Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dealing with Uncertainty Issues in Complex Ontology Matching

Ontology mapping is one of the most important tasks for ontology interoperability and its main aim is to find semantic rela- tionships between entities of two ontologies. However, most of the current techniques suffer from some kind of drawbacks as listed be- low: (a) most of them only consider 1:1 mappings; (b) most of them do not consider the importance of uncertainty in ontology mapping. In this paper we consider the following two issues that have been the focus of our ongoing research: (a) how to produce complex mappings (m:1 or 1:m and m:n) and (b) how to deal with uncertainties in the process of ontology mapping.
Face Recognition across Time Lapse Using Convolutional Neural Networks

Time lapse, characteristic of aging, is a complex process that affects the reliability and security of biometric face recognition systems. This paper reports the novel use and effectiveness of deep learning, in general, and convolutional neural networks (CNN), in particular, for automatic rather than hand-crafted feature extraction for robust face recognition across time lapse. A CNN architecture using the VGG-Face deep (neural network) learning is found to produce highly discriminative and interoperable features that are robust to aging variations even across a mix of biometric datasets. The features extracted show high inter-class and low intra-class variability leading to low generalization errors on aging datasets using ensembles of subspace discriminant classifiers. The classification results for the all-encompassing authentication methods proposed on the challenging FG-NET and MORPH datasets are competitive with state-of-the-art methods including commercial face recognition engines and are richer in functionality and interoperability than existing methods as it handles mixed biometric datasets, e.g., FG-NET and MORPH.
Elastic Allocator: An Adaptive Task Scheduler for Streaming Query in the Cloud

Many big data applications receive and process data in real time. These data, also known as data streams, are generated continuously and processed online in a low latency manner. Data stream is prone to change dramatically in volume, since its workload may have a variation of several orders between peak and valley periods. Fully provisioning resources for stream processing to handle the peak load is costly, while over-provisioning is wasteful when to deal with lightweight workload. Cloud computing emphasizes that resource should be utilized economically and elastically. An open question is how to allocate query task adaptively to keeping up the input rate of the data stream. Previous work focuses on using either local or global capacity information to improve the cluster CPU resource utilization, while the bandwidth utilization which is also critical to the system throughput is ignored or simplified. In this paper, we formalize the operator placement problem considering both the CPU and bandwidth usage, and introduce the Elastic Allocator. The Elastic Allocator uses a quantitative method to evaluate a node's capacity and bandwidth usage, and exploit both the local and global resource information to allocate the query task in a graceful manner to achieve high resource utilization. The experimental results and a simple prototype built on top of Storm finally demonstrate that Elastic Allocator is adaptive and feasible in cloud computing environment, and has an advantage of improving and balancing system resource utilization.
The impact of tumor extent (T stage) and lymph node involvement (N stage) on survival after surgical resection for gallbladder adenocarcinoma.

INTRODUCTION Tumor extent (T stage) and lymph node involvement (N stage) have a known combined negative effect on survival in patients with gallbladder adenocarcinoma, but the independent effects of these factors have been less well described. We investigated whether T stage and N stage independently predict survival after surgery for gallbladder adenocarcinoma. METHODS We queried the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database for patients treated with surgical resection for gallbladder adenocarcinoma between 1988 and 2004. Cases were stratified by disease severity based on tumor extent and nodal involvement. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods were used to test the effect of disease severity and to develop multivariate models of the effects of demographic and clinical covariates on survival. Univariate and multivariate models were tested in the entire cohort and in a subsample with pathologically confirmed lymph node status. RESULTS Four thousand and forty-eight patients who survived the immediate perioperative period comprised the full cohort. The subsample with pathologically confirmed lymph node status included 1298 patients. Age, gender, radiation treatment, tumor grade, tumor extent and lymph node status had statistically significant independent effects on survival in both models (all p<0.03). After accounting for T by N stage interactions, both tumor extent (1.21 < or = HR < or = 3.81, all p < or = 0.005) and lymph node involvement (1.80 < or = HR < or = 2.84, p<0.001) had independent effects on survival. CONCLUSIONS Tumor extent and lymph node metastases are independent predictors of survival after surgical resection for gallbladder adenocarcinoma. Tumor penetration of the gallbladder wall and pathologically confirmed lymph node involvement each carry poor prognosis.
Analysis and Control of Distillation Columns

The emphasis in this paper is on the analysis of the dynamic behavior of distillation columns. The dynamic behavior of a distillation column is approximated with a two time constant model. dy D dx B = 0 @ g11 1+1s g11+g12 1+2s ; g11 1+1s g21 1+1s g21+g22 1+2s ; g21 1+1s 1 A dL dV (7) where g ij is the steady-state gain. The response to changes in the external ows is approximately rst order with time constant 1. This dominant time constant can be estimated using a simple mixing tank model for the column (Moczek et al., 1963). = \change in component holdup inside column(mol)" \imbalance in supply of this component (mol=s)" (1a) Here represents the diierence between two steady states. For high purity binary separations and small pertubations to the column (linear model valid, ! 0) Skogestad and Morari (1987) have derived an analytical expression for 1 from (1a) Here M I is the total holdup inside the column, and M D and M B are the condenser and reboiler holdups. S = yD(1;xB) (1;yD)xB is the separation factor and I s = Dy D (1 ; y D) + Bx B (1 ; x B) is the \impurity sum". Note that I s may be extremely small for columns with both products of high purity (1 ; y D and x B both small) resulting in very large linearized values of 1. The response to changes in the internal ows (keep D and B constant) is also rst order, but its time constant 2 is generally signiicantly smaller than 1. It can be estimated by m a t c hing the initial response. (24) The main advantage of the simple model (7) is that it gives a good description of both the low-and high-frequency behavior of distillation columns. Such models were not available in the literature. The traditional approach has been to use a model which matches the steady-state gains, but which is not necessarily accurate for high-frequencies. The other extreme is to match the high-frequency gains (Rademaker et al., 1975, p. 137). (7) provides a link between the low-and high-frequency regions. In the paper it is shown that the high-frequency behavior is generally much less eeected by c hanging operating conditions than the steady-state. This partially explains why highly nonlinear distillation columns may be controlled satisfactory using linear controllers. In particular, the initial response is …
PLLA-PEG-TCH-labeled bioactive molecule nanofibers for tissue engineering

By mimicking the native extracellular matrix, electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds (ENSs) can provide both chemical and physical cues to modulate cell adherence and differentiation and to promote tissue regeneration while retaining bioresorbable and biocompatible properties. In this study, ENSs were developed to deliver multiple biomolecules by loading them into the core-sheath structure and/or by conjugating them to the nanofiber surfaces. In this work, poly(L-lactide)-poly(ethylene glycol)-NH2 and poly(L-lactide) were emulsion electrospun into nanofibers with a core-sheath structure. A model drug, tetracycline hydrochloride, was loaded within the nanofibers. Amino and carboxyl reactive groups were then activated on the fiber surfaces using saturated water vapor exposure and base hydrolysis, respectively. These reactive groups allowed the surface of the ENS to be functionalized with two other bioactive molecules, fluorescein isothiocyanate- and rhodamine-labeled bovine serum albumins, which were used as model proteins. The ENSs were shown to retain their antimicrobial capacity after two functionalization reactions, indicating that multifunctional nanofibers can potentially be developed into functional wound dressings or periodontal membranes or used in more complicated tissue systems where multiple growth factors and anti-infection precautions are critical for the successful implantation and regeneration of tissues.
PRECISE HIGH-CADENCE TIME SERIES OBSERVATIONS OF FIVE VARIABLE YOUNG STARS IN AURIGA WITH MOST

To explore young star variability on a large range of timescales, we have used the MOST satellite to obtain 24 days of continuous, sub-minute cadence, high-precision optical photometry on a field of classical and weak-lined T Tauri stars (TTSs) in the Taurus–Auriga star formation complex. Observations of AB Aurigae, SU Aurigae, V396 Aurigae, V397 Aurigae, and HD 31305 reveal brightness fluctuations at the 1%–10% level on timescales of hours to weeks. We have further assessed the variability properties with Fourier, wavelet, and autocorrelation techniques, identifying one significant period per star. We present spot models in an attempt to fit the periodicities, but find that we cannot fully account for the observed variability. Rather, all stars exhibit a mixture of periodic and aperiodic behavior, with the latter dominating stochastically on timescales less than several days. After removal of the main periodicity, periodograms for each light curve display power-law trends consistent with those seen for other young accreting stars. Several of our targets exhibited unusual variability patterns not anticipated by prior studies, and we propose that this behavior originates with the circumstellar disks. The MOST observations underscore the need for investigation of TTS light variations on a wide range of timescales in order to elucidate the physical processes responsible; we provide guidelines for future time series observations.
Convex Separation from Optimization via Heuristics

Let $K$ be a full-dimensional convex subset of $\mathbb{R}^n$. We describe a new polynomial-time Turing reduction from the weak separation problem for $K$ to the weak optimization problem for $K$ that is based on a geometric heuristic. We compare our reduction, which relies on analytic centers, with the standard, more general reduction.
Kinetic Analysis by Real-Time PCR of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)-Specific T Cells in Peripheral Blood and Liver after Challenge with HCV

ABSTRACT Intrahepatic virus-specific CD8+ T cells are thought to be important for the control of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, yet the precise kinetics for the expansion of epitope-specific T cells over the course of infection are difficult to determine with currently available methods. We used a real-time PCR assay to measure the frequency of clonotypic HCV-specific CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood and snap-frozen liver biopsy specimens of two chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) with previously resolved HCV infection who were rechallenged with HCV. In response to rechallenge, the magnitude of each clonotypic response was 10-fold higher in the liver than in the blood, and the peak clonotype frequency was concurrent with the peak viral load. The higher frequency of HCV-specific clonotypes in the liver than in peripheral blood was maintained for at least 3 months after the clearance of viremia. After antibody-mediated CD8+ T-cell depletion and another viral challenge, the rebound of these clonotypes was seen prior to an appreciable reconstitution of CD8+ T-cell values and, again, at higher frequencies in the liver than in peripheral blood. These data demonstrate the importance of intrahepatic virus-specific CD8+ T cells for the clearance of infection and the rapid kinetics of expansion after virus challenge.
A QoE-Based Link Adaptation Scheme for H.264/SVC Video Multicast Over IEEE 802.11

Scalable Video Coding (SVC) is an extension of H.264/Advanced Video Coding (AVC), which has good characteristics for video transmission over networks. SVC encodes a video into a base layer (BL) and multiple enhancement layers (ELs). With the degree of importance of each layer, in addition to different modulation and coding schemes (MCSs), we can assign different retry attempt limits to each layer to improve quality of experience (QoE) metrics, such as average playback bitrate and buffering ratio. For example, we can assign a slower MCS and a higher retry limit to the BL, to reduce the loss rate and maintain the playback smoothness; whereas, at the same time, we can also assign faster MCSs and lower retry limits to each of the ELs, to reduce the buffering ratio. In this paper, we present a QoE-based link adaptation (QLA) scheme for H.264/SVC video streaming over IEEE 802.11 b/g wireless LANs. We then present a multicast extension of the QLA scheme, multicast QLA (MQLA). We implemented our QLA and MQLA schemes on a Linux-based Wi-Fi protocol driver, mac80211, and built a testbed to conduct our experiments. Experiment results show that both our schemes exhibit an improved QoE performance over the default link adaptation scheme provided by the Linux wireless driver, minstrel.
Minimizing the Variance of Cluster Mixture Models for Clustering Uncertain Objects

The increasing demand for dealing with uncertainty in data has led to the development of effective and efficient approaches in the data management and mining contexts. Clustering uncertain data objects has particularly attracted great attention in the data mining community. Most existing clustering methods however have urgently to come up with a number of issues, some of which are related to a poor efficiency mainly due to an expensive computation of the distance between uncertain objects. In this work, we propose a novel formulation to the problem of clustering uncertain objects, which allows for reaching accurate solutions by minimizing the variance of the mixture models that represent the clusters to be identified. We define a heuristic, MMVar, which exploits some analytical properties about the computation of variance for mixture models to compute local minima of the objective function at the basis of the proposed formulation. This characteristic allows MMVar to discard any distance measure between uncertain objects and, therefore, to achieve high efficiency. Experiments have shown that MMVar outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms from an efficiency viewpoint, while achieving better average performance in terms of accuracy.
Saponins from Anemone rivularis.

From roots of ANEMONE RIVULARIS, used in Chinese folk medicine, four new oleanane-saponins named huzhangosides A, B, C and D were isolated along with two known saponins and their structures were elucidated by means of 13 C-NMR, MS and modified sequence analysis by GC-MS.
The Transcription Factor Ste12 Mediates the Regulatory Role of the Tmk1 MAP Kinase in Mycoparasitism and Vegetative Hyphal Fusion in the Filamentous Fungus Trichoderma atroviride

Mycoparasitic species of the fungal genus Trichoderma are potent antagonists able to combat plant pathogenic fungi by direct parasitism. An essential step in this mycoparasitic fungus-fungus interaction is the detection of the fungal host followed by activation of molecular weapons in the mycoparasite by host-derived signals. The Trichoderma atroviride MAP kinase Tmk1, a homolog of yeast Fus3/Kss1, plays an essential role in regulating the mycoparasitic host attack, aerial hyphae formation and conidiation. However, the transcription factors acting downstream of Tmk1 are hitherto unknown. Here we analyzed the functions of the T. atroviride Ste12 transcription factor whose orthologue in yeast is targeted by the Fus3 and Kss1 MAP kinases. Deletion of the ste12 gene in T. atroviride not only resulted in reduced mycoparasitic overgrowth and lysis of host fungi but also led to loss of hyphal avoidance in the colony periphery and a severe reduction in conidial anastomosis tube formation and vegetative hyphal fusion events. The transcription of several orthologues of Neurospora crassa hyphal fusion genes was reduced upon ste12 deletion; however, the Δste12 mutant showed enhanced expression of mycoparasitism-relevant chitinolytic and proteolytic enzymes and of the cell wall integrity MAP kinase Tmk2. Based on the comparative analyses of Δste12 and Δtmk1 mutants, an essential role of the Ste12 transcriptional regulator in mediating outcomes of the Tmk1 MAPK pathway such as regulation of the mycoparasitic activity, hyphal fusion and carbon source-dependent vegetative growth is suggested. Aerial hyphae formation and conidiation, in contrast, were found to be independent of Ste12.
Hepatoprotective effects of pantothenic acid on carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity in rats

The present study was undertaken to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of pantothenic acid on CCl4-induced liver damage. Male Wistar rats were orally treated with pantothenic acid (0.005, 0.01, 0.025, 0.05 and 0.1 g/kg) daily, with administration of CCl4 (1 mL/kg, 50 % CCl4 in olive oil) twice a week for 28 days. The effect of pantothenic acid on serum markers (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and γ-glutamyltransferase) was measured in CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in rat. Further, the effects on enzymatic antioxidant (superoxide dismutase) were estimated in the liver samples. CCl4 challenge not only elevated the serum marker enzyme activities but also suppressed hepatic antioxidative defense system including superoxide dismutase. The biochemical observations were supplemented with histopathological examination of rat liver sections. Histopathological examination of livers showed that pantothenic acid reduced fatty degeneration, cytoplasmic vacuolization and necrosis in CCl4-treated rats. Therefore, pantothenic acid may be an effective hepatoprotective agent and viable candidate for treating hepatic disorders and other oxidative stress-related diseases.
Inhibition of vesicular stomatitis virus infection by spike glycoprotein. Evidence for an intracellular, G protein-requiring step

In an assay measuring virus-directed RNA synthesis, infection of BHK cells by a standard test dose of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) was inhibited by ultraviolet light-irradiated wt VSV and by ts 045, one of a number of thermolabile, temperature-sensitive G protein mutants of VSV. After heat treatment for 1 h at 45 degrees C, the thermolabile mutants were no longer able to inhibit the VSV infection. In contrast, the thermolabile M protein mutant ts G31 and the nonthermolabile G protein mutant ts 044 could still inhibit the test VSV dose. Thus, the presence of G protein in its native conformation was necessary for inhibition of infection. There was little difference in the binding to cells or the internalization to a trypsin-resistant state of ts 045 or wt VSV before and after heat treatment, and there was no evidence of specific saturable receptors on the cell surface. None of the irradiated virions at concentrations that gave maximal inhibition of infection could prevent binding of infectious VSV to, or internalization by, BHK cells. The G protein-specific inhibition, therefore, did not occur at the cell surface but must have occurred at some intracellular site, which has been suggested to be the lysome. The lysosomal inhibitor chloroquine, when added with the infecting virus, completely inhibited VSV infection at all multiplicities of infection tested, and it gave 50% inhibition when added to 1.5 h after infection. The possible importance of the lysosome in the intracellular pathway of infection is discussed.
Defining the Minimal Domain of the Plasmodium falciparum Protein MESA Involved in the Interaction with the Red Cell Membrane Skeletal Protein 4.1*

During part of its life cycle, the protozoan parasite Plasmodium falciparum lives within the human red blood cell and modifies both the structural and functional properties of the red cell. It does this by synthesizing a number of polypeptides that it transports into the red cell cytoplasm and to the red cell membrane. One of these transported proteins, MESA (mature parasite-infected erythrocyte surfaceantigen), is anchored to the red cell membrane by noncovalent interaction with erythrocyte protein 4.1. We have utilized a combination of in vitro transcription and translation and a membrane binding assay to identify the protein sequence involved in anchoring MESA to the membrane. Labeled fragments of different regions of the MESA protein were evaluated for their ability to bind to inside-out vesicle membrane preparations of human red cells. Binding was dependent on the presence of red cell membrane proteins and was abolished either by trypsin treatment or by selective depletion of membrane proteins. Binding was specific and could be inhibited by the addition of competing protein, with an IC50 of (6.3 ± 1.2) × 10−7 m, indicative of a moderate affinity interaction. Fractionation studies demonstrated that binding fragments interacted most efficiently with membrane protein fractions that had been enriched in protein 4.1. Binding inhibition experiments using synthetic peptides identified the binding domain of MESA for protein 4.1 as a 19-residue sequence near the amino terminus of MESA, a region capable of forming an amphipathic helix.
An Intronic SINE Insertion in FAM161A that Causes Exon-Skipping Is Associated with Progressive Retinal Atrophy in Tibetan Spaniels and Tibetan Terriers

Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) in dogs is characterised by the degeneration of the photoreceptor cells of the retina, resulting in vision loss and eventually complete blindness. The condition affects more than 100 dog breeds and is known to be genetically heterogeneous between breeds. Around 19 mutations have now been identified that are associated with PRA in around 49 breeds, but for the majority of breeds the mutation(s) responsible have yet to be identified. Using genome-wide association with 22 Tibetan Spaniel PRA cases and 10 controls, we identified a novel PRA locus, PRA3, on CFA10 (praw = 2.01×10−5, pgenome = 0.014), where a 3.8 Mb region was homozygous within 12 cases. Using targeted next generation sequencing, a short interspersed nuclear element insertion was identified near a splice acceptor site in an intron of a provocative gene, FAM161A. Analysis of mRNA from an affected dog revealed that the SINE causes exon skipping, resulting in a frame shift, leading to a downstream premature termination codon and possibly a truncated protein product. This mutation segregates with the disease in 22 out of 35 cases tested (63%). Of the PRA controls, none are homozygous for the mutation, 15% carry the mutation and 85% are homozygous wildtype. This mutation was also identified in Tibetan Terriers, although our results indicate that PRA is genetically heterogeneous in both Tibetan Spaniels and Tibetan Terriers.