Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
When states go bad

To date, little attention has been paid to the question of how episodes of mass killing are terminated. This has allowed several misconceptions, such as the notion that external armed intervention is a principal form of ending, to arise and profit. This study presents preliminary findings from a survey of cases of state perpetrated mass killing since 1945. It examines the forms of ending, finding that around half end only when the perpetrators themselves decide to end the killing, usually because they have accomplished their goals. It also explores the relationships between modes of termination and lethality and the resilience of different types of ending and offers insights into the implications for policy of some of these findings. It argues that foreign armed intervention is extremely rare and does not deserve, therefore, to be the common ‘go to’ option of advocates and analysts. Instead, presuming that armed intervention is off the table, it is more important to think in terms of what can be done to shape the perpetrators’ incentive structures or encourage internal dissent within the perpetrating elite. Finally, it shows that there is no easy overlap between what is morally palatable and what saves lives. Arming rebels may be morally pleasing, but may lead to protracted civil wars with atrocities – the worst of all outcomes. Likewise, negotiating to secure the state perpetrators’ core interests may feel immoral but might stop the killing and save lives.
Demographic and clinical features of obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE To describe the demography, symptomatology, and comorbidity of 31 clinically referred children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder. METHOD The patients were assessed in an outpatient clinic for lifetime psychopathology with the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents. The child and adolescent version of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) was used to group obsessive-compulsive symptoms and rate symptom severity. Demographic, medical, developmental, academic, and behavioral information was recorded by the parents in the Yale Children's Inventory and the Child Behavior Checklist. RESULTS The male-female ratio was approximately 3:2. Most patients had had multiple obsessions and compulsions that had changed over time. The CY-BOCS correlated highly with another measure of obsessive-compulsive behavior, but not with any of the Child Behavior Checklist scales. Symptom severity was influenced by an interaction between gender and age at onset of the illness. More than 80% of the subjects had other lifetime psychiatric diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS The results provide further evidence that obsessive-compulsive disorder is a chronic, severe illness in children and adolescents that is often associated with other forms of psychopathology. The data support the concurrent and discriminant validity of the CY-BOCS.
Effect of access probabilities on the delay performance of Q-CSMA algorithms

It has been recently shown that queue-based CSMA algorithms can be throughput optimal. In these algorithms, each link of the wireless network has two parameters: a transmission probability and an access probability. The transmission probability of each link is chosen as an appropriate function of its queue-length, however, the access probabilities are simply regarded as some random numbers since they do not play any role in establishing the network stability. In this paper, we show that the access probabilities control the mixing time of the CSMA Markov chain and, as a result, affect the delay performance of the CSMA. In particular, we derive formulas that relate the mixing time to access probabilities and use these to develop the following guideline for choosing access probabilities: each link i should choose its access probability equal to 1/(di + 1), where di is the number of links which interfere with link i. Simulation results show that this choice of access probabilities results in good delay performance.
Principal Inertia Components and Applications

We explore properties and applications of the principal inertia components (PICs) between two discrete random variables <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$X$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Y$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. The PICs lie in the intersection of information and estimation theory, and provide a fine-grained decomposition of the dependence between <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$X$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Y$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. Moreover, the PICs describe which functions of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$X$ </tex-math></inline-formula> can or cannot be reliably inferred (in terms of MMSE), given an observation of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Y$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. We demonstrate that the PICs play an important role in information theory, and they can be used to characterize information-theoretic limits of certain estimation problems. In privacy settings, we prove that the PICs are related to the fundamental limits of perfect privacy.
QuestionCube: a Framework for Question Answering

QuestionCube is a framework for Question Answering (QA) that combines several techniques to retrieve passages containing the exact answers for natural language questions. It exploits: (a) Natural Language Processing algorithms for question and candidate answers analysis both in English and Italian; (b) Information Retrieval probabilistic models for candidate answers retrieval and (c) Machine Learning methods for question classification. The data source for the answer is an unstructured text document collection stored in search indices. In this paper an overview of the QuestionCube framework architecture is provided, together with a description of Wikiedi, a QA system for Wikipedia which exploits the proposed framework.
Galactic dynamo simulations

Abstract Recent simulations of supernova-driven turbulence within the ISM support the existence of a large-scale dynamo. With a growth time of about two hundred million years, the dynamo is quite fast – in contradiction to many assertions in the literature. We here present details on the scaling of the dynamo effect within the simulations and discuss global mean-field models based on the adopted turbulence coefficients. The results are compared to global simulations of the magneto-rotational instability.
ES Cell Extract‐Induced Expression of Pluripotent Factors in Somatic Cells

Reprogramming of somatic cells was induced by ES cell‐free extract. The system relied on the transient uptake of regulatory components from a nuclear and cytoplasmic extract derived from ES cells by the nucleus of a reversibly permeabilized NIH3T3 cell. NIH3T3 cells were permeabilized by streptolysin O (SLO). Reprogramming cell‐free extracts were prepared by repeatedly freezing and thawing ES cells in liquid nitrogen. After incubation in the extract for 1 hr, permeabilized NIH3T3 cells were resealed by CaCl2 and continually cultured for weeks to assess expression of ES cell specific markers. As we observed using FACS and fluorescence microscope, the optimal SLO concentration for permeabilizing NIH3T3 cells was 25 U. After 2 weeks of culture, the treated NIH3T3 cells began to express Nanog, c‐Myc, Klf4, and 6 weeks later Oct4 was detectable. However, Sox2 was detected only after 8 weeks of culture. Differentiated somatic cells could be reprogrammed in ES extract in vitro, which provides a new approach to decreasing differentiation levels in somatic cells without disturbing the DNA sequences. Anat Rec, 292:1229–1234, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The General Anesthetic Propofol Slows Deactivation and Desensitization of GABAA Receptors

Propofol (2,6-di-isopropylphenol) has multiple actions on GABAA receptor function that act in concert to potentiate GABA-evoked currents. To understand how propofol influences inhibitory IPSCs, we examined the effects of propofol on responses to brief applications of saturating concentrations of GABA (1–30 mm). GABA was applied using a fast perfusion system to nucleated patches excised from hippocampal neurons. In this preparation, propofol (10 μm) had no detectable agonist effect but slowed the decay, increased the charge transfer (62%), and enhanced the peak amplitude (8%) of currents induced by brief pulses (3 msec) of GABA. Longer pulses (500 msec) of GABA induced responses that desensitized with fast (τf = 1.5–4.5 msec) and slow (τs = 1–3 sec) components and, after the removal of GABA, deactivated exponentially (τd = 151 msec). Propofol prolonged this deactivation (τd = 255 msec) and reduced the development of both fast and slow desensitization. Recovery from fast desensitization, assessed using pairs of brief pulses of GABA, paralleled the time course of deactivation, indicating that fast desensitization traps GABA on the receptor. With repetitive applications of pulses of GABA (0.33 Hz), the charge transfer per pulse declined exponentially (τ ≈ 15 sec) to a steady-state value equal to ∼40% of the initial response. Despite the increased charge transfer per pulse with propofol, the time course of the decline was unchanged. These experimental data were interpreted using computer simulations and a kinetic model that assumed fast and slow desensitization, as well as channel opening developed in parallel from a pre-open state. Our results suggest that propofol stabilizes the doubly liganded pre-open state without affecting the isomerization rate constants to and from the open state. Also, the rate constants for agonist dissociation and entry into the fast and slow desensitization states were reduced by propofol. The recovery rate constant from fast desensitization was slowed, whereas that from slow desensitization appeared to be unchanged. Taken together, the effects of propofol on GABAA receptors enhance channel opening, particularly under conditions that promote desensitization.
Recruitment of PLANT U-BOX13 and the PI4Kβ1/β2 Phosphatidylinositol-4 Kinases by the Small GTPase RabA4B Plays Important Roles during Salicylic Acid-Mediated Plant Defense Signaling in Arabidopsis[OPEN]

A small Rab GTPase orchestrates salicylic acid-mediated defense responses by recruiting Rab effector proteins that normally suppress these defense responses in uninfected plants. Protection against microbial pathogens involves the activation of cellular immune responses in eukaryotes, and this cellular immunity likely involves changes in subcellular membrane trafficking. In eukaryotes, members of the Rab GTPase family of small monomeric regulatory GTPases play prominent roles in the regulation of membrane trafficking. We previously showed that RabA4B is recruited to vesicles that emerge from trans-Golgi network (TGN) compartments and regulates polarized membrane trafficking in plant cells. As part of this regulation, RabA4B recruits the closely related phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PI4K) PI4Kβ1 and PI4Kβ2 lipid kinases. Here, we identify a second Arabidopsis thaliana RabA4B-interacting protein, PLANT U-BOX13 (PUB13), which has recently been identified to play important roles in salicylic acid (SA)-mediated defense signaling. We show that PUB13 interacts with RabA4B through N-terminal domains and with phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI-4P) through a C-terminal armadillo domain. Furthermore, we demonstrate that a functional fluorescent PUB13 fusion protein (YFP-PUB13) localizes to TGN and Golgi compartments and that PUB13, PI4Kβ1, and PI4Kβ2 are negative regulators of SA-mediated induction of pathogenesis-related gene expression. Taken together, these results highlight a role for RabA4B and PI-4P in SA-dependent defense responses.
Spatio-temporal mapping of ablated species in ultrafast laser-produced graphite plasmas

We studied the spatial and temporal distributions of ionic, neutral, and molecular species generated by femtosecond laser produced plasma under varying ambient nitrogen gas pressures. Plasmas were generated by irradiating planar graphite targets using 40 fs pulses of 800 nm radiation from a Ti:Sapphire laser. The results show that in the presence of an ambient gas, the molecular species spatial extension and lifetime are directly correlated to the evolution of excited ions. The present studies also provide valuable insights into the evolution history of various species and their excitation during ultrafast laser ablation.
Carbon-nanotube-based passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser for broadband supercontinuum generation

We present broadband supercontinuum (SC) generation in highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF) using carbon-nanotube (CNT)-based passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser seed pulses. The passively mode-locked fiber laser incorporating CNT-based saturable absorber has achieved a pulse width of 550 fs with a repetition rate of 18.5 MHz and a pulse energy of 16.686 pJ. An SC covering an optical spectrum from 1000 nm to beyond 1750 nm has been successfully generated by launching the amplified seed pulses through the HNLF.
Human Perceptions of Coat Color as an Indicator of Domestic Cat Personality

ABSTRACT Associations between mammalian coat color and behavior have been investigated in a number of species, most notably the study of silver foxes by the Institute of Cytology and Genetics at the Russian Academy of Sciences. However, the few studies conducted regarding a potential relation between coat color and domestic cat personality have shown mixed results, even though many people believe that differently colored cats have distinct personalities. Understanding how humans might perceive personality in relation to coat color may have important ramifications regarding whether cats are relinquished to shelters or adopted from them. In order to assess human perceptions of differently colored cats, we conducted an anonymous, online survey, using a 7-point Likert scale and 10 terms describing personality traits that were chosen based on previous studies of animal personality. This survey examined how people assigned these given terms (active, aloof, bold, calm, friendly, intolerant, shy, stubborn, tolerant, and trainable) to five different colors of cats (orange, tricolored, white, black, and bi-colored). There were significant differences in how participants in this study chose to assign personality terms to differently colored cats. For example, participants (n = 189) were more likely to attribute the trait “friendliness” to orange cats, “intolerance” to tri-colored cats, and “aloofness” to white and tri-colored cats. No significant differences were found for “stubbornness” in any colors of cats. White cats were seen as less bold and active and more shy and calm than other colors of cats. While survey respondents stated that they placed more importance on personality than color when selecting a companion cat, there is some evidence that they believe the two qualities are linked. We anticipate our findings will be relevant to further study in domestic cat personality and to those who work in animal rescue, particularly in how shelters promote differently colored cats and educate potential adopters.
Chapter 6 Wine Fermentation

The molecular biology revolution has brought forth significant new advances with application in microbiological analysis during wine production and storage. For example, traditional methods for microbial strain identification have been mostly supplanted in favor of ribosomal RNA-based methods for speciation of cultured yeast and bacterial populations in wine. Moreover culture-independent molecular methods now allow for more rapid profiling of complex populations, or quantification of targeted species, thereby enhancing the information available to the winemaker. Finally, the availability of microbial genome sequences provides a wealth of new opportunities to understand and exploit the microorganisms in wine, as well as identify the key genetic factors underlying wine flavor development or depreciation. In general, advances in molecular biology are fundamentally changing how scientists and winemakers assess the microbial ecology of winemaking, providing new insight into the wonderfully complex conversion of grape juice to wine.
Lung function decline in asthma: association with inhaled corticosteroids, smoking and sex

Background: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) provide short term benefits in asthma but the long term effects are still unknown. Methods: 281 patients diagnosed with moderate to severe asthma in 1963–75 were re-examined in 1991–9. Information was collected on forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), bronchial hyperresponsiveness, atopy, smoking, use and dosage of oral and ICS. Patients were included in the analyses if they had at least three FEV1 measurements during two consecutive years after the age of 30 and used ICS during follow up. Results: Analyses were performed on 122 patients. During a median follow up period of 23 years, 71 men and 51 women had on average 37 and 40 individual FEV1 measurements, respectively. Linear mixed effect models showed that men had a mean annual decline in FEV1 of 20.6 ml/year less after ICS initiation than before (p = 0.011), and in women the decline in FEV1 was 3.2 ml/year less (p = 0.73). In individuals with <5 pack years of smoking the decline in FEV1 was 36.8 ml/year less after ICS institution in men (p = 0.0097) and 0.8 ml/year less in women (p = 0.94), the difference between the sexes being significant (p = 0.045). These effects were not observed in those with ⩾5 pack years smoking. A higher daily dose of ICS was associated with a smaller decline in FEV1 in men (p = 0.006), an effect not observed in women. Conclusion: Treatment with ICS in adult patients with moderate to severe asthma was associated with a reduction in the decline in FEV1 over a 23 year follow up period in men who had smoked <5 pack years. This effect was dose dependent and was not present in women or in men with ⩾5 pack years of smoking at follow up. The lack of effect of ICS on the decline in FEV1 in women needs further study.
Building and Exploiting EmotiNet, a Knowledge Base for Emotion Detection Based on the Appraisal Theory Model

The task of automatically detecting emotion in text is challenging. This is due to the fact that most of the times, textual expressions of affect are not direct-using emotion words-but result from the interpretation and assessment of the meaning of the concepts and interaction of concepts described in the text. This paper presents the core of EmotiNet, a new knowledge base (KB) for representing and storing affective reaction to real-life contexts, and the methodology employed in designing, populating, and evaluating it. The basis of the design process is given by a set of self-reported affective situations in the International Survey on Emotion Antecedents and Reactions (ISEAR) corpus. We cluster the examples and extract triples using Semantic Roles. We subsequently extend our model using other resources, such as VerbOcean, ConceptNet, and SentiWordNet, with the aim of generalizing the knowledge contained. Finally, we evaluate the approach using the representations of other examples in the ISEAR corpus. We conclude that EmotiNet, although limited by the domain and small quantity of knowledge it presently contains, represents a semantic resource appropriate for capturing and storing the structure and the semantics of real events and predicting the emotional responses triggered by chains of actions.
Relativistic many-body calculations of energy levels, hyperfine constants, electric-dipole matrix elements, and static polarizabilities for alkali-metal atoms

Removal energies and hyperfine constants of the lowest four $ns,$ ${\mathrm{np}}_{1/2},$ and ${\mathrm{np}}_{3/2}$ states in Na, K, Rb, and Cs are calculated; removal energies of the $n=7\char21{}10$ states and hyperfine constants of the $n=7$ and 8 states in Fr are also calculated. The calculations are based on the relativistic single-double (SD) approximation in which single and double excitations of Dirac-Hartree-Fock wave functions are included to all orders in perturbation theory. Using SD wave functions, accurate values of removal energies, electric-dipole matrix elements, and static polarizabilities are obtained; however, SD wave functions give poor values of the magnetic-dipole hyperfine constants for heavy atoms. To obtain accurate values of the hyperfine constants for heavy atoms, we include triple excitations partially in the wave functions. The present calculations provide the basis for reevaluating parity nonconserving amplitudes in Cs and Fr.
Dance analysis using multiple Kinect sensors

In this paper we present a method for body motion analysis in dance using multiple Kinect sensors. The proposed method applies fusion to combine the skeletal tracking data of multiple sensors in order to solve occlusion and self-occlusion tracking problems and increase the robustness of skeletal tracking. The fused skeletal data is split into five different body parts (torso, left hand, right hand, left leg and right leg), which are then transformed to allow view invariant posture recognition. For each part, a posture vocabulary is generated by performing k-means clustering on a large set of unlabeled postures. Finally, body part postures are combined into body posture sequences and Hidden Conditional Random Fields (HCRF) classifier is used to recognize motion patterns (e.g. dance figures). For the evaluation of the proposed method, Tsamiko dancers are captured using multiple Kinect sensors and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the high recognition accuracy of the proposed method.
Challenges to Supporting Federated Assurance

Federation is an identity management model in which various tasks associated with an identity transaction are distributed among the actors involved in the transaction. This model works from the premise that distributing tasks among the actors can achieve usability and privacy advantages for the user, as well as business efficiencies for businesses or applications. Typically, federated identity manifests itself as transferring some aspect of a user's identity from one entity to another. Web single sign-on is an archetypical example of a federated transaction, in which a user authenticates to one Web site and can then access another with the same login.
Protein degradation by ruminal microorganisms from sheep fed dietary supplements of urea, casein, or albumin

Ruminal fluid from sheep fed hay plus concentrate diets containing 1.8% urea, 6% casein, or 6% egg albumin had proteolytic activities of 4.12, 3.02, or 4.00 mg of [14C]casein hydrolyzed ml-1 h-1, respectively. Dietary albumin had no effect on the rate of albumin breakdown relative to that of casein (0.06). Greater numbers of highly proteolytic bacteria, mainly Butyrivibrio spp. , were isolated from the rumens of sheep receiving albumin. Albumin hydrolysis by these isolates was even slower relative to that of casein (0.03) than in ruminal fluid and was similar to that found in isolates from urea- and casein-fed sheep. Hence, there appears to be no mechanism by which ruminal bacteria can alter their proteolytic activity to utilize resistant soluble protein more effectively.