show explicitly that for a special choice of the left boundary one of the non-local charges, in a particular representation, commutes with each one of the generators of the blob algebra, and hence with the corresponding local Hamiltonian.