Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Potentiality of Randia dumetorum Lam. Leaf and Bark via Inhibition of Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Cytokines

Randia dumetorum Lam. (RD) (Rubiaceae) is traditionally used by some tribes of Assam and Manipur of North East India for the treatment of liver ailments. In this context, to scientifically validate this indigenous traditional knowledge, we have evaluated the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of RD leaf and bark. The methanol extracts of RD leaf and bark were evaluated for in vitro antioxidant activity which exhibited good antioxidant activity in terms of reducing power assay, total antioxidant assay and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay. Total phenolic and flavonoid content were found to be 112 ± 3.24 mg and 138 ± 2.46 mg gallic acid equivalents/g extract and 2.6 ± 0.26 mg and 3.34 ± 0.31 mg rutin equivalents/g extract respectively for RD leaf and bark methanol extracts. The in vivo hepato protective activity of the RD leaf and bark extract was evaluated against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatic damage in male wistar rats. CCl4 administration induced hepatic damage in rats resulted in increased levels of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, thiobarbituric acid reacting substances, albumin, bilirubin, TNF-α, IL-1β and decreased levels of total protein and antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione reductase. RD leaf and bark methanol extracts pre-treatment exhibited protection against CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity by reversing all the abnormal parameters to significant levels. Histopathological results revealed that RD leaf and bark extracts at 400 mg/kg protects the liver from damage induced by CCl4. The results of this study scientifically validate the traditional use of RD leaf and bark for the treatment of liver ailments.
An Analysis of Prisoner Reentry and Parole Risk Using COMPAS and Traditional Criminal History Measures

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has adopted Correctional Offender Management and Profiling Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS), an actuarial risk- and needs-assessment instrument, as part of its reentry supervision and parole planning procedure. A large-scale 3-year prospective study was conducted to assess the instrument with regard to how well it predicted whether a parolee would be rearrested for (a) any crime and (b) a violent offense. This study followed, for up to 2 years, a total of 91,334 parolees who had been assessed with COMPAS prior to reentry into the community. The instrument achieved an acceptable level of predictive validity in general rearrests with an area under the curve value of 0.70, but its predictive power for subsequent violent offenses fell short of this conventional threshold. Moreover, a parsimonious model using four known risk factors from existing official records (i.e., gender, age, age of first arrest, and the number of prior arrests) performed just as well in predicting subsequent arrests. Findings from this study illustrate the challenges in applying group-based attributes to predict individual criminal behavior and suggest that, although COMPAS has other attractive features such as case management capability, existing official records may offer a lower cost alternative for assessing the risk of reoffending for community reentry purposes.
The Program of the Fund for Adult Education

guidance with their problems of adjustment to aging through organized groups. Adults of all ages are developing an awareness of the need for educational experiences which will prepare them for a life of usefulness in their later years. The type of educational experience which is appropriate for older people is not limited to a static, classroom-lecture experience; learning appears to be even more highly motivated when active participation is provided. Education through the use of mass media is an effective means for instructing younger people about aging and the aged, and for motivating old people themselves. Educational agencies, through extension and correspondence services, community colleges, local adult education programs, and through existing community or work groups will, in all probability, be called upon to extend their programs to provide education and guidance in adjustment to aging.
An SVD and Derivative Kernel Approach to Learning from Geometric Data

Motivated by problems such as molecular energy prediction, we derive an (improper) kernel between geometric inputs, that is able to capture the relevant rotational and translation invariances in geometric data. Since many physical simulations based upon geometric data produce derivatives of the output quantity with respect to the input positions, we derive an approach that incorporates derivative information into our kernel learning. We further show how to exploit the low rank structure of the resulting kernel matrices to speed up learning. Finally, we evaluated the method in the context of molecular energy prediction, showing good performance for modeling previously unseen molecular configurations. Integrating the approach into a Bayesian optimization, we show substantial improvement over the state of the art in molecular energy optimization.
Gesture Control of HMM-Based Singing Voice Synthesis

The flexibility of statistical parametric speech synthesis has recently led to the development of interactive speech synthesis systems where different aspects of the voice output can be continuously controlled. The demonstration presented in this paper is based on MAGE/pHTS, a real-time synthesis system developed at Mons University. This system enhances the controllability and the reactivity of HTS by enabling the generation of the speech parameters on the fly. This demonstration gives an illustration of the new possibilities offered by this approach in terms of interaction. A kinect sensor is used to follow the gestures and body posture of the user and these physical parameters are mapped to the prosodic parameters of an HMM-based singing voice model. In this way, the user can directly control various aspect of the singing voice such as the vibrato, the fundamental frequency or the duration. An avatar is used to encourage and facilitate the user interaction.
The Morphology of the Labour Party's One Nation Narrative: Story, Plot and Authorship

By applying narrative theory to the party political texts emerging within the UK Labour Party after 2010, which make up the corpus of One Nation discourse, we can grasp the underlying significance of this ideational revision of Labour Party and leftist thought. Through an identification and analysis of the sequence of texts and their constitution as a "story" that interpolates an underlying "plot," we can see how a revision of Labour's "tale" offers to leadership a new party discourse appropriate to it, mediating-if not reconciling-the problematic duality of narrative authorship by both party and leader.
Noise-robust Soft Clustering of Gene Expression Time-course Data

Clustering is an important tool in microarray data analysis. This unsupervised learning technique is commonly used to reveal structures hidden in large gene expression data sets. The vast majority of clustering algorithms applied so far produce hard partitions of the data, i.e. each gene is assigned exactly to one cluster. Hard clustering is favourable if clusters are well separated. However, this is generally not the case for microarray time-course data, where gene clusters frequently overlap. Additionally, hard clustering algorithms are often highly sensitive to noise. To overcome the limitations of hard clustering, we applied soft clustering which offers several advantages for researchers. First, it generates accessible internal cluster structures, i.e. it indicates how well corresponding clusters represent genes. This can be used for the more targeted search for regulatory elements. Second, the overall relation between clusters, and thus a global clustering structure, can be defined. Additionally, soft clustering is more noise robust and a priori pre-filtering of genes can be avoided. This prevents the exclusion of biologically relevant genes from the data analysis. Soft clustering was implemented here using the fuzzy c-means algorithm. Procedures to find optimal clustering parameters were developed. A software package for soft clustering has been developed based on the open-source statistical language R. The package called Mfuzz is freely available.
Developing Good Practice in the Clinical Assessment of People With Profound Intellectual Disabilities and Multiple Impairment

The task of assessing people with profound intellectual disabilities and multiple impairments can be a daunting one, for experienced and newly qualified clinicians and practitioners alike. Difficulties with definitions in the context of challenging, excluding service delivery models can sometimes lead to incoherent and inconsistent approaches. The author examines a number of issues, including the paucity of adequately sensitive, standardized assessment tools, the importance of collaborative working, and the acknowledgment that services can be ill-equipped to face the challenges presented by people with such complex and chronic support needs. The role of an overly generic service philosophy in potentially limiting the work of clinicians is noted, and the author notes that evaluating development is a crucial factor in any overall assessment. The author concludes with a number of recommendations for developing good practice in this crucial area of the support process, including: agree on terminology and inclusion criteria; take a transdisciplinary approach; use a developmental model; consider the impact of neurological conditions; select measures and informants carefully; and consider the assessment as an intervention.
MODELING OF WAVE-INDUCED SEDIMENT TRANSPORT AROUND OBSTACLES 1

We report on further developments of a hybrid numerical model to simulate wave-induced sediment transport. A 2D numerical wavetank (NWT) based on fully nonlinear potential flow (FNPF) equations is used to simulate fully nonlinear wav e generation and propagation. A 3D Navier-Stokes model with large eddy simulation (LES) is coupled to the NWT to simulate complex turbulent flows near the ocean bottom or a round obstacles. Wave kinematics in the 2D-NWT thus forces flow simulations in the 3D-NS -LES model, and resulting sediment transport over the seabed and around a partially buried obstacle. The latter is calculated in a non-cohesive suspended load transport model simulating the (scalar) sediment concentration, using a constant settling velocity. The 2D NWT is based on a higher-order boundary element method (BEM), with explicit 2nd-order time stepping. The computational grid, thus, is the 2D-NWT boundary and the 3D-LES near-field domain. In the present new formulation, the total velocity and pressure fie lds are expressed as the sum of irrotational (incident/far-field) and near-field viscou s perturbations. The LES equations are formulated and solved for the perturbation fields only, w hich are forced by the incident fields computed in the NWT. The feasibility of coupling the mo dels in an efficient manner is demonstrated.
Detection and prevention of firewall-rule conflicts on software-defined networking

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is a different approach to manage a network by software. It could use well-defined software expressions and predicates to regulate network behavior. Current SDN controllers, such as Floodlight, offer a framework to develop, test and run applications that control the network operation, including the firewall function. However, they are not able to validate firewall policies, detect conflicts; neither avoids contradictory configurations on network devices. Some compilers only detect conflicts by a subset of the language; hence, it cannot detect conflicts related to contradicting rules with security controls. This paper presents our framework based on Alloy called FireWell. FireWell is able to model firewall policies as formal predicates to validate, detect and prevent conflicts in firewall policies. In addition we present the implementation of FireWell and test it using the Floodlight controller and firewall application.
A real-time image-based rendering and compression system with Kinect depth camera

This paper presents a novel Kinect-assisted real-time image-based rendering and compression system for high definition (HD) multiview video sequences. It is constructed from a Kinect depth camera and multiple stereo cameras and is intended for applications involving indoor scenes with static cameras. The information from the Kinect depth camera and background modeling can be utilized to segment the scene into foreground objects and the background in real-time. The segmentation and depth information are then encoded together with the texture information for real-time view synthesis at the decoder. The compression algorithm is developed around the AVS framework because of its simplicity and good performance. Novel features such as multiview coding and virtual view synthesis are incorporated, which are also applicable to other video coding algorithms. To achieve real-time operation, extensive GPU acceleration and optimization were performed. Experimental results were presented to illustrate the design and usefulness of the proposed system.
Time out and Worlds Apart: Tradition and Modernity Meet in the Time‐Space of the Gravesweeping Festivals of Hong Kong

This paper focuses on Hong Kong's Gravesweeping Festivals, Qingming and Chongyang. The practices carried out in urban cemeteries at these Festivals are over two thousand years old, and represent “time out” from modern “clock time”. They are examined in the context of Giddens' (1985) reworking of Hagerstrand's time-space geography, and of Douglas' (1966) discussion of pollution. It is suggested that the cemeteries are regarded as dangerous places because they represent liminal spaces. Giddens' dimension of span enables a distinction to be made between, on the one hand, the long-established cultural significance of the grave, and, on the other, the recentness of the urban cemetery. The dimension of form(redefined from Giddens' original concept), applied to some details of cemetery landscapes, reveals the “worlds apart” of the non-material worlds of the spirits and of fengshui. By considering the Festivals in the light of Giddens' dimension, character, it emerges that the Gravesweeping Festivals are, as they have been for centuries, firmly embedded in Hong Kong's social system, where routines of ancestor veneration continue to renew and strengthen the family bonds that are at the heart of Confucian values. Furthermore, their continued observation may well represent practices that are of deep ontological significance to the predominantly immigrant community of Hong Kong.
L'institutionnalisme centré sur les acteurs

L'institutionnalisme centre sur les acteurs ; Renate Mayntz et Fritz W. Scharpf ; Cet article resume une approche caracteristique de la recherche menee a l'Institut Max Planck pour les sciences sociales de Cologne, sur les interactions entre politique gouvernementale et autoorganisation des secteurs industriels et des services. Selon cette approche, les resultats sont expliques par les interactions entre acteurs individuels, personnes collectives et (le plus souvent) corps constitues, tous etant guide par leurs orientations cognitive et normative. Dans ce contexte, les institutions jouent un role double. D'un cote, elles definissent les regles et les constellations d'acteurs dans lesquels les interactions se deroulent; d'un autre cote, elles configurent les orientations normatives et, dans un moindre mesure, les orientations cognitives des acteurs impliques. En se combinant, ces effets institutionnels augmentent la previsibilite reciproque pour les acteurs eux-memes et, dans le meme temps, creent les preconditions ontologiques qui permettent une generalisation limitee en sciences sociales.
Developmentally regulated SMAD2 and SMAD3 utilization directs activin signaling outcomes

Activin is required for testis development. Activin signals via phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation of SMAD2 and SMAD3. We present novel findings of developmentally regulated activin signaling leading to specific transcriptional outcomes in testicular Sertoli cells. In immature, proliferating, Sertoli cells, activin A induces nuclear accumulation of SMAD3, but not SMAD2, although both proteins become phosphorylated. In postmitotic differentiating cells, both SMAD proteins accumulate in the nucleus. Furthermore, immature Sertoli cells are sensitive to activin dosage; higher concentrations induce maximal SMAD3 nuclear accumulation and a small increase in nuclear SMAD2. Microarray analysis identified distinct transcriptional outcomes correlating with differential SMAD utilization and new activin target genes, including Gja1 and Serpina5, which are essential for Sertoli cell development and male fertility. In transgenic mice with altered activin bioactivity that display fertility phenotypes, Gja1 and Serpina5 are significantly altered. Thus, differential SMAD utilization in response to activin features during Sertoli cell maturation. Developmental Dynamics 238:1688–1700, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Personalized tag recommendation using graph-based ranking on multi-type interrelated objects

Social tagging is becoming increasingly popular in many Web 2.0 applications where users can annotate resources (e.g. Web pages) with arbitrary keywords (i.e. tags). A tag recommendation module can assist users in tagging process by suggesting relevant tags to them. It can also be directly used to expand the set of tags annotating a resource. The benefits are twofold: improving user experience and enriching the index of resources. However, the former one is not emphasized in previous studies, though a lot of work has reported that different users may describe the same concept in different ways. We address the problem of personalized tag recommendation for text documents. In particular, we model personalized tag recommendation as a "query and ranking" problem and propose a novel graph-based ranking algorithm for interrelated multi-type objects. When a user issues a tagging request, both the document and the user are treated as a part of the query. Tags are then ranked by our graph-based ranking algorithm which takes into consideration both relevance to the document and preference of the user. Finally, the top ranked tags are presented to the user as suggestions. Experiments on a large-scale tagging data set collected from Del.icio. us have demonstrated that our proposed algorithm significantly outperforms algorithms which fail to consider the diversity of different users' interests.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with activity against either cyclooxygenase 1 or cyclooxygenase 2 inhibit colorectal cancer in a DMH rodent model by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation

BACKGROUND Standard non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by 40–60% but the mechanism by which this occurs is uncertain. Selective cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors are potentially ideal chemopreventive agents as they are less toxic than standard NSAIDs. No study has compared the efficacy of these drugs at clinically relevant doses in a tumour model. AIMS To assess the efficacy of a range of NSAIDs with varying activity against the two cyclooxygenase isoforms in a rodent colorectal carcinogen model at anti-inflammatory doses and to explore the effect of NSAIDs on the rate of tumour apoptosis and proliferation. METHODS Colorectal tumours were induced in six week old Sprague-Dawley rats with five weekly doses of 1,2 dimethylhydrazine. Test agents were: indomethacin 2 mg/kg/day, meloxicam 0.6 mg/kg/day, celecoxib 6 mg/kg/day, and sulindac sulphone 40 mg/kg/day. Sulindac was tested at its chemoprotective dose of 20 mg/kg/day. After 23 weeks the number and volume of tumours per animal were recorded. Histology was performed. Tumour apoptosis was quantified on haematoxylin-eosin sections. Tumour proliferation was quantified using an immunohistochemical stain for bromodexoyuridine incorporation. RESULTS Test agents effectively reduced the number and volume of tumours developing in the treatment period. In all groups there was an increase in the rate of tumour apoptosis and a reduced rate of proliferation. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that the chemopreventive effect of NSAIDs is independent of their cyclooxygenase inhibitory profile. One potential mechanism for their action may be through induction of apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation.
Executive function and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: stimulant medication and better executive function performance in children

Background. Executive function deficits have been reported repeatedly in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Stimulant medication has been shown to be effective in improving cognitive performance on most executive function tasks, but neuropsychological tests of executive function in this population have yielded inconsistent results. Methodological limitations may explain these inconsistencies. This study aimed to measure executive function in medicated and non-medicated children with ADHD by using a computerized battery, the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), which is sensitive to executive function deficits in older patients with frontostriatal neurological impairments. Methods. Executive function was assessed in 30 children with ADHD: 15 were stimulant medication naïve and 15 were treated with stimulant medication. These two groups were compared to 15 age, sex and IQ matched controls. Results. The unmedicated children with ADHD displayed specific cognitive impairments on executive function tasks of spatial short-term memory, spatial working memory, set-shifting ability and planning ability. Impairments were also seen on spatial recognition memory and delayed matching to sample, while pattern recognition memory remained intact. The medicated children with ADHD were not impaired on any of the above executive function tasks except for deficits in spatial recognition memory. Conclusions. ADHD is associated with deficits in executive function. Stimulant medication is associated with better executive function performance. Prospective follow-up studies are required to examine these effects.
Efficiently indexing with offset bitmaps for huge sets of slightly disordered sensor data

With advances in sensor devices and networking technologies, it is expected that future networks will contain immense numbers of sensors that are capturing time-varying data. It is necessary to process queries over the data for analysis and to store the data for later use. For querying the data, data disorder is a common problem. Existing approaches use buffers to recover the order but there are problems in deciding buffer sizes and buffer residence times. To avoid these problems and to satisfy the need to store the data for later use, our approach writes indexed data rapidly to a stable disk. This approach, however, has a problem in that existing indexing methods are not up to the task; “sparse indexing” offers fast write-speeds but cannot handle disordered data, “dense indexing” can handle disordered data but its write-speed is inadequate. Our solution is a novel indexing method that can rapidly store slightly disordered time-series sensor data. Our proposal succeeds because it uses a novel data structure, “offset bitmaps”, to extend the sparse indexing method. The offset bitmaps provide pointers that can handle delayed data and so allow them to be managed efficiently. Experiments show that our method has several advantages over conventional alternatives. We verify that the proposed method has 10 times the write speed of the existing dense indexing method.