Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Balancing reducer skew in MapReduce workloads using progressive sampling

The elapsed time of a parallel job depends on the completion time of its longest running constituent. We present a static load balancing algorithm that distributes work evenly across the reducers in a MapReduce job resulting in significant elapsed time reductions. Taking a user-specified model of reducer performance, our load balancer uses a progressive objective-based cluster sampler to estimate the load associated with each reduce-key. It balances the workload using Key Chopping, to split keys with large loads into sub-keys that can be assigned to different distributive reducers, and Key Packing, to assign keys with medium loads to reducers to minimize the maximum reducer load. Keys with small loads are hashed as they have little effect on the balance. This repeats until the user specified balancing objective and confidence level are achieved. The sampler and load balancer have been implemented in the Oracle Loader for Hadoop (OLH), a commercial MapReduce application that employs Apache Hadoop to perform parallel data formatting and data movement into partitioned relational tables. We present the performance improvements we achieve in both OLH and in a MapReduce program for inverted index creation. The balancer works for arbitrary IID key distributions, the time used for sampling is small and our solution is very effective at reducing the elapsed time for the MapReduce jobs we explored.
Early Intermediates in the Transport Cycle of the Neuronal Excitatory Amino Acid Carrier Eaac1

Electrogenic glutamate transport by the excitatory amino acid carrier 1 (EAAC1) is associated with multiple charge movements across the membrane that take place on time scales ranging from microseconds to milliseconds. The molecular nature of these charge movements is poorly understood at present and, therefore, was studied in this report in detail by using the technique of laser-pulse photolysis of caged glutamate providing a 100-μs time resolution. In the inward transport mode, the deactivation of the transient component of the glutamate-induced coupled transport current exhibits two exponential components. Similar results were obtained when restricting EAAC1 to Na+ translocation steps by removing potassium, thus, demonstrating (1) that substrate translocation of EAAC1 is coupled to inward movement of positive charge and, therefore, electrogenic; and (2) the existence of at least two distinct intermediates in the Na+-binding and glutamate translocation limb of the EAAC1 transport cycle. Together with the determination of the sodium ion concentration and voltage dependence of the two-exponential charge movement and of the steady-state EAAC1 properties, we developed a kinetic model that is based on sequential binding of Na+ and glutamate to their extracellular binding sites on EAAC1 explaining our results. In this model, at least one Na+ ion and thereafter glutamate rapidly bind to the transporter initiating a slower, electroneutral structural change that makes EAAC1 competent for further, voltage-dependent binding of additional sodium ion(s). Once the fully loaded EAAC1 complex is formed, it can undergo a much slower, electrogenic translocation reaction to expose the substrate and ion binding sites to the cytoplasm.
Solution of Systems of Linear Equations by Minimized Iterations1

In an earlier publication [14] a method was described which generated the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a matrix by a successive algorithm based on minimizations by least squares. The advantage of this method consists in the fact that the successive iterations are constantly employed with maximum efficiency which guarantees fastest convergence for a given number of iterations. Moreover, with the proper care the accumulation of rounding errors can be avoided. The resulting high precision is of great advantage if the separation of closely bunched eigenvalues and eigenvectors is demanded [16]. It was pointed out in [14, p. 256] that the inversion of a matrix, and thus the solution of simultaneous systems of linear equations, is contained in the general procedure as a special case. However, in view of the great importance associated with the solution of large systems of linear equations, this problem deserved more than passing attention. It is the purpose of the present discussion to adopt the general principles of the previous investigation to the specific demands that arise if we are not interested in the complete analysis of a matrix but only in the more special problem of obtaining the solution of a given set of linear equations
All Your BASE Are Belong To You: Improved Browser Anonymity and Security on Android

Android is the most popular [1] mobile operating sys-tem in the world. Android holds a marketshare of 82% with iOS, its nearest rival, managing a distant 13.9%. Android’s unparalleled ubiquity makes it a popular target for malware and malvertising. Speciﬁcally, Android browsers have been targeted because many users spend great durations of time browsing the Internet. Unfortunately, as ways to track, ﬁngerprint, and exploit un-suspecting users have increased, B rowsing A nonymity and Se curity ( BASE ) has contrastingly stalled. Third party apps seeking to displace the oft-maligned stock browser tend to focus on user privacy and defer malware defense to default operating system protections. This thesis introduces a novel browser - Congo . Congo ’s recursive deﬁnition, C ongo’s Obeism Negates Gentile O ccurrences, hints at an augmented browser with a hard-ened sandbox(malware deterrent) and reinforced privacy protection (malvertising deterrent). Importantly, Congo requires no kernel modiﬁcation thus making it readily available to Android OS versions later than Froyo. A reference mechanism, by the name Kinshasa , underpins the integrity and security of Congo .
Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism Excitatory Amino Acid Binding Sites in the Rat Hippocampus after Transient Forebrain Ischemia

The influence of transient forebrain ischemia on the temporal alteration of glutamate receptors in the hippocampal formation was analyzed by means of in vitro quantitative receptor autoradiography. We compared the binding of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors us­ ing [3H13-« ±)2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)-propyl-l­ phosphonic acid (CPP), noncompetitive NMDA antago­ nist binding sites using [3H1N-(l-(2-thienyl)­ cyclohexyl)-3,4-piperidine (TCP), and kainate (KA) receptors. In the CA I subfield of the hippocampus, the number of NMDA receptors and noncompetitive NMDA antagonist binding sites remained constant during the early stage of recirculation when the CAl pyramidal cells remained histologically intact. A significant reduction of these receptor densities was observed 7 days following ischemia, when NMDA receptors and noncompetitive NMDA antagonist binding sites lost 64 and 29% of their binding sites in the stratum radiatum of the CAl, respec­ tively. The KA receptor density in the CAl subfield de-The excitatory amino acid, L-glutamate, is a ma­ jor neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. The action of excitatory amino acids is mediated by at least three distinct receptors characterized by the selective agonists N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), quisqualate (QA), and kainate (KA) (for review, see Mayer and Westbrook, 1987; Rothman and Olney, 1987; Stone and Burton, 1988). Biochemical and electrophysiological studies have indicated that each class of receptor plays a distinct role in neu­ 623 creased by 44% 7 days after ischemia. Marked loss of the above-mentioned receptors in the CAl after selective de­ pletion of the CA I pyramidal cells indicated that NMDA receptors, noncompetitive NMDA antagonist binding sites, and KA receptors in the CAl are predominantly localized on the CAl pyramidal cells. NMDA receptor density in the CA3 gradually decreased during the recir­ culation period. The stratum moleculare of the dentate gyrus, whose structure was histologically intact after ischemic insult, also showed a reduction of NMDA re­ ceptors 7 days following ischemia. eH1KA receptor den­ sity in the stratum lucidum of the CA3 and in the hilus also decreased during recirculation. These results indi­ cate that postischemic change of neuronal activity was not restricted to the ischemic-Iesioned CAl but that the histologically intact CA3 and dentate gyrus had also mod­ ulated neuronal transmission after ischemia. Burton, 1988). Although appropriate activation of NMDA receptors may be beneficial to learning and memory processes, overstimulation of glutamate receptors can lead to neuronal damage (Rothman, 1984; Rothman and Olney, 1987). The highest den­ sity of all of the glutamate receptor subtypes occurs in the hippocampal …
Rainfall Is a Risk Factor for Sporadic Cases of Legionella pneumophila Pneumonia

It is not known whether rainfall increases the risk of sporadic cases of Legionella pneumonia. We sought to test this hypothesis in a prospective observational cohort study of non-immunosuppressed adults hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia (1995–2011). Cases with Legionella pneumonia were compared with those with non-Legionella pneumonia. Using daily rainfall data obtained from the regional meteorological service we examined patterns of rainfall over the days prior to admission in each study group. Of 4168 patients, 231 (5.5%) had Legionella pneumonia. The diagnosis was based on one or more of the following: sputum (41 cases), antigenuria (206) and serology (98). Daily rainfall average was 0.556 liters/m2 in the Legionella pneumonia group vs. 0.328 liters/m2 for non-Legionella pneumonia cases (p = 0.04). A ROC curve was plotted to compare the incidence of Legionella pneumonia and the weighted median rainfall. The cut-off point was 0.42 (AUC 0.54). Patients who were admitted to hospital with a prior weighted median rainfall higher than 0.42 were more likely to have Legionella pneumonia (OR 1.35; 95% CI 1.02–1.78; p = .03). Spearman Rho correlations revealed a relationship between Legionella pneumonia and rainfall average during each two-week reporting period (0.14; p = 0.003). No relationship was found between rainfall average and non-Legionella pneumonia cases (−0.06; p = 0.24). As a conclusion, rainfall is a significant risk factor for sporadic Legionella pneumonia. Physicians should carefully consider Legionella pneumonia when selecting diagnostic tests and antimicrobial therapy for patients presenting with CAP after periods of rainfall.
Phylogeography of two European newt species — discordance between mtDNA and morphology

The newts Triturus vulgaris and Triturus montandoni are sister species that exhibit contrasting levels of intraspecific morphological variation. Triturus vulgaris has a broad Eurasiatic distribution encompassing both formerly glaciated and unglaciated areas and shows substantial morphological differentiation in the southern part of its range, while T. montandoni, confined to the Carpathians, is morphologically uniform. We analysed sequence variation of two mtDNA fragments of the total length of c. 1850 bp in 285 individuals of both species collected from 103 localities. Phylogenetic analysis of 200 unique haplotypes defined 12 major clades, their age estimated at c. 4.5–1.0 million years (Myr). Most of the older clades were found in the southern part of the range, and also in central Europe, mainly in Romania. The distribution of mtDNA clades points to the existence of several glacial refugia, located in the Caucasus region, Anatolia, the Balkan Peninsula, Italy, and more to the north in central Europe. The concordance between mtDNA based phylogeny and the distribution of T. vulgaris subspecies was weak. Triturus montandoni haplotypes did not form a monophyletic group. Instead they were found in six clades, in five of them mixed with T. vulgaris haplotypes, most likely as a result of past or ongoing hybridization and multiple introgression of mtDNA from T. vulgaris to T. montandoni. Patterns of sequence variation within clades suggested long‐term demographic stability in the southern groups, moderate and relatively old demographic growth in the populations inhabiting central Europe, and high growth in some of the groups that colonized northern parts of Europe after the last glacial maximum.
'First Aid for You': getting to know your learning style using machine learning

Research on learning has shown that students learn differently and that they prefer to use different type of resources. Adaptive educational systems can support different learning characteristics by building a model of the student's learning behaviour and subsequently adapting the learning environment to match different needs. However major challenges exist, as it is not clear how a student model of learning style can be accurately built. One solution may be in the use of machine learning techniques. This paper presents 'First Aid For You', a novel adaptive educational system that dynamically determines learning style using machine learning techniques. The paper describes how it uses the Feider & Solomon Index of Learning Style to design an environment for different learning styles. It also describes how, as the student interacts with the learning environment, it uses the Naive Bayes algorithm to predict the student's preferred learning style and adaptively customize the learning environment.
Analysis and Design of a High Speed Continuous-time $\Delta\Sigma$ Modulator Using the Assisted Opamp Technique

We apply the “assisted opamp technique” to the design of a 1 GS/s single-bit continuous-time ΔΣ modulator (CTDSM) that achieves 10 bit resolution in 15.625 MHz bandwidth. The enhanced linearity and speed of the first integrator of the modulator, necessitated by single-bit operation, are obtained in a power efficient manner using opamp assistance. However, timing-skew between the feedback and assistant DAC currents can be a potential problem at high speeds. We analyze and give intuition for the effects of timing mismatch in such CTDSMs, and show that opamp assistance is quite robust to timing errors. Measurement results from an implementation in a 0.13 μ m CMOS process show that the modulator achieves a dynamic range of 67 dB in 15.625 MHz bandwidth while consuming 4 mW.
Preferential Initiation and Spread of Anoxic Depolarization in Layer 4 of Rat Barrel Cortex

Anoxic depolarization (AD) is a hallmark of ischemic brain damage. AD is associated with a spreading wave of neuronal depolarization and an increase in light transmittance. However, initiation and spread of AD across the layers of the somatosensory cortex, which is one of the most frequently affected brain regions in ischemic stroke, remains largely unknown. Here, we explored the initiation and propagation of AD in slices of the rat barrel cortex using extracellular local field potential (LFP) recordings and optical intrinsic signal (OIS) recordings. We found that ischemia-like conditions induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) evoked AD, which manifested as a large negative LFP shift and an increase in light transmittance. AD typically initiated in one or more barrels and further spread across the entire slice with a preferential propagation through L4. Elevated extracellular potassium concentration accelerated the AD onset without affecting proneness of L4 to AD. In live slices, barrels were most heavily labeled by the metabolic level marker 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride, suggesting that the highest metabolic demand is in L4 when compared to the other layers. Thus, L4 is the layer of the barrel cortex most prone to AD, which may be due to the highest metabolic demand and cell density in this layer.
Impact of Early ST-Segment Changes on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance-Verified Intramyocardial Haemorrhage and Microvascular Obstruction in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients

AbstractThe aim of this study was to explore the significance of different ST-segment changes before and after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), in relation to cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-verified microvascular obstruction (MVO) along with intramyocardial hemorrhage (IMH) in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients.This study enrolled 108 STEMI patients who received primary PCI and had no contraindication of CMR investigation. Sum ST-segment elevation (STE), maximal STE on admission and sum ST-segment resolution (STR), and single-lead STR and residual STE at 60 minutes after primary PCI were assessed. MVO and IMH were determined by contrast-enhanced CMR.Patients were classified into 3 groups: 30 patients with MVO(−)/IMH(−), 25 with MVO(+)/IMH(−), and 53 with MVO(+)/IMH(+). Sum STE (P = 0.001), maximal STE (P < 0.001), and residual STE (P = 0.025) were highest and single-lead STR was lowest (P = 0.044) in the MVO(+)/IMH(+) group. Receiver operator characteristics curve analysis revealed that maximal STE was the most powerful factor for distinguishing between MVO(+) and MVO(−) patients (optimal threshold = 0.5 mV, area under the curve, AUC = 0.718, P < 0.001), or IMH(+) and IMH(−) patients (optimal threshold = 0.5 mV, AUC = 0.697, P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, maximal STE was identified as the most powerful independent predictor of MVO (odds ratio [OR] = 4.30, P < 0.001) and IMH (OR = 2.44, P = 0.001), whereas sum STE was the strongest correlate of both the number of MVO segments (r = 0.42, P < 0.001) and IMH segments (r = 0.43, P < 0.001). The presence of MVO and IMH in infarcted tissue was relevant to ST-segment changes in STEMI patients. Maximal STE was a powerful independent predictor of the presence of MVO and IMH, whereas sum STE was a strong correlate of the number of MVO and IMH segments.
Deduplication in a massive clinical note dataset

Duplication, whether exact or partial, is a common issue in many datasets. In clinical notes data, duplication (and near duplication) can arise for many reasons, such as the pervasive use of templates, copy-pasting, or notes being generated by automated procedures. A key challenge in removing such near duplicates is the size of such datasets; our own dataset consists of more than 10 million notes. To detect and correct such duplicates requires algorithms that both accurate and highly scalable. We describe a solution based on Minhashing with Locality Sensitive Hashing. In this paper, we present the theory behind this method and present a database-inspired approach to make the method scalable. We also present a clustering technique using disjoint sets to produce dense clusters, which speeds up our algorithm.
The Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT Integrated Imaging in Distinguishing Malignant from Benign Pleural Effusion

Objective The aim of our study was to evaluate the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT integrated imaging in differentiating malignant from benign pleural effusion. Methods A total of 176 patients with pleural effusion who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT examination to differentiate malignancy from benignancy were retrospectively researched. The images of CT imaging, 18F-FDG PET imaging and 18F-FDG PET/CT integrated imaging were visually analyzed. The suspected malignant effusion was characterized by the presence of nodular or irregular pleural thickening on CT imaging. Whereas on PET imaging, pleural 18F-FDG uptake higher than mediastinal activity was interpreted as malignant effusion. Images of 18F-FDG PET/CT integrated imaging were interpreted by combining the morphologic feature of pleura on CT imaging with the degree and form of pleural 18F-FDG uptake on PET imaging. Results One hundred and eight patients had malignant effusion, including 86 with pleural metastasis and 22 with pleural mesothelioma, whereas 68 patients had benign effusion. The sensitivities of CT imaging, 18F-FDG PET imaging and 18F-FDG PET/CT integrated imaging in detecting malignant effusion were 75.0%, 91.7% and 93.5%, respectively, which were 69.8%, 91.9% and 93.0% in distinguishing metastatic effusion. The sensitivity of 18F-FDG PET/CT integrated imaging in detecting malignant effusion was higher than that of CT imaging (p = 0.000). For metastatic effusion, 18F-FDG PET imaging had higher sensitivity (p = 0.000) and better diagnostic consistency with 18F-FDG PET/CT integrated imaging compared with CT imaging (Kappa = 0.917 and Kappa = 0.295, respectively). The specificities of CT imaging, 18F-FDG PET imaging and 18F-FDG PET/CT integrated imaging were 94.1%, 63.2% and 92.6% in detecting benign effusion. The specificities of CT imaging and 18F-FDG PET/CT integrated imaging were higher than that of 18F-FDG PET imaging (p = 0.000 and p = 0.000, respectively), and CT imaging had better diagnostic consistency with 18F-FDG PET/CT integrated imaging compared with 18F-FDG PET imaging (Kappa = 0.881 and Kappa = 0.240, respectively). Conclusion 18F-FDG PET/CT integrated imaging is a more reliable modality in distinguishing malignant from benign pleural effusion than 18F-FDG PET imaging and CT imaging alone. For image interpretation of 18F-FDG PET/CT integrated imaging, the PET and CT portions play a major diagnostic role in identifying metastatic effusion and benign effusion, respectively.
Epipolar-Based Stereo Tracking Without Explicit 3D Reconstruction

We present a general framework for tracking image regions in two views simultaneously based on sum-of-squared differences (SSD) minimization. Our method allows for motion models up to affine transformations. Contrary to earlier approaches, we incorporate the well-known epipolar constraints directly into the SSD optimization process. Since the epipolar geometry can be computed from the image directly, no prior calibration is necessary. Our algorithm has been tested in different applications including camera localization, wide-baseline stereo, object tracking and medical imaging. We show experimental results on robustness and accuracy compared to the known ground truth given by a conventional tracking device.
Emotional identity of movies

In the field of multimedia analysis, attempts that lead to an emotional characterization of content have been proposed. In this work we aim at defining the emotional identity of a feature movie by positioning it into an emotional space, as if it was a piece of art. The multimedia content is mapped into a trajectory whose coordinates are connected to filming and cinematographic techniques used by directors to convey emotions. The trajectory evolution over time provides a strong characterization of the movie, by locating different movies into different regions of the emotional space. The ability of this tool in characterizing content has been tested by retrieving emotionally similar movies from a large database, using IMDb genre classification for the evaluation of results.