Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Poverty and climate change in urban Bangladesh : an analytical framework

Around 40 percent of Bangladesh’s population are poor people for whom a variable and unpredictable climate can critically restrict livelihood options. This is true in rural and urban areas alike, but this study focuses on the latter. Urban poverty continues to be neglected in research, policy and action for climate change adaptation in the country. The study builds on three propositions: (i) poor urban communities are places where physical and socioeconomic vulnerability coincide; (ii) urban areas are exposed to three forms of climate change impact: rapid-onset events, gradual-onset processes, and cascade effects; and (iii) poor urban people are already adapting to emergent climate change impacts by actively developing various practices. The analytical framework places a strong emphasis on poor people’s adaptation practices in order to understand their agency, cultural resources and economic strategies and the structural factors that both support and constrain their agency. The practices are examined in terms of three key elements: the socio-economic resources of poor urban households and communities; institutions and political economy; and external actors and resources. Six low-income settlements have been chosen for case studies from three cities – Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna. Data collection involves: mini-surveys; qualitative methods; dialogues with local academics, policymakers and civil society groups; and action research. Key analytical findings include the identification and analysis of existing practices under five broad themes (e.g. livelihoods, built environment, networks, institutions, and external supports).
Sustainable technology adoption: who and what matters in a farmer's decision?

EU milk quota removal brings a renewed focus on continued adoption of sustainable technologies. This article explores spatial eﬀects in their adoption using Bayesian spatial probit models employing a representative sample of Irish dairy farms. We consider global and local spatial eﬀects, and overcome a missing neighbour problem by implementing census data in our spatial weight matrix. The ﬁndings reveal that spatial eﬀects spill over to neighbours and better educated farmers with larger more intensively managed farms are more likely to adopt. The article concludes with policy recommendations that arise from our spatial analysis.
critical in lipase is targeted by a new class of enzyme inhibitors.

Background and purpose: Monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL) is a presynaptic serine hydrolase that inactivates the endocannabinoid neurotransmitter, 2-arachidonoyl- sn -glycerol. Recent studies suggest that cysteine residues proximal to the enzyme active site are important for MGL function. In the present study, we characterize the role of cysteines in MGL function and identify a series of cysteine-reactive agents that inhibit MGL activity with nanomolar potencies by interacting with cysteine residue 208. Experimental approach: A series of cysteine traps were screened for the ability to inhibit MGL in vitro . Rapid dilution assays were performed to determine reversibility of inhibition. Molecular modelling and site-directed mutagenesis were utilized to identify cysteine residues targeted by the inhibitors. Key results: The screening revealed that 2-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (octhilinone) inhibited puriﬁed rat recombinant MGL (IC 50 = 88 (cid:2) 12 nM) through a partially reversible mechanism. Initial structure–activity relationship studies showed that substitution of the n -octyl group of octhilinone with a more lipophilic oleoyl group increased inhibitor potency (IC 50 = 43 (cid:2) 8 nM), while substitution with a methyl group produced the opposite effect (IC 50 = 239 (cid:2) 68 nM). The inhibitory potency of octhilinone was selectively decreased by mutating cysteine 208 in MGL to glycine (IC 50 ; wild-type, 151 (cid:2) 17 nM; C208G, 722 (cid:2) 74 nM), but not by mutation of other cysteine residues (C32, C55, C201, C208 and C242). Conclusions and implications: The results indicated that cysteine 208 plays an important role in MGL function and identiﬁed a novel class of isothiazolinone-based MGL inhibitors with nanomolar potency in vitro
Boosting the Performance of High-Assurance Cryptography: Parallel Execution and Optimizing Memory Access in Formally-Verified Line-Point Zero-Knowledge

Despite the notable advances in the development of high-assurance, verified implementations of cryptographic protocols, such implementations typically face significant performance overheads, particularly due to the penalties induced by formal verification and automated extraction of executable code. In this paper, we address some core performance challenges facing computer-aided cryptography by presenting a formal treatment for accelerating such verified implementations based on multiple generic optimizations covering parallelism and memory access. We illustrate our techniques for addressing such performance bottlenecks using the Line-Point Zero-Knowledge (LPZK) protocol as a case study. Our starting point is a new verified implementation of LPZK that we formalize and synthesize using EasyCrypt; our first implementation is developed to reduce the proof effort and without considering the performance of the extracted executable code. We then show how such (automatically) extracted code can be optimized in three different ways to obtain a 3000x speedup and thus matching the performance of the manual implementation of LPZK of lpzkv2. [13] We obtain such performance gains by first modifying the algorithmic specifications, then by adopting a provably secure parallel execution model, and finally by optimizing the memory access structures. All optimizations are first formally verified inside EasyCrypt, and then executable code is automatically synthesized from each step of the formalization. For each optimization, we analyze performance gains resulting from it and also address challenges facing the computer-aided security proofs thereof, and challenges facing automated synthesis of executable code with such an optimization.
QASnowball: An Iterative Bootstrapping Framework for High-Quality Question-Answering Data Generation

Recent years have witnessed the success of question answering (QA), especially its potential to be a foundation paradigm for tackling diverse NLP tasks. However, obtaining sufficient data to build an effective and stable QA system still remains an open problem. For this problem, we introduce an iterative bootstrapping framework for QA data augmentation (named QASnowball), which can iteratively generate large-scale high-quality QA data based on a seed set of supervised examples. Specifically, QASnowball consists of three modules, an answer extractor to extract core phrases in unlabeled documents as candidate answers, a question generator to generate questions based on documents and candidate answers, and a QA data filter to filter out high-quality QA data. Moreover, QASnowball can be self-enhanced by reseeding the seed set to fine-tune itself in different iterations, leading to continual improvements in the generation quality. We conduct experiments in the high-resource English scenario and the medium-resource Chinese scenario, and the experimental results show that the data generated by QASnowball can facilitate QA models: (1) training models on the generated data achieves comparable results to using supervised data, and (2) pre-training on the generated data and fine-tuning on supervised data can achieve better performance. Our code and generated data will be released to advance further work.
Feature Engineering and Machine Learning Predictive Quality dels for Friction Stir Welding fect ediction in rospace plications

Data-Driven Predictive Quality solutions are of utmost importance for Industry 4.0 in general and for high added value and complex manufacturing systems in particular. A unique Friction Stir Welding process is performed for the manufacturing of the new Ariane 6 aerospace launchers. This work presents a novel feature engineering approach that correlates Friction Stir Welding process data and quality inspection data to build a Machine Learning-based predictive quality solution. This solution predicts the presence of welding defects, empowering end-user's quality assurance and reducing quality inspection time and associated costs.
Bridge condition assessment from long-term monitoring by means of Bayesian hypothesis test

: This study presents an approach to reduce effects of environmental and operational factors on long-term monitoring data of bridges. The Bayesian approach comprising both Bayesian regression and Bayesian hypothesis test is applied to investigate monitoring data of an in-service seven-span plate-Gerber bridge. This study considers time-varying temperature and vehicle weights as environmental and operational factors respectively. Vehicle weights were measured utilizing a bridge weigh-in-motion (BWIM) system installed on the bridge. All data was taken from a healthy bridge, since no damage and deterioration was reported during the monitoring period. Observations through the study demonstrated that considering both temperature and vehicle weight as environmental and operational factors in Bayesian regression led to improved regression results than that considering only temperature. It also showed that monitoring the data observed at a specific time could reduce influence of traffic in long-term monitoring. In the Bayesian hypothesis testing utilizing data from the healthy bridge, the bridge was judged as healthy.
Management of Environmental Resources of Cutoff Bends Along the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

Abstract : Construction of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (TTW) involved construction of a navigation channel across the necks of 35 meander bends of the Tombigbee River. The cutoff bends, or bendways, constitute a valuable resource that the Corps of Engineers is committed to maintain. This study was conducted to provide a rational basis for refinement of the management strategy for the 30 TTw bendways located downstream of Aberdeen Lock and Dam. The five bendways in Aberdeen Pool were not considered in this study. Bendway sedimentation may be conceptually divided into two phases: blockage and infilling. Discharge, suspended sediment concentration, and repetitive hydrographic survey records for 20 man-made cutoff bends and associated cut channels and for one natural chute cutoff were used to study the rate of sedimentation during the blockage phase. The variation of bendway channel cross-sectional area with both time and distance along the bend showed that for most bends, deposition patterns tend to be bimodal, with a primary location for deposition just below the upstream entrance and a secondary location just above the downstream entrance. Sequential aerial photographs of seven cutoffs bends were used to study infilling rates. The perimeter of the treeline and the area enclosed by the treeline around each were measured for each photography coverage date. Specific recommendations are provided for management of each of the 20 TTW bendways downstream of Aberdeen Lock and Dam. Construction of blockage embankments of the upstream end is recommended for 27 of the bendways. Three of these 27 blocks were constructed in 1985.
Analysis on the Interaction Between Vegetation and Soil Quality in Coal Mining Subsidence Area

As a “bridge” connecting soil, atmosphere and water, the dynamic change of vegetation can reflect the change of ecological environment in coal mining subsidence area to a certain extent. However, relying on traditional methods to extract vegetation coverage information in a large range not only consumes huge human and material resources, but also has low accuracy. Therefore, this study uses satellite remote sensing technology to extract vegetation coverage in coal mining subsidence areas. Based on the spatial variation laws of soil water content, pH, alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium and organic matter content in coal mining subsidence areas, considering the impact of different types of surface vegetation (grassland, shrubs and trees), this study analyzes the interaction and distribution of each factor under coal mining disturbances, and puts forward reasonable maintenance suggestions to reduce the impact of coal mining disturbances on ecology. The results showed that: (1) Soil water content was negatively correlated with soil pH, and the correlation between the two was the best in the one-year subsidence area (SA), among which the shrub land had the highest correlation, followed by grassland and arbor land. The influence between soil water content and soil pH is timely affected by coal mining subsidence, grassland and shrub land are more sensitive, and arbor land is more stable. Soil water content was positively correlated with soil fertility, and the correlation was the best in one-year SA, among which shrub land had the highest correlation, followed by arbor land and grassland. Soil pH was negatively correlated with soil fertility. The shrub land in the unmined area, the 1-year SA, and the 2-year SA had a high correlation with the arbor land, among which the shrub land in the 1-year SA had the highest correlation. (2) The correlation between vegetation coverage and soil physical and chemical properties (PCP) is the best between shrub forest land in 1-year SA and arbor forest land in 2-year SA, which is medium. At the initial stage of subsidence, the vegetation coverage and soil PCP of shrub forest land respond in time. After increasing the subsidence years, the vegetation coverage and soil PCP of arbor forest land respond significantly. (3) Increasing the coverage of surface vegetation can effectively improve or alleviate the damage caused by coal mining to the PCP of soil. Planting arbor and shrub forests in the mining area can better protect the soil and reduce the loss of water and fertility.
The mediating effect of embeddedness on the relationship between internal employability and career satisfaction

To date, the link between perceptions of employability and career satisfaction has been demonstrated theoretically more than empirically. To address this concern, this study examines employee perceptions of internal employability and how these perceptions relate to career satisfaction. In addition, this study investigates the mediating role of embeddedness on the relationship between employability and career satisfaction. The results of the study indicate that internal employability is positively related to career satisfaction. In addition, the results indicate that embeddedness fully mediates the relationship between perceived internal employability and career satisfaction.
EXPRESSION PATTERN OF BK CHANNELS UNDER VARIOUS OXIDATIVE STRESS CONDITIONS IN SKELETAL MUSCLES

: BK (large conductance Ca 2+ -activated potassium) channels are expressed in myocytes, but changes in their molecular levels in the presence of oxidative stress are not clear yet. Determination of the molecular effects of various oxidative stress conditions may reveal the possible mechanism and potential therapeutic effects. In the present study, isolated rat soleus muscle where KCNMA1 genes encoding BK channel protein expressed widely in skeletal muscle, were exposed to cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) as oxidative stress inducers. A streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus model was also used to demonstrate the effects of an endogenous source of oxidative stress. Moreover, NS1619, a BK channel opener, was used to determine whether activation of the channel re-regulated the channel expression. After the incubation periods, KCNMA1 gene expression levels in each group were determined by real-time PCR experiments. While CPA and H 2 O 2 decreased KCNMA1 expression significantly, the expression did not change under the systemic diabetes mellitus condition. However, the transcriptional level significantly decreased in diabetes in the presence of H 2 O 2 . On the other hand, KCNMA1 expression was re-regulated back to the control level by the addition of NS1619 in only H 2 O 2 groups. The results demonstrated for the first time that acute oxidative stress, rather than systemic conditions, affects the KCNMA1 gene expression level in skeletal muscles. The study also showed the effects of NS1619 on the regulation of the transcriptional levels of BK channel protein under hydrogen peroxide conditions.
TELESIM: A Modular and Plug-and-Play Framework for Robotic Arm Teleoperation using a Digital Twin

We present TELESIM, a modular and plug-and-play framework for direct teleoperation of a robotic arm using a digital twin as the interface between the user and the robotic system. We tested TELESIM by performing a user survey with 37 participants on two different robots using two different control modalities: a virtual reality controller and a finger mapping hardware controller using different grasping systems. Users were asked to teleoperate the robot to pick and place 3 cubes in a tower and to repeat this task as many times as possible in 10 minutes, with only 5 minutes of training beforehand. Our experimental results show that most users were able to succeed by building at least a tower of 3 cubes regardless of the control modality or robot used, demonstrating the user-friendliness of TELESIM.
University of Birmingham Nelson’s syndrome

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Rooting for the same team: Shared social identities in a polarized context∗

Can shared identities help overcome political divides in polarized settings? We answer this question with a field experiment on Twitter during the Brazilian 2022 elections. Although both congruence in political (supporting the same candidate) and affective (rooting for the same football team) identities increase follow-backs and reduce blocks, the positive effect of shared affective identity weakens when information on political identity is available. Using observational live-streamed data from Twitter during the 2022 World Cup, we complement our analysis by exploring the public political leaning of Brazilian players. Analyzing the content of tweets posted by Brazilian nationals during the country’s games, we document significant differences in fans’ reactions depending on their political alignment with the specific players that triggered relevant events in the game. Our results indicate that political identity can hinder the potential of other shared identities to reduce political divides and foster social cohesion.
Sensory Attenuation Assessed by Sensory Evoked Potentials in Functional Movement

Abstract Background Functional(psychogenic) movement disorders (FMD) havefeaturesassociatedwithvolun-tarymovement(e.g.distractibility) but patients reportmovementstobe outoftheir control.Oneexplanation forthisphenomenonisthatsenseofagencyformovementisimpaired.Thephenomenonofreductionintheintensityofsensoryexperiencewhenmovementisself-generated andareductioninsensory evokedpotentials(SEPs) amplitudeatthe onsetofself-pacedmovement(sensoryattenuation) have beenlinkedtosense ofagencyformovement. Methods Wecompared amplitudeofSEPs frommedian nervestimulation atrestandattheonsetofaself-paced movement ofthethumb in17patients withFMD and17healthycontrols. Results Patients showedlackofattenuation ofSEPsatthe onsetofmovementcomparedtoreduc-tioninamplitudeofSEPs incontrols.FMD patients hadsignificantly differentratios ofmove-ment onsettorestSEPsthandidhealthycontrols ateach electrode:0.79inhealthy controlsand1.35inpatients atF3(t =-4.22, p<0.001),0.78inhealthycontrolsand1. 12 atpatientsC3(t=-3.15, p=0.004)and0.77 inhealthycontrolsand1.05 atpatients P3(t =-2.88, p=0.007).
Segregation and Apartheid in Twentieth Century South Africa

As South Africa moves towards majority rule, and blacks begin to exercise direct political power, apartheid becomes a thing of the past - but its legacy in South African history will be indelible. this book is designed to introduce students to a range of interpretations of one of South Africa's central social characteristics: racial segregation. It: • brings together eleven articles which span the whole history of segregation from its origins to its final collapse • reviews the new historiography of segregation and the wide variety of intellectual traditions on which it is based • includes a glossary, explanatory notes and further reading.
Public bodies' role as a driving force for sustainable behaviour change

In a resource scarcity context, public bodies have a fundamental role to promote sustainable consumption patterns. In Catalonia water scarcity and organic waste management are two fields in which the public bodies put in practice their instruments in order to change the citizens consumption patterns and to reduce the related environmental impact. Water scarcity periods are inherent to the Mediterranean climate and organic waste constitutes approximately 40% of household waste. Hence, they are two fields with a substantially important impact on the environment. The EC FP7-funded EUPOPP Project aims to increase the knowledge about context and framework conditions as well as on the impact of policy instruments. Guided by a Conceptual Framework, research is focused on the need areas of housing and food. Within the Projects scope, the public communicative activities during drought periods as well as the selective organic waste collection have been analyzed in order to evaluate their effectiveness in terms of changes in consumption patterns and environmental impact reduction. To do so, a three-step framework has been applied for the instrument analysis through three stages: output, outcome and impacts. The analysis of these two instruments shows how they actually work, to what extent can public actions influence consumption patterns and how the contextual conditions (such as city structure, physical infrastructures or institutions) can influence or interfere on the effectiveness of the instrument.
University of Birmingham The effect of regional skill gaps and skill shortages on firm productivity

This paper contributes to the literature on regional productivity, complementing previous education and skill level perspectives with a novel approach analysing the impact of regional skill gaps and skill shortages. This allows us to better reﬂect the idiosyncratic needs of the regional economic structure, considering both the demand and supply side of the skills equation in localised labour markets. Controlling for unobserved time-invariant ﬁrm-level heterogeneity and other region-industry eﬀects across a longitudinal dataset for the period 2008 - 2014, our analysis reveals a negative direct eﬀect of skill shortages on ﬁrm productivity. We further ﬁnd negative spillover eﬀects for both skill gaps and skill shortages in related industries and proximate regions. Results are also shown to be heterogeneous with respect to agglomeration levels and industrial sectors. Stronger negative eﬀects are found in industries deﬁned by a knowledge-intensive skill base pointing to the loss of learning eﬀects in the presence of skill deﬁciencies. Conversely, agglomeration eﬀects appear to moderate the impact of skill deﬁciencies through more eﬃcient matching in the local labour market. The ﬁndings presented thus suggest that policies aimed at improving productivity and addressing the increasing regional productivity divide cannot be reduced to a simple space-neutral support for higher education and skill levels but need to explicitly recognise the presence and characteristics of place-speciﬁc skills gaps and shortages.