Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metric Embedding, Hyperbolic Space, and Social Networks

We consider the problem of embedding an undirected graph into hyperbolic space with minimum distortion. A fundamental problem in its own right, it has also drawn a great deal of interest from applied communities interested in empirical analysis of large-scale graphs. In this paper, we establish a connection between distortion and quasi-cyclicity of graphs, and use it to derive lower and upper bounds on metric distortion. Two particularly simple and natural graphs with large quasi-cyclicity are n-node cycles and n × n square lattices, and our lower bound shows that any hyperbolic-space embedding of these graphs incurs a multiplicative distortion of at least Ω(n/log n). This is in sharp contrast to Euclidean space, where both of these graphs can be embedded with only constant multiplicative distortion. We also establish a relation between quasi-cyclicity and δ-hyperbolicity of a graph as a way to prove upper bounds on the distortion. Using this relation, we show that graphs with small quasi-cyclicity can be embedded into hyperbolic space with only constant additive distortion. Finally, we also present an efficient (linear-time) randomized algorithm for embedding a graph with small quasi-cyclicity into hyperbolic space, so that with high probability at least a (1 − ϵ) fraction of the node-pairs has only constant additive distortion. Our results also give a plausible theoretical explanation for why social networks have been observed to embed well into hyperbolic space: they tend to have small quasi-cyclicity.
Distant human interaction detection from Kinect videos

Detecting human interactions in a public place where no physical touch occurs has important applications in many surveillance tasks. In this paper, we explore the possibilities to detect such distant human interactions without recognizing the specific human actions. Specifically, we use a simplified formulation of the interaction in this paper: when two persons interact with each other, they both perform a same short duration interactive action, such as waving hand, which is different from their non-interactive actions. Based on this formulation, we describes the interactive actions as a subvideo from Kinect videos, which provide both the RGB and depth information. We then develop a new approach to compare the pose and kinematic features in these subvideos (from different people) to see whether they describe a same interactive action. Without any supervised learning and action recognition, the proposed approaches are not limited to a specified set of interactive and non-interactive actions. In the experiments, we justify the performance of the proposed approaches on Kinect videos with 10 different interactive actions.
The support priorities of multiply excluded homeless people and their compatibility with support agency agendas – new research into multiple exclusion homelessness

Purpose – This paper aims to throw light on the value of accommodation and support services and the likely consequences of their withdrawal.Design/methodology/approach – Research was completed by a team of researchers from Nottingham Trent and Salford Universities under the Multiple Exclusion Homelessness programme funded by CLG, the Economic and Social Research Council and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.Findings – Agencies whose priorities are influenced by other agendas arising from statutory limitations or government targets have conflicting priorities that sustain multiple exclusion homelessness in a number of key circumstances.Originality/value – Findings from this research will enable policy‐makers and practitioners to take better account of service user perspectives, experiences and priorities.
Numerical representation: Abstract or nonabstract?

Until now it has been a commonly held view that numbers are represented abstractly in the human brain. However, a recent imaging study challenged the existence of an abstract representation at least of digits and number words, at the brain level, and argued that previous studies and paradigms were not sensitive enough to detect deviations from abstract representation at the behavioural level. The current study addressed this issue with an analysis of distance and sequential effects in magnitude classification. Previous studies that used this paradigm did not find deviation from abstract representation for digits and number words (e.g., Dehaene, 1996; Schwarz & Ischebeck, 2000). However, in the current study a short stimulus–response interval was used, which reduced subjective expectancy and increased automatic processing. The current results showed deviation from abstract representation in both reaction time and accuracy and therefore support the idea that nonabstract representations of numbers do exist.
A System Based on Swarm Particle Optimization to Extract Knowledge from Times Series Data

In this paper, a Particle Swarm Optimizer is proposed to extract the behavior patterns from time dependents phenomena. A time series can be created by the temporal phenomenon observation and the local tendency dynamic of the phenomenon can be described by a binary codification of the time series, where "1" is assigned for positive trends and "0" is assigned for otherwise. The proposed algorithm searches for the behavior patterns embedded in the time series, or rules that describe the laws that govern the dynamics of the studied phenomenon. Therefore, each particle of the swarm consists of a trial rule with a recognition window and a forecast value. A set of eight artificial time series (with and without noise) are used to evaluate the proposed method. The experimental results show that the proposed method is a promising approach for tendency forecasting and extraction of knowledge from the time series data.
Book Reviews : Increasing Revenue From Your Clients Dick (Richard a.) Connor

are learning opportunities N Promoting critical reflexmty the questioning of norms and examination of assumptions lyng behind reasoning and actions Chapter Ten explores the implications for the professionalisation of HRD and suggests what trainers may do m order to achieve the aims stated in the previous chapter These include the follomng (my interpretations again) 0 Framing their own tasks as strategic ones addressing organisational needs rather than running courses
A Culture Framework for Education: Defining Quality Values and Their Impact in U.S. High Schools

In this article, we address the relatively unsubstantiated claim that there is an important relationship between organizational culture and the ability to successfully implement Quality Management (QM) programs in schools. This relationship has not been adequately explored in the literature due to the lack of a comprehensive framework for defining and measuring the values and beliefs at the root of specific types of organizational cultures. After presenting some background on organizational culture used in research to date, we outline the specific values and beliefs underlying QM practice in schools. These QM values and the accompanying propositions provide an important step toward future empirical research aimed at understanding the relationship between organizational culture, the implementation of systemic improvement initiatives like QM, and key organizational and individual outcomes. The context of our research is U.S. high schools, but the general principles could be applied to other educational settings as well. The results of our review suggest that some of the quality management culture dimensions are highly consistent with educational research on school improvement, while others are more controversial.
Leadership and Attitude Change Theory

A consistent body of research has shown that the leader who wishes to influence the attitudes of peers and subordinates must establish and maintain his or her credibility. The role of the leader's credibility is explored in this article, along with other communication elements that determine personal influence and leadership effectiveness. As a framework for this strategy, Heider's Balance Theory is employed, examining three parts of the work environment - the supervisor (S), the employee (E), and the task (T). The perception of each of these by the employee will determine the amount of committment the employee is likely to invest in the task.
Parsing Mildly Non-Projective Dependency Structures

We present parsing algorithms for various mildly non-projective dependency formalisms. In particular, algorithms are presented for: all well-nested structures of gap degree at most 1, with the same complexity as the best existing parsers for constituency formalisms of equivalent generative power; all well-nested structures with gap degree bounded by any constant k; and a new class of structures with gap degree up to k that includes some ill-nested structures. The third case includes all the gap degree k structures in a number of dependency treebanks.
Analyzing the antibacterial effects of food ingredients: model experiments with allicin and garlic extracts on biofilm formation and viability of Staphylococcus epidermidis

To demonstrate different effects of garlic extracts and their main antibiotic substance allicin, as a template for investigations on the antibacterial activity of food ingredients. Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228 and the isogenic biofilm-forming strain ATCC 35984 were used to compare the activity of allicin against planktonic bacteria and bacterial biofilms. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) for pure allicin were identical and reached at a concentration of 12.5 μg/mL. MBICs for standardized garlic extracts were significantly lower, with 1.56 and 0.78 μg/mL allicin for garlic water and ethanol extract, respectively. Biofilm density was impaired significantly at a concentration of 0.78 μg/mL allicin. Viability staining followed by confocal laser scanning microscopy showed, however, a 100% bactericidal effect on biofilm-embedded bacteria at a concentration of 3.13 μg/mL allicin. qRT-PCR analysis provided no convincing evidence for specific effects of allicin on biofilm-associated genes. Extracts of fresh garlic are more potent inhibitors of Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms than pure allicin, but allicin exerts a unique bactericidal effect on biofilm-embedded bacteria. The current experimental protocol has proven to be a valid approach to characterize the antimicrobial activity of traditional food ingredients.
Erythropoietin Action in Stress Response, Tissue Maintenance and Metabolism

Erythropoietin (EPO) regulation of red blood cell production and its induction at reduced oxygen tension provides for the important erythropoietic response to ischemic stress. The cloning and production of recombinant human EPO has led to its clinical use in patients with anemia for two and half decades and has facilitated studies of EPO action. Reports of animal and cell models of ischemic stress in vitro and injury suggest potential EPO benefit beyond red blood cell production including vascular endothelial response to increase nitric oxide production, which facilitates oxygen delivery to brain, heart and other non-hematopoietic tissues. This review discusses these and other reports of EPO action beyond red blood cell production, including EPO response affecting metabolism and obesity in animal models. Observations of EPO activity in cell and animal model systems, including mice with tissue specific deletion of EPO receptor (EpoR), suggest the potential for EPO response in metabolism and disease.
Do You Like What You See? Self-perceptions of Adolescent Bullies

This paper reports an attempt to increase our understanding of adolescents who exhibit bullying behaviour, by focusing on their self-perceptions. The findings, which confirm those in the literature, establish that the typical bully has a relatively positive self-concept in the social domain and in self-esteem. It is proposed that these findings have implications for early preventative approaches to bullying. These may include an awareness of how temperament traits might interact with a child's environment to produce certain behaviours, including a tendency to bully. Parenting programmes may be a suitable vehicle, and it is also posited that parenting styles and basic elements of child development may be included in ante-natal care.
Reovirus-induced liver disease in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. A model for the study of viral infection, pathogenesis, and clearance

Adult severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice can be infected by the oral route with reovirus, and a systemic infection can be established. Infectious virus is recovered from all internal organs, and the mice die in 4-6 wk. Chronic, discrete inflammatory lesions appear in the liver of infected mice, and are associated with hepatocytes containing demonstrable levels of viral antigen. The adoptive transfer of Peyer's patch (PP) cells from congenic mice before infection protects the SCID mice against disease and death. Immune donor PP cells can be distinguished from nonimmune cells by their ability to contain and resolve infection by 1 wk after challenge.
Hearing loss and incident dementia.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether hearing loss is associated with incident all-cause dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD). DESIGN Prospective study of 639 individuals who underwent audiometric testing and were dementia free in 1990 to 1994. Hearing loss was defined by a pure-tone average of hearing thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz in the better-hearing ear (normal, <25 dB [n = 455]; mild loss, 25-40 dB [n = 125]; moderate loss, 41-70 dB [n = 53]; and severe loss, >70 dB [n = 6]). Diagnosis of incident dementia was made by consensus diagnostic conference. Cox proportional hazards models were used to model time to incident dementia according to severity of hearing loss and were adjusted for age, sex, race, education, diabetes mellitus, smoking, and hypertension. SETTING Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. PARTICIPANTS Six hundred thirty-nine individuals aged 36 to 90 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Incident cases of all-cause dementia and AD until May 31, 2008. RESULTS During a median follow-up of 11.9 years, 58 cases of incident all-cause dementia were diagnosed, of which 37 cases were AD. The risk of incident all-cause dementia increased log linearly with the severity of baseline hearing loss (1.27 per 10-dB loss; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.50). Compared with normal hearing, the hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for incident all-cause dementia was 1.89 (1.00-3.58) for mild hearing loss, 3.00 (1.43-6.30) for moderate hearing loss, and 4.94 (1.09-22.40) for severe hearing loss. The risk of incident AD also increased with baseline hearing loss (1.20 per 10 dB of hearing loss) but with a wider confidence interval (0.94-1.53). CONCLUSIONS Hearing loss is independently associated with incident all-cause dementia. Whether hearing loss is a marker for early-stage dementia or is actually a modifiable risk factor for dementia deserves further study.
Regulation of podosome dynamics by WASp phosphorylation: implication in matrix degradation and chemotaxis in macrophages

Podosomes, adhesion structures capable of matrix degradation, have been linked with the ability of cells to perform chemotaxis and invade tissues. Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein (WASp), an effector of the RhoGTPase Cdc42 and a Src family kinase substrate, regulates macrophage podosome formation. In this study, we demonstrate that WASp is active in podosomes by using TIRF-FRET microscopy. Pharmacological and RNA interference approaches suggested that continuous WASp activity is required for podosome formation and function. Rescue experiments using point mutations demonstrate an absolute requirement for Cdc42 binding to WASp in podosome formation. Although tyrosine phosphorylation was not absolutely required for podosome formation, phosphorylation did regulate the rate of podosome nucleation and actin filament stability. Importantly, WASp tyrosine phosphorylation does not alter WASp activation, instead phosphorylation appears to be important for the restriction of WASp activity to podosomes. In addition, the matrix-degrading ability of cells requires WASp phosphorylation. Chemotactic responses to CSF-1 were also attenuated in the absence of endogenous WASp, which could not be rescued with either tyrosine mutation. These results suggest a more complex role for tyrosine phosphorylation than simply in the regulation of WASp activity, and suggest a link between podosome dynamics and macrophage migration.
Irregular Migration from West Africa to the Maghreb and the European Union: An Overview of Recent Trends

European anxiety as ‘over-egged’, and here he is at his most prescriptive. He advises commentators and politicians not to homogenise Muslims and to value criticism as engagement. Youth will respond to engagement and not to untrusting surveillance. Some Western practices or preferences are not universal: among them, unrestrained individualism, including unrestrained rights to freedom of speech and choice of spouse. On the other hand, he argues that there are transcultural reasons to support respect for human life, human dignity and equal human worth. He sees that many Muslims’ view of Islam either as triumphant or as dominated dampens their involvement in a society aiming to treat religions equally. Parekh takes on critics like Barry, Miller and Goodhart who see cohesion and redistribution as inhibited by diversity. He himself does not view diversity and cohesion as mutually exclusive. Social cohesion has been won in struggles to unite diverse groups. As groups emerge with new identities, new struggles for cohesion are needed: ‘respecting the legitimate claims of the groups involved is an important step towards integrating them into an expanded basis of solidarity’ (p. 47). Parekh’s reliance on politics as a means towards negotiation between justifiable demands leaves unexamined powerful interests that benefit from social injustice, such as insufficient housing. But Parekh’s book is not a revolutionary tract. He is a great philosopher of political practice in the current world. He does not shy away from intransigence, but advocates cultivating the human ability to be partial to strangers that allows one to accept other collective identities. He sees new cultural identities created not through clashes but through recognition of different claims where they are justifiable, forging new solidarity, and created and recreated identities appropriate to historical contexts. This book is a highly recommended guide through many current controversies.
Recognizing Arabic letter utterance using convolutional neural network

Arabic letters have unique characteristics because of similarity of sound produced when reciting few letters. This paper present one of application Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) in speech recognition Arabic letters. CNN has shown very good performance for image and speech recognition int the last few years. This study examined the several types of CNN models as well as compare with some Deep Neural Network (DNN) models to speech datasets used. As a result, CNN with a convolution layer and one layer fully-connected managed to obtain an accuracy of up to 80.75%, far better than the traditional DNN that only able to reach 72.0%.
Rapamycin Inhibits Proliferation of Hemangioma Endothelial Cells by Reducing HIF-1-Dependent Expression of VEGF

Hemangiomas are tumors formed by hyper-proliferation of vascular endothelial cells. This is caused by elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling through VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2). Here we show that elevated VEGF levels produced by hemangioma endothelial cells are reduced by the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin. mTOR activates p70S6K, which controls translation of mRNA to generate proteins such as hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1). VEGF is a known HIF-1 target gene, and our data show that VEGF levels in hemangioma endothelial cells are reduced by HIF-1α siRNA. Over-expression of HIF-1α increases VEGF levels and endothelial cell proliferation. Furthermore, both rapamycin and HIF-1α siRNA reduce proliferation of hemangioma endothelial cells. These data suggest that mTOR and HIF-1 contribute to hemangioma endothelial cell proliferation by stimulating an autocrine loop of VEGF signaling. Furthermore, mTOR and HIF-1 may be therapeutic targets for the treatment of hemangiomas.
Encrypted domain cloud-based speech noise reduction with comb filter

During the acquisition process of speech by recording, noise often contaminates the signal which degrades its quality and (1) makes it unpleasant for human perception and (2) causes inaccuracies in speech processing application such as speech recognition and speech transcription. Due to the storage and computational requirements of speech records, clients constrained in resources often outsource them to Cloud Data Centers (CDCs). However, the use of third party servers such as CDCs raises security concerns. In this work we enhance the quality of speech records contaminated with humming noise in a privacy-preserving manner in Encrypted Domain (ED). Our proposed scheme is based on (K;N) Shamir's Secret Sharing (SSS) method and Finite Impulse Response (FIR) comb filter. Experimental results for our proposed scheme in ED produces similar results as compared to its Plaintext Domain (PD) implementation version with minimal overheads while maintaining security and privacy.
Pain’s Description: Beginning Grammar and Biological Philology

How can pain complaints be elicited and analyzed so as to increase the empathic bond between patient and clinician? I will argue that though Wierzbicka’s approach to this question is useful—an exploration of certain abstract dimensions of pain’s meaning—it fails to examine key aspects that are the most useful and crucial for cultural analysis and for building empathic bonds between the clinician and patient. Not just a grammar of pain is needed; rather a biological philology of pain.
Spatial Correlation Patterns of L-Band Microwave Brightness Temperature

Incorporating the spatial correlation information into the land data assimilation system provides the opportunities to improve the analysis quality of the assimilation system. In order to make use of the spatial autocorrelation information effectively in the land data assimilation system, we used the geostatistics to explore and describe the spatial variations of the microwave brightness temperature data. The corresponding experimental semivariogram model, covariance model, nugget effect, sill value and range were calculated. Then these results were applied to the localization of the microwave remote sensing observation error covariance successfully, and played an important role regarding the enhanced performance of the direct radiance assimilation system.