Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Response to HoSang; Fujimura, Bolnick, Rajagopalan, Kaufman, Lewontin, Duster, Ossorio, and Marks; and Morning

I would like to thank Daniel HoSang; Joan Fujimura, Deborah Bolnick, Ramya Rajagopalan, Jay Kaufman, Richard Lewontin, Troy Duster, Pilar Ossorio, and Jon Marks; and Ann Morning for their comments on our article in Sociological Theory. We disagree on a vast range of things, but there are other points on which we do agree.1 I agree with HoSang that primarily genetic explanations of major racial projects, such as transatlantic slavery and the Holocaust, would be morally suspect, and I would add that our proposed bounded nature framework indicates why such explanations of their occurrence and consequences are also empirically wrong. I agree with Fujimura et al. that historians and social scientists have documented how social processes produce racial categories and meanings, and I would add that our proposed redefinition of race/ethnicity as a social perception of ancestry contributes to the same literature, in fact, by making explicit how the construction of race/ethnicity differs from other social constructions, in particular, the construction of gender.2 I agree with Morning that some instances of constructionist theory include a conception of biology as empirically real albeit meaningful only through social perception, and I would add that this conception is very similar to what we call “the social exaggeration of genetic differences” and that our bounded nature framework uniquely reveals its significance by directly comparing it with other possible modes of biosocial causation. With few exceptions, the comments on our article miss the forest for the trees. Our central argument is that social processes (Xs) are the primary cause of variations in racial attitudes, racial inequalities, ethnic assimilation, and racial/ethnic interactions (Y1-4), even controlling for the kinds of biologically based group differences that would be consistent with contemporary findings about the genomic structure of human ancestry (Xg), that is, Xs → Y1-4|Xg. We make this argument in three steps: First, we explain the recent research in genomics as validating the existence of genetic clusters (Xg). Second, we consider the kinds of group differences that would be consistent with genomics and would also bear on sociological explanations, before evaluating the plausibility of expecting genomic research to find evidence for such differences; that is, we explore the predictive validity of Xg. Third, we consider how much the existence of these differences would affect sociological theory by (1)
A cross-layer approach for new reliability-performance trade-offs in MLC NAND flash memories

In spite of the mature cell structure, the memory controller architecture of Multi-level cell (MLC) NAND Flash memories is evolving fast in an attempt to improve the uncorrected/miscorrected bit error rate (UBER) and to provide a more flexible usage model where the performance-reliability trade-off point can be adjusted at runtime. However, optimization techniques in the memory controller architecture cannot avoid a strict trade-off between UBER and read throughput. In this paper, we show that co-optimizing ECC architecture configuration in the memory controller with program algorithm selection at the technology layer, a more flexible memory sub-system arises, which is capable of unprecedented trade-offs points between performance and reliability.
Reconstructing a B-Cell Clonal Lineage. II. Mutation, Selection, and Affinity Maturation

Affinity maturation of the antibody response is a fundamental process in adaptive immunity during which B-cells activated by infection or vaccination undergo rapid proliferation accompanied by the acquisition of point mutations in their rearranged immunoglobulin (Ig) genes and selection for increased affinity for the eliciting antigen. The rate of somatic hypermutation at any position within an Ig gene is known to depend strongly on the local DNA sequence, and Ig genes have region-specific codon biases that influence the local mutation rate within the gene resulting in increased differential mutability in the regions that encode the antigen-binding domains. We have isolated a set of clonally related natural Ig heavy chain–light chain pairs from an experimentally infected influenza patient, inferred the unmutated ancestral rearrangements and the maturation intermediates, and synthesized all the antibodies using recombinant methods. The lineage exhibits a remarkably uniform rate of improvement of the effective affinity to influenza hemagglutinin (HA) over evolutionary time, increasing 1000-fold overall from the unmutated ancestor to the best of the observed antibodies. Furthermore, analysis of selection reveals that selection and mutation bias were concordant even at the level of maturation to a single antigen. Substantial improvement in affinity to HA occurred along mutationally preferred paths in sequence space and was thus strongly facilitated by the underlying local codon biases.
Metarule-Guided Mining of Multi-Dimensional Association Rules Using Data Cubes

In this paper, we employ a novel approach to metarule-guided, multi-dimensional association rule mining which explores a data cube structure. We propose algorithms for metarule-guided mining: given a metarule containing p predicates, we compare mining on an n-dimensional (n-D) cube structure (where p < n) with mining on smaller multiple p-dimensional cubes. In addition, we propose an efficient method for precomputing the cube, which takes into account the constraints imposed by the given metarule.
Dynamically scaling applications in the cloud

Scalability is said to be one of the major advantages brought by the cloud paradigm and, more specifically, the one that makes it different to an "advanced outsourcing" solution. However, there are some important pending issues before making the dreamed automated scaling for applications come true. In this paper, the most notable initiatives towards whole application scalability in cloud environments are presented. We present relevant efforts at the edge of state of the art technology, providing an encompassing overview of the trends they each follow. We also highlight pending challenges that will likely be addressed in new research efforts and present an ideal scalable cloud system.
Secure and Mobile P 2 P File Sharing

In today’s Internet, a major portion of the total traffic is generated by peer-to-peer applications such as Skype and BitTorrent. The amount of this traffic has been increasing since the beginning of this decade. At the same time, mobile use of the Internet has become even more popular. New mobile phones enable people to surf the web and read their mails wherever they are. However, for some reason, mobile peer-to-peer networks have yet to manifest themselves. This paper studies the special requirements of mobile peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing. We discuss how the limited resources of mobile devices affect the application design and network architecture choices. We also focus on the security and privacy aspects of mobile P2P networks. Functionality of P2P networks can be divided into two parts, into content location, and into content download. Security needs of both of these are dealt separately in this paper. Additionally, availability and anonymity requirements of hybrid P2P networks are considered. Finally, we propose security enhancements for our Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based mobile P2P architecture that enable secure searches and downloads in mobile P2P environment.
Decomposition of posterior alpha rhythm

The classical posterior alpha rhythm has been decomposed into regular and irregular components using orthogonal transformation. A periodicity generator is considered, which has three characteristic control parameters: the periodicity, the amplitudes or scaling factors and the pattern associated with successive periodic segments. The regular component is shown to be equivalent to an oscillator or periodicity generator whose parameters are dynamically varying and, thus, producing both amplitude- and frequency-modulation. The irregular component is devoid of such modulating behavior. Electroencephalogram signals from normal, maniac and epileptic subjects are studied. Through analytic signal-based analysis, it is shown that for the regular component, healthy brain possesses universal scaling behavior, whereas heterogeneous scaling or absence of universality is observed for the diseased brain.
Cerebral Blood Flow Velocities by Transcranial Doppler During Parabolic Flight

Microgravity is produced for 20 to 30 seconds in NASA's KC‐135 aircraft at the end of a 2 G pullup for each of 40 parabolas per flight. Continuous transcranial Doppler ultrasound, arterial blood pressure, and acceleration levels were recorded for 12 male and 8 female healthy subjects without known cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease. Recordings were made throughout 10 parabolas per subject in each of the supine, sitting, and standing postures. The data were digitized for off‐line analysis using Fast Fourier Transform and other signal processing methods. A phase lag in changes to transcranial Doppler waveforms from the onset of acceleration was more pronounced in the standing position than in the sitting position. There was less of a phase lag in the supine position. These ultrasound changes preceded the more delayed variations in arterial blood pressure. The KC‐135 provides a unique short‐term environment that allows measurement of the human response to variations in acceleration but limits physiological monitoring of responses to a steady state of microgravity.
A Fuzzy Logic Based Navigation of a Mobile Robot

— One of the long standing challenging aspect in mobile robotics is the ability to navigate autonomously, avoiding modeled and unmodeled obstacles especially in crowded and unpredictably changing environment. A successful way of structuring the navigation task in order to deal with the problem is within behavior based navigation approaches. In this study, Issues of individual behavior design and action coordination of the behaviors will be addressed using fuzzy logic. A layered approach is employed in this work in which a supervision layer based on the context makes a decision as to which behavior(s) to process (activate) rather than processing all behavior(s) and then blending the appropriate ones, as a result time and computational resources are saved.
Modulation of neuronal and recombinant GABAA receptors by redox reagents

1 The functional role played by the postulated disulphide bridge in γ‐aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors and its susceptibility to oxidation and reduction were studied using recombinant (murine receptor subunits expressed in human embryonic kidney cells) and rat neuronal GABAA receptors in conjunction with whole‐cell and single channel patch‐clamp techniques. 2 The reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT) reversibly potentiated GABA‐activated responses (IGABA) of α1β1 or α1β2 receptors while the oxidizing reagent 5,5′‐dithio‐bis‐(2‐nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) caused inhibition. Redox modulation of IGABA was independent of GABA concentration, membrane potential and the receptor agonist and did not affect the GABA EC50 or Hill coefficient. The endogenous antioxidant reduced glutathione (GSH) also potentiated IGABA in α1β2 receptors, while both the oxidized form of DTT and glutathione (GSSG) caused small inhibitory effects. 3 Recombinant receptors composed of α1β1γ2S or α1β2γ2S were considerably less sensitive to DTT and DTNB. 4 For neuronal GABAA receptors, IGABA was enhanced by flurazepam and relatively unaffected by redox reagents. However, in cultured sympathetic neurones, nicotinic acetylcholine‐activated responses were inhibited by DTT whilst in cerebellar granule neurones, NMDA‐activated currents were potentiated by DTT and inhibited by DTNB. 5 Single GABA‐activated ion channel currents exhibited a conductance of 16 pS for α1β1 constructs. DTT did not affect the conductance or individual open time constants determined from dwell time histograms, but increased the mean open time by affecting the channel open probability without increasing the number of cell surface receptors. 6 A kinetic model of the effects of DTT and DTNB suggested that the receptor existed in equilibrium between oxidized and reduced forms. DTT increased the rate of entry into reduced receptor forms and also into desensitized states. DTNB reversed these kinetic effects. 7 Our results indicate that GABAA receptors formed by α and β subunits are susceptible to regulation by redox agents. Inclusion of the γ2 subunit in the receptor, or recording from some neuronal GABAA receptors, resulted in reduced sensitivity to DTT and DTNB. Given the suggested existence of αβ subunit complexes in some areas of the central nervous system together with the generation and release of endogenous redox compounds, native GABAA receptors may be subject to regulation by redox mechanisms.
Bodily aesthetic affects in trans erotica: towards a wider ‘spectra of desire’

The sexualisation of trans people is a thorny issue due to the pathologizing undertones within sexological literature. After many years of being on the one hand, silenced about sexuality or on the other hyper-sexualized, for fear of being pigeon-holed as unworthy recipients of medical interventions by the medical teams providing healthcare, both transsexual and transgender people have started to explore and produce their “sexual bodies” and represent them in novel ways through prose, poetry and pornographic film. ’The political move to illustrate the wider ‘spectra of desire’ (Stryker, 2006) and experiences of trans-sexuality was announced to be politically important as a way of shifting stereotypical associations surrounding trans embodiment and sexuality generally. These projects of sexual representation rely on transforming spaces and discourses within cultural mediums in which transpeople explore their sexuality. Using trans erotica texts, I will illustrate that ‘transsexualism’ and ‘transgenderism’ are not solely about gender, as a core characteristic, and suggest that sexuality is part of trans subjectivity too. I will suggest further that new representations of trans-sexuality within the erotic representations pose challenges to the medical policy and practices surrounding trans medicalization and the sedated ideas surrounding transpeople as either non-sexual or hyper-sexual. This focus on erotica allows for new analyses and conceptualizations of trans-sexuality that incorporate bodily aesthetic affects of the transitioned and transitioning body. Simultaneously, understanding trans bodily aesthetic affects helps us move away from territorialized identitarian markers, such as gay, lesbian and bi and explore a wider spectra of trans desire.
The hip fracture incidence curve is shifting to the right

Background The number of hip fractures has doubled in the last 30–40 years in many countries. Age-adjusted incidence has been reported to be decreasing in Europe and North America, but is there a decreasing trend in all age groups? Patients and methods This population-based study included all hip-fracture patients over 50 years of age (a total of 2,919 individuals, 31% of whom were men) admitted to Umeå University Hospital, Sweden, from 1993 through 2005. Results The incidence of hip fracture declined between the periods 1993–1996 and 2001–2005: from 706 to 625 hip fractures per 105 women and from 390 to 317 hip fractures per 105 men. However, there was a 114% increase in the number of fractures in women aged 90 or older (12 and 25 hip fractures/year, respectively, in the two time periods). For the period 2001–05, women ≥ 90 years of age accounted for almost the same numbers of hip fractures as women aged 75–79 (27 fractures/year). The rate increased during this period, from 2,700 per 105 women to 3,900 per 105 women > 90 years. In men there were declining trends for both relative and absolute numbers. Interpretation Although age-adjusted incidence declined in the population > 50 years of age, absolute fracture rate and incidence increased in the very old. Women over 90 now have the same absolute number of hip fractures every year as women aged 75–79 years. There was a right-shift in hip fracture distribution towards the oldest old, probably due to an increased number of octo/nonagenarians, a new population of particularly frail old people that hardly existed earlier. Better health among septuagenarians may also have delayed the age at which fractures occurred. This changing pattern will strain orthopedic and geriatric resources even more.
Regulation of integrin endocytic recycling and chemotactic cell migration by syntaxin 6 and VAMP3 interaction

Summary Integrins are the primary receptors of cells adhering to the extracellular matrix, and play key roles in various cellular processes including migration, proliferation and survival. The expression and distribution of integrins at the cell surface is controlled by endocytosis and recycling. The present study examines the function of syntaxin 6 (STX6), a t-SNARE located in the trans-Golgi network, in integrin trafficking. STX6 is overexpressed in many types of human cancer. We show that depletion of STX6 inhibits chemotactic cell migration and the delivery of the laminin receptor &agr;3&bgr;1 integrin to the cell surface, whereas STX6 overexpression stimulates chemotactic cell migration, integrin delivery, and integrin-initiated activation of focal adhesion kinase. These data indicate that STX6 plays a rate-limiting role in cell migration and integrin trafficking. In STX6-depleted cells, &agr;3&bgr;1 integrin is accumulated in recycling endosomes that contain the v-SNARE VAMP3. Importantly, we show that STX6 and VAMP3 form a v-/t-SNARE complex, VAMP3 is required in &agr;3&bgr;1 integrin delivery to the cell surface, and endocytosed &agr;3&bgr;1 integrin traffics to both VAMP3 and STX6 compartments. Collectively, our data suggest a new integrin trafficking pathway in which endocytosed integrins are transported from VAMP3-containing recycling endosomes to STX6-containing trans-Golgi network before being recycled to the plasma membrane.
Etnocentrisme in Nederland: theoretische bijdragen empirisch getoetst

Research on negative attitudes toward outgroups generally ignores the related positive attitude toward the ingroup. W. G. Sumner's Folkways (Boston: Ginn, 1906) referred to the presence of both related attitudes as ethnocentrism. Here, analysis of 1985 questionnaire data from a representative sample of Dutch citizens (N = 1,799) including Turkish, Moroccan, & Surinamese minorities reveals the existence of ethnocentric ideology in the Netherlands. Both negative stereotypes about outgroups & positive stereotypes about the ingroup (including nationalist feelings) were found. It is argued that ethnocentrism results from two simultaneous operative mechanisms: social identification & social contra-identification. Social & cultural characteristics of ethnocentrism are explored typologically. 1 Table, 1 Figure, 47 References. Modified HA
The Properties and Stability Analysis of an Integrate-and-Fire Model

In this paper, a simplified integrate-and-fire (IF) neural network is introduced. This network possesses lateral interactions of the shunting inhibitory type only; hence, it is also called shunting inhibitory cellular neural network. Its derivation and biophysical interpretation are presented in this article, along with a stability analysis of its dynamics. In particular, it is shown that the IF model is bounded input bounded output stable dynamical system. Two indices of firing variability are evaluated, which are the ratio of the variance to the mean for the number of action potentials evoked by a constant and a random stimulus respectively, and the rate coefficient of variation of the interspike interval (ISI) distribution (standard deviation / mean ISI).
Which set existence axioms are needed to prove the Cauchy/Peano theorem for ordinary differential equations?

Abstract We investigate the provability or nonprovability of certain ordinary mathematical theorems within certain weak subsystems of second order arithmetic. Specifically, we consider the Cauchy/Peano existence theorem for solutions of ordinary differential equations, in the context of the formal system RCA0 whose principal axioms are comprehension and induction. Our main result is that, over RCA0, the Cauchy/Peano Theorem is provably equivalent to weak König's lemma, i.e. the statement that every infinite {0, 1}-tree has a path. We also show that, over RCA0, the Ascoli lemma is provably equivalent to arithmetical comprehension, as is Osgood's theorem on the existence of maximum solutions. At the end of the paper we digress to relate our results to degrees of unsolvability and to computable analysis.
The Effects of Labor Market Conditions on Working Time: The US-EU Experience

We consider a labor market search model where, by working longer hours, individuals acquire greater skills and thereby obtain better jobs. We show that job inequality, which leads to within-skill wage differences, gives incentives to work longer hours. By contrast, a higher probability of losing jobs, a longer duration of unemployment, and in general a less tight labor market discourage working time. We show that the different evolution of labor market conditions in the US and in Continental Europe over the last three decades can quantitatively explain the diverging evolution of the number of hours worked per employee across the two sides of the Atlantic. It can also explain why the fraction of prime age male workers working very long hours has increased substantially in the US, after reverting a trend of secular decline.
Construction, modeling and control of an autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for target localization

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been widely used in intelligence gathering, psychological operations, laser designation, range-finding, and communication. In this paper, the design of a fixed-wing UAV is presented. A target detection and localization method is proposed for the developed UAV. The hardware construction, along with the selection of necessary components, is introduced. In order to facilitate modular code development and integration of control laws with simulation and hardware, a hardware-in-the-loop simulator is proposed. The flight control law is developed and tested using the hardware-in-the-loop simulator. Wifi is used for monitoring the state variables of the aircraft. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the performance of the developed system.
Virtual private social networks and a facebook implementation

The popularity of Social Networking Sites (SNS) is growing rapidly, with the largest sites serving hundreds of millions of users and their private information. The privacy settings of these SNSs do not allow the user to avoid sharing some information (e.g., name and profile picture) with all the other users. Also, no matter the privacy settings, this information is always shared with the SNS (that could sell this information or be hacked). To mitigate these threats, we recently introduced the concept of Virtual Private Social Networks (VPSNs). In this work we propose the first complete architecture and implementation of VPSNs for Facebook. In particular, we address an important problem left unexplored in our previous research—that is the automatic propagation of updated profiles to all the members of the same VPSN. Furthermore, we made an in-depth study on performance and implemented several optimization to reduce the impact of VPSN on user experience. The proposed solution is lightweight, completely distributed, does not depend on the collaboration from Facebook, does not have a central point of failure, it offers (with some limitations) the same functionality as Facebook, and apart from some simple settings, the solution is almost transparent to the user. Thorough experiments, with an extended set of parameters, we have confirmed the feasibility of the proposal and have shown a very limited time-overhead experienced by the user while browsing Facebook pages.