Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ℓ0-minimization methods for image restoration problems based on wavelet frames

In this paper we consider a class of -minimization and wavelet frame-based models for image deblurring and denoising. Mathematically, they can be formulated as minimizing the sum of a data fidelity term and the l0-‘norm’ of the framelet coefficients of the underlying image, and we are particularly interested in three different types of data fidelity forms for image restoration problems. We first study the first-order optimality conditions for these models. We then propose a penalty decomposition (PD) method for solving these problems in which a sequence of penalty subproblems are solved by a block coordinate descent (BCD) method. Under some suitable assumptions, we establish that any accumulation point of the sequence generated by the PD method satisfies the first-order optimality conditions of these problems. Moreover, for the problems in which the data fidelity term is convex, we show that such an accumulation point is a local minimizer of the problems. In addition, we show that any accumulation point of the sequence generated by the BCD method is a block coordinate minimizer of the penalty subproblem. Furthermore, under some convexity assumptions on the data fidelity term, we prove that such an accumulation point is a local minimizer of the penalty subproblem. Numerical simulations show that the proposed -minimization methods enjoy great potential for image deblurring and denoising in terms of solution quality and/or speed.
From Analyzing Operating System Vulnerabilities to Designing Multiversion Intrusion-Tolerant Architectures

This paper analyzes security problems of modern computer systems caused by vulnerabilities in their operating systems (OSs). Our scrutiny of widely used enterprise OSs focuses on their vulnerabilities by examining the statistical data available on how vulnerabilities in these systems are disclosed and eliminated, and by assessing their criticality. This is done by using statistics from both the National Vulnerabilities Database and the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures System. The specific technical areas the paper covers are the quantitative assessment of forever-day vulnerabilities, estimation of days-of-grey-risk, the analysis of the vulnerabilities severity and their distributions by attack vector and impact on security properties. In addition, the study aims to explore those vulnerabilities that have been found across a diverse range of OSs. This leads us to analyzing how different intrusion-tolerant architectures deploying the OS diversity impact availability, integrity, and confidentiality.
Island Enclaves: Offshoring Strategies, Creative Governance, and Subnational Island Jurisdictions

Autonomy without sovereignty : an “island studies” approach / Borders within borders and the new offshoring / Island subnationalism and “upside down” decolonization / A review of economic performance : tapping the hinterland beyond / Patterns of creative governance for development / Offshoring strategies : lessons from subnational island jurisdictions / Island paradiplomacy and smaller island state diplomacy compared / Environmental policies and politics : economic versus ecological development strategies / An enduring “rich seam” of jurisdictional capacity / Appendix listing and maps of subnational island jurisdictions / Notes / Bibliography / Index
CYCLONE CATARINA: DAMAGE AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT

The southern region of Santa Catarina State, Brazil, was shocked by an unusual climatic phenomenon known as Cyclone Catarina that reached the coast on the night of 27 March 2004 causing a severe damage over several coastal municipalities. The objective of this work is to elaborate a damage and vulnerability assessment of the affected communities. Both damage assessment and intensity map were carried out based on a field survey at 22 affected municipalities, covering a route of more than 3,000 km. The intensity map was performed interpolating 260 visited points that were classified according to the overall damage scenario. An interdisciplinary survey team of geoscientists applied a total of 160 questionnaires. Photographs were also taken at the most affected areas in order to assist the vulnerability assessment. In was found that the most affected municipalities were Passo de Torres, Balneario Gaivota, and Balneario Arroio do Silva, all located at the coast, where a great number of edifications were not only damaged but also destroyed. However, these edifications were mainly nonengineering wood-framed and brick houses with concrete-asbestos tile roofs, having a fragile structure with low wind resistance. The most affected communities within the urban areas were of low income. At rural areas, most damage was associated to crop fields of banana, rice, corn, and eucalyptus plantation. As the cyclone displaced towards the interior its intensity diminished, showing a radial destruction pattern. According to the Saffir-Simpson scale and the observed damage level the cyclone Catarina was a class 3 hurricane winds.
Quantifying interaction networks and stability properties of plankton food webs using multivariate first order autoregressive modelling

Lakes and reservoirs have been identified as sentinels of global change as they integrate changes in the surrounding landscape. While univariate indicator variables are relatively well assessed, the lack of knowledge on temporal changes in species interactions under pressure has been identified as a major gap in the bio-monitoring sciences. Multivariate autoregressive models can be used to assess direction and strength of both direct and indirect interactions in complex communities over time. This model framework also allows calculation of network stability properties (variance, resilience and reactivity). Moreover, the interaction matrix can be further analyzed for classical network structure properties (closeness- and betweenness centrality). These measures are useful indicators of changes in ecosystem stability and help identify biotic keystone groups and/or groups of species that are particularly vulnerable to changes in the landscape
Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases: Geographical Distribution and Control Strategies in the Euro-Asia Region

1. Emerging (re-emerging) tick-borne infections and dissemination of ticks 2. Generic morphological and geographic distribution of tick species that are involved transmission of animal pathogens including zoonoses 3. Factors influencing the spread and distribution of ticks 4.Tick-borne animal infections (including zoonoses) in Europe and the Mediterranean basin 5. Maps of reported occurrence of tick-borne pathogens 6. Maps of reported occurrence of ticks 7. Surveillance and control measures Appendix 1 - Tables of geographic data of tick-borne pathogens Appendix.2 - List (by ID number) of the references from which geographic data was extracted Appendix 3 - List of references that could not be retrieved on time for the data extraction Appendix 4 - Keys for genera and species of ticks in the Mediterranean basin.
The power of culture : teaching across language difference

"The Power of Culture: Teaching Across Language Difference" examines the pedagogical and political supports necessary to give language minority students a high-quality education in mainstream classrooms. The U.S. educational system and teacher education programs have not adjusted to demographic changes in the student population, including a growing number of language minority students. Mainstream teachers are expected to teach all students to high standards, but they are frequently not given the professional skills to teach students whose language and culture are different from their own. "The Power of Culture" focuses on three key issues of educational reform high-stakes assessment, effective pedagogy, and teacher preparation as they relate to teaching a diverse student body to high academic standards. Contributing authors assess the effects of high-stakes testing on language minority students, and debate whether educational reform has, in implementation, drifted away from the principle of equity. Vivid descriptions of classrooms exemplify the art and science of teaching language minority students using the power of culture: the power of the mainstream culture and of the students' home cultures. Classroom studies focus on students from a variety of backgrounds, including Cambodian, Cape Verdean, Chinese, and Puerto Rican, as well as literacy students from Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Somalia who arrived in the United States with no literacy skills in either their native language or English. "The Power of Culture" highlights mainstream teachers and teacher preparation programs that are taking the diversity challenge seriously and are responding to the complexities of teaching language minority students in constructive and innovative ways. By examining the high-stakes educational context, examples of successful teaching across language difference, and teacher education programs that help teachers recognize and utilize the power of culture, "The Power of Culture" provides a timely compendium of studies and analyses to guide educators and administrators as they work to fulfill the reform promise of excellence for all students. "
Genetic and Protein Biomarkers for the Diagnosis and Cancer Risk Assessment of Prostate Cancer Policy

When Policy Topic is not covered The following genetic and protein biomarkers for the diagnosis of prostate cancer are considered investigational:  Kallikrein markers (eg, 4KscoreTM Test)  Metabolomic profiles (eg, ProstarixTM)  PCA3 testing  TMPRSS fusion genes  Candidate gene panels  Mitochondrial DNA mutation testing (eg, Prostate Core Mitomics TestTM)  Gene hypermethylation testing (eg, ConfirmMDx®)  Prostate Health Index (phi)
Biosystems Diversity

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a member of medicinal and aromatic plants that have been used for phytotherapeutic applications for decades. In this study, optimum production conditions of lemon balm tincture, which is a functional product used commonly by the people for medicinal purposes, were investigated. For this aim, the response surface methodology approach was applied, and to determine the effect of processing variables, solid concentration (X1), ethanol concentration (X2), and processing time (X3) were selected as the parameters showing the essential effects on the tincture production. The production of high phenolic yielded tincture was aimed at, and therefore, total phenolic content (TPC) and antiradical activity as inhibition concentration (IC50) of the tinctures were determined as the responses in the study. According to the experimental design, 15 tincture samples were prepared, and TPC ranged 1,462–10,335 mg GAE/L, while the IC50 ranged 11.8–78.1 mL. Multiple response optimization approaches were expertly applied, and optimum solid concentration and ethanol concentration for the high bioactive lemon balm tincture was determined as 5 g in 30 mL solvent and 38.6%, respectively. These optimum production conditions will help manufacturing the ideal lemon balm tincture with high bioactivity.
Patient Experience Journal Patient Experience Journal

Medical centers have a vested interest in improving patient experience through enhancing communication skills. The American Academy on Communication in Healthcare has helped institutions across the country establish internal expertise through delivering train-the-trainer programs. The phases of the program include preparing for implementation of the program, having program participants undergo a fundamental communication skills workshop and then understanding the theoretical and practical rationales underly participants to achieve mastery, and ensuring long Outcomes for participants include increased self communication skills program, and enhanced communication and hopefulness in working with colleagues. Train trainer programs are a viable way to create enduring communities of local experts who can implement institutions’ commitments to excellence in the communication skills of their providers.
Performance Enhancing Proxies Intended to Mitigate Link-Related Degradations

This document is a survey of Performance Enhancing Proxies (PEPs) often employed to improve degraded TCP performance caused by characteristics of specific link environments, for example, in satellite, wireless WAN, and wireless LAN environments. Different types of Performance Enhancing Proxies are described as well as the mechanisms used to improve performance. Emphasis is put on proxies operating with TCP. In addition, motivations for their development and use are described along with some of the consequences of using them, especially in the context of the Internet.
Site specific passive acoustic detection and densities of humpback whale calls off the coast of California

Passive acoustic monitoring of marine mammal calls is an increasingly important method for assessing population numbers, distribution, and behavior. Automated methods are needed to aid in the analyses of the recorded data. When a mammal vocalizes in the marine environment, the received signal is a filtered version of the original waveform emitted by the marine mammal. The waveform is reduced in amplitude and distorted due to propagation effects that are influenced by the bathymetry and environment. It is important to account for these effects to determine a site -specific probability of detection for marine mammal calls in a given study area. A knowledge of that probability function over a range of environmental and ocean noise conditions allows vocalization statistics from recordings of single, fixed, omnidirectional sensors to be compared across sensors and at the same sensor over time with less bias and uncertainty in the results than direct comparison of the raw statistics. This dissertation focuses on both the development of new tools needed to automatically detect humpback whale vocalizations from single-fixed omnidirectional sensors as well as the determination of the site-specific probability of detection for monitoring sites off the coast of California. Using these tools, detected humpback calls are calibrated for environmental properties using the site-specific probability of detection values, and presented as call densities (calls per square kilometer per time). A two-year monitoring effort using these calibrated call densities reveals important biological and ecological information on migrating humpback whales off the coast of California. Call density trends are compared between the monitoring sites and at the same monitoring site over time. Call densities also are compared to several natural and human- influenced variables including season, time of day, lunar illumination, and ocean noise. The results reveal substantial differences in call densities between the two sites which were not noticeable using uncorrected (raw) call counts. Additionally, a Lombard effect was observed for humpback whale vocalizations in response to increasing ocean noise. The results presented in this thesis develop techniques to accurately measure marine mammal abundances from passive acoustic sensors
Do Medical Marijuana Laws Reduce Addiction and Deaths Related to Pain Killers ?

If medical marijuana laws facilitate the substitution of marijuana for powerful and addictive pain relievers, a potential overlooked positive impact of these laws may be a reduction in the harms associated with opioid pain relievers. We study the impact of medical marijuana laws on problematic opioid use. Based on standard differences-in-differences models, event study analyses, and synthetic control models, we find that states permitting medical marijuana dispensaries experience a relative decrease in opioid addictions and opioid overdose deaths. The mitigating effect of medical marijuana laws is specific to states that permit dispensaries. We also evaluate potential mechanisms.
Revisiting the Business Relationship Concept a Work in Progress paper

In this paper we contend that the central notion of ‘a business relationship’ has largely been taken for granted and remains understudied within IMP research. tIn this paper we interrogate the notion of a ‘dyadic exchange relationship’ between Org A and Org B. Instead, we identify a dyadic business relationship as multiple entities. The singular version of the multiple business relationship then becomes an outcome of co-ordination or orchestration practices that the participants perform. Hence, research needs first to consider the multiple enactments of such relationships between varying interactants on either side, even including boundary spanners and objects. Second, studies need to pay attention to the practices that aim to produce a singular version of the business relationship. In revisiting the business relationship concept, we will draw on rich empirical accounts and draw attention to the co-ordination or orchestration practices to produce a singular version of the relationship. By conceiving of the enactment of a singular relationship entity as an achievement rather than a starting point we can reveal the multiple and sometimes conflicting efforts to ascribe agency to specific entities and their varying associations. Analytically, we take the starting position that with multiplicity comes, as Law and Mol (2002) suggest, the need for new conceptualisations of what it might be to hold these ‘versions’ together. We ask: what more could we learn about business relationships by opening the business relationship as ‘black box’ and examining the variations and multiplicities that reside within it?
Galectin-3 inhibits cytokine-inducing activity of periodontopathic bacterial endotoxin in murine splenocytes

Galectins are a family of animal lectins involved in not only development and differentiation, but also immunoregulation and host–pathogen interactions. Galectin-3 interacts with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from gram-negative bacteria such as Salmonella minnesota and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The present study investigated whether galectin-3 inhibited the cytokine-inducing activity of LPS from periodontopathic bacteria using splenocytes derived from mice of different ages. Splenocytes were prepared from 1-or 7-month-old C57BL/6 mice. LPS was extracted from Aggregatibacter ( Actinobacillus ) actinomycetemcomitans Y4 and then purified. To culture solutions, either A. actinomycetemcomitans Y4 LPS alone, or LPS and murine galectin-3 were added, and after 17 h of incubation, the release of IL-6 and IFN- from splenocytes was measured using ELISA. In all mice tested, LPS stimulation significantly increased production of IL-6 and IFN- (p<0.02). In the splenocytes of 1-month-old mice, murine galectin-3 suppressed LPS-induced cytokine production, but this suppressive effect was not seen with splenocytes from 7-month-old mice. The pre-stimulation level of cytokines was also significantly higher for 7-month-old mice than for 1-month-old mice (p<0.05).
PRODUCTIVITY EFFECTS OF NATURAL RESOURCES TRADE-COMPARISON TO MECHANISMS OF TECHNOLOGICAL SPECIALISATION

This paper compares two alternative growth paths, assessing the effects on productivity of specialisation in natural resources (NR) and in technologically advanced products. The empirical analysis exploits product-level export data for 109 developing and 51 developed economies over the period 1996-2018. We document two distinct types of specialisation, based on exports either of natural resources or of technological products, and compare their role in productivity growth by GMM estimation of a conditional convergence model. In general, reliance on natural resource exports slows growth, but we find that the type of resources exported is important: fuel exports hamper growth while specialisation in metals enhances the catch-up in productivity. Technological specialisation, especially in products typical of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, reinforces productivity growth but does not affect the relationship between resources and productivity growth. JEL
Best Evidence Summaries of Topics in Mental Healthcare BEST in MH clinical question-answering service Question

Question In adults with cognitive impairment or memory problems how effective is the MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) compared to the MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination) in memory management / managing cognitive impairment? Evidence from six diagnostic test accuracy studies indicated that the MoCA is likely to perform as well as or better than the MMSE for the diagnosis of cognitive impairment in a variety of relevant populations. There was also evidence to suggest that the MoCA could be used with a higher diagnostic threshold to maximise sensitivity for screening applications. Evidence from one study, which analysed the association of individual components of MoCA and MMSE with cognitive impairment, indicated that there may be potential to develop a brief instrument which could have better diagnostic performance than either MoCA or MMSE; further research in this area may be useful. What does the evidence say? Number of included studies/reviews (number of participants) We identified six diagnostic test accuracy studies which compared the performance of the MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) to that of the MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination for diagnosing cognitive impairment, as defined by neuropsychological testing. One study also assessed the performance of the ACE-R (Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination–Revised) score. 6 Two studies used a disgnostic case-control design; these studies compared the ability of MMSE and MoCA to distinguish between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy controls or AD and healthy controls, 2 and between behavioural frontotemporal dementia (bv-FTD) and healthy controls. 3 The
Selling Forest Environmental Services : Market-Based Mechanisms for Conservation and Development

List of Tables, Figures, and Boxes * Foreword * Acknowledgements * List of Contributors * Acronyms and Abbreviations * Market-based Mechanisms for Forest Conservation and Development * Forest Environmental Services: An Overview * Paying for Water Services in Central America: Learning from Costa Rica * Sharing the Benefits of Watershed Management in Sukhomajri, India * Paying to Protect Watershed Services: Wetland Banking in the United States * Financing Watershed Conservation: the FONAG Water Fund in Quito, Ecuador * Selling Biodiversity in a Coffee Cup: Shade-grown Coffee and Conservation in Mesoamerica * Conserving Land Privately: Spontaneous Markets for Land Conservation in Chile * Linking Biodiversity Prospecting and Forest Conservation * Using Fiscal Instruments to Encourage Conservation: Municipal Responses to the 'Ecological' Value-added Tax in Parana and Minas Geras, Brazil * Developing a Market for Forest Carbon in British Columbia * Helping Indigenous Farmers to Participate in the International Market for Carbon Services: The Case of Australian Forests * Insuring Forest Sinks * Making Market-based Mechanisms Work for Forests and People * Index