Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improving Quality of Service from TCP/IP Performance Degradation

-TCP is currently the dominate congestion control protocol for the Internet. However, as the Internet evolves into a high-speed wired-cum-wireless hybrid network, performance degradation problems of TCP have appeared, such as underutilizing high-speed links, regarding wireless loss as congestion signal, and unfairness among flows with different RTTs. In order to improve the quality of service for such high-speed hybrid networks, we propose a router-assisted congestion control protocol called Quick Flow Control Protocol (QFCP). The convergence of many traditional services over IP-based infrastructures drastically increases the amount of IP data traffic to be delivered to user clients, thus raising questions about the management of quality of service in such networks. Quality of service will be of primary importance in order to ensure right operation, and to face the occurrence of congestion conditions, due to bandwidth demanding multimedia services. in this paper, shows that QFCP can significantly shorten flow completion time, fairly allocate bandwidth resource, and be robust to non-congestion related loss. Also we consider a possible scenarios in which multiple multimedia and control streams are conveyed over the same HAN, and study a possible solution for the implementation of an easily manageable QoS framework, that relies on a QoS router based on open source software.
The results of bone deformity correction using a spider frame with web-based software for lower extremity long bone deformities

Aim: To present the functional and radiological results and evaluate the effectiveness of a computer-assisted external fixator (spider frame) in patients with lower extremity shortness and deformity. Materials and methods: The study comprised 17 patients (14 male, 3 female) who were treated for lower extremity long bone deformity and shortness between 2012 and 2015 using a spider frame. The procedure’s level of difficulty was determined preoperatively using the Paley Scale. Postoperatively, the results for the patients who underwent tibial operations were evaluated using the Paley criteria modified by ASAMI, and the results for the patients who underwent femoral operations were evaluated according to the Paley scoring system. The evaluations were made by calculating the External Fixator and Distraction indexes. Results: The mean age of the patients was 24.58 years (range, 5–51 years). The spider frame was applied to the femur in 10 patients and to the tibia in seven. The mean follow-up period was 15 months (range, 6–31 months) from the operation day, and the mean amount of lengthening was 3.0 cm (range, 1–6 cm). The mean duration of fixator application was 202.7 days (range, 104–300 days). The mean External Fixator Index was 98 days/cm (range, 42–265 days/cm). The mean Distraction Index was 10.49 days/cm (range, 10–14 days/cm). Conclusion: The computer-assisted external fixator system (spider frame) achieves single-stage correction in cases of both deformity and shortness. The system can be applied easily, and because of its high-tech software, it offers the possibility of postoperative treatment of the deformity.
Examining the Incremental Validity of Personality-Based Implicit Association Tests Designed to Predict Behavior Related to Integrity

The present study examined the incremental predictive validity of four personality-based Implicit Association Tests (IATs) for behavior related to integrity and character. Unlike overt-based IATs, the personality-based IATs assess attributes related to dark-side personality syndromes. A temptation manipulation provided opportunities for subjects to follow or break rules and blow the whistle or remain silent when queried about the rule compliance of a confederate and the theft of a wallet. In addition to the four personalitybased IATs, subjects also completed five explicit (self-report) overt and personalitybased integrity measures and two overt-based IAT measures. Findings generally supported the incremental validity of the new IATs for rule compliance and whistle blowing behavior; although, the magnitude of the incremental effects found were modest and inconsistent across criterion measures.
Shallow Semantics for Coreference Resolution

This paper focuses on the linguistic aspect of noun phrase coreference, investigating the knowledge sources that can potentially improve a learning-based coreference resolution system. Unlike traditional, knowledge-lean coreference resolvers, which rely almost exclusively on morpho-syntactic cues, we show how to induce features that encode semantic knowledge from labeled and unlabeled corpora. Experiments on the ACE data sets indicate that the addition of these new semantic features to a coreference system employing a fairly standard feature set significantly improves its performance.
The Consequences of Decentralization: Inequality in Safety Net Provision in the Post–Welfare Reform Era

Decentralized safety net programs provide much of the social provision in the US, yet the consequences for social provision have received remarkably limited attention. In this article, we examine cross-state inequality in social safety net provision from 1994 to 2014. We ask whether programs that are more decentralized in terms of policy design are more variable across states in terms of the generosity of benefits and inclusiveness of receipt and whether there has been convergence or divergence in programs affected by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) as well as in those that were not. We find substantial cross-state inequality in provision, with greater cross-state inequality in programs with more state discretion. In examining change over time, we find remarkable consistency in the levels of cross-state inequality; however, we also find that the devolution of authority under PRWORA increased cross-state inequality in programs affected by this legislation.
Adaptive transmission in cooperative wireless communications

In this paper, we propose and investigate a decentralized adaptive transmission technique for cooperative wireless communications. A number of relays adaptively switch between two transmission modes: Alamouti diversity and spatial multiplexing. The relays may exploit Amplify-and-Forward (AF) or Decode-and-Forward (DF) transmission technique. The performances of the decentralized adaptive transmission technique based on channel quality estimations are evaluated and compared to the centralized adaptive transmission technique based on error probability minimization with limited feedback from the destination. Even though the simulations show that the Bit-Error-Rate (BER) performances of the decentralized adaptive approach are close to that of the centralized adaptive technique, our proposed technique provides less communications between the nodes and hence improves the communication in terms of delay and power consumption.
Nitric Oxide Synthase-3 Promotes Embryonic Development of Atrioventricular Valves

Nitric oxide synthase-3 (NOS3) has recently been shown to promote endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in the developing atrioventricular (AV) canal. The present study was aimed to investigate the role of NOS3 in embryonic development of AV valves. We hypothesized that NOS3 promotes embryonic development of AV valves via EndMT. To test this hypothesis, morphological and functional analysis of AV valves were performed in wild-type (WT) and NOS3−/− mice at postnatal day 0. Our data show that the overall size and length of mitral and tricuspid valves were decreased in NOS3−/− compared with WT mice. Echocardiographic assessment showed significant regurgitation of mitral and tricuspid valves during systole in NOS3−/− mice. These phenotypes were all rescued by cardiac specific NOS3 overexpression. To assess EndMT, immunostaining of Snail1 was performed in the embryonic heart. Both total mesenchymal and Snail1+ cells in the AV cushion were decreased in NOS3−/− compared with WT mice at E10.5 and E12.5, which was completely restored by cardiac specific NOS3 overexpression. In cultured embryonic hearts, NOS3 promoted transforming growth factor (TGFβ), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP2) and Snail1expression through cGMP. Furthermore, mesenchymal cell formation and migration from cultured AV cushion explants were decreased in the NOS3−/− compared with WT mice. We conclude that NOS3 promotes AV valve formation during embryonic heart development and deficiency in NOS3 results in AV valve insufficiency.
Using Security Patterns to Combine Security Metrics

Measuring security is an important step in creating and deploying secure applications. In order to efficiently measure the level of security that an application provides, three problems need to be solved: obviously metrics need to be available, a suitable metrics framework needs to be chosen and implemented, and the resulting measurements need to be interpreted. This work focuses on the second and third problem. We propose an approach to facilitate the selection and integration of appropriate security metrics, and to support the aggregation and interpretation of measurements. Our approach associates security metrics to security patterns, and we exploit the relationships between security patterns and security objectives to enable the interpretation of measurements. The approach is illustrated in a case study.
Topicality-Based Indices for Essay Scoring

In this paper, we address the problem of quantifying the overall extent to which a testtaker’s essay deals with the topic it is assigned (prompt). We experiment with a number of models for word topicality, and a number of approaches for aggregating word-level indices into text-level ones. All models are evaluated for their ability to predict the holistic quality of essays. We show that the best texttopicality model provides a significant improvement in a state-of-art essay scoring system. We also show that the findings of the relative merits of different models generalize well across three different datasets.
A Review of Parallelization Tools and Introduction to Easypar

Multicore processors have paved the way to increase the performance of any application by the virtue of benefits of parallelization. However, exploiting parallelism from a program is not easy, as it requires parallel programming expertise. In addition, manual parallelization is a cumbersome, time consuming and inefficient process. A number of tools proposed in the past ease the effort of parallel programming. This paper presents a classification of such parallelization tools. The classification is based on different eras of tool development, role playedby these tools in various parallelization stages, and features provided by parallel program assistance tools. Classification of tools concludes with a discussion on requirements of futuristic parallelization tools. Finally, this paper proposesour on-going work about the development of a parallel program assistance tool called EasyPar, which is a parallel program assistance tool.
USING AUDIO QUALITY TO PREDICT WORD ERROR RATE IN AN AUTOMATIC SPEECH RECOGNITION SYSTEM

Faced with a backlog of audio recordings, users of automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems would benefit from the ability to predict which files would result in useful output transcripts in order to prioritize processing resources. ASR systems used in non-research environments typically run in “real time”. In other words, one hour of speech requires one hour of processing. These systems produce transcripts with widely varying Word Error Rates (WER) depending upon the actual words spoken and the quality of the recording. Existing correlations between WER and the ability to perform tasks such as information retrieval or machine translation could be leveraged if one could predict WER before processing an audio file. We describe here a method for estimating the quality of the ASR output transcript by predicting the portion of the total WER in a transcript attributable to the quality of the audio recording.
Erythropoietin Amplifies Stroke-Induced Oligodendrogenesis in the Rat

Background Erythropoietin (EPO), a hematopoietic cytokine, enhances neurogenesis and angiogenesis during stroke recovery. In the present study, we examined the effect of EPO on oligodendrogenesis in a rat model of embolic focal cerebral ischemia. Methodology and Principal Findings Recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) at a dose of 5,000 U/kg (n = 18) or saline (n = 18) was intraperitoneally administered daily for 7 days starting 24 h after stroke onset. Treatment with rhEPO augmented actively proliferating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) measured by NG2 immunoreactive cells within the peri-infarct white matter and the subventricular zone (SVZ), but did not protect against loss of myelinating oligodendrocytes measured by cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (CNPase) positive cells 7 days after stroke. However, 28 and 42 days after stroke, treatment with rhEPO significantly increased myelinating oligodendrocytes and myelinated axons within the peri-infarct white matter. Using lentivirus to label subventricular zone (SVZ) neural progenitor cells, we found that in addition to the OPCs generated in the peri-infarct white matter, SVZ neural progenitor cells contributed to rhEPO-increased OPCs in the peri-infarct area. Using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) for birth-dating cells, we demonstrated that myelinating oligodendrocytes observed 28 days after stroke were derived from OPCs. Furthermore, rhEPO significantly improved neurological outcome 6 weeks after stroke. In vitro, rhEPO increased differentiation of adult SVZ neural progenitor cells into oligodendrocytes and enhanced immature oligodendrocyte cell proliferation. Conclusions Our in vivo and in vitro data indicate that EPO amplifies stroke-induced oligodendrogenesis that could facilitate axonal re-myelination and lead to functional recovery after stroke.
Helicopter Parenting of College Students

Popular media often features stories about 'helicopter parenting' and asserts that this style is detrimental to youngsters (c.f., Fingerman, Cheng, Wesselmann, Zarit, Furstenberg, & Birditt, 2012; LeMoyne & Buchanan, 2011). However, few studies have examined the phenomenon empirically (Fingerman et al. , 2012) , particularly in a college population. The few existing studies of 'helicopter parenting' have evaluated different facets of this parenting style (e.g. , intrusive parenting, inappropriate contact with school personnel) , which makes comparing research results difficult. This paper discusses the literature on 'helicopter parenting' and discusses the initial steps in the development of a new comprehensive assessment of 'helicopter parenting' behaviors identified in the literature. In addition, the study examines correlates of 'helicopter parenting' in college students: worry, depressive symptoms, and academic self-efficacy. 'Helicopter parenting' was correlated positively with depression and worry symptoms but not with self-efficacy. 'HELICOPTER PARENTING' OF STUDENTS 4 Acknowledgments This thesis would not have been possible without the guidance and patience of Dr. Allan, Dr. Gruber, Dr. Longley, and Dr. Stowell. Nazmi Turker also helped with using qualtrics and Mahip Rathore helped with using SONA. I am truly indebted to everyone who helped with this study. 'HELICOPTER PARENTING' OF STUDENTS Abstract AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgments
Image labeling via incremental model learning

The well-built dataset is a pre-requisite for object categorization. The processes of collecting and labeling the images are laborious and monotonous. In order to label images efficiently, we propose an incremental learning model to label images automatically with a bounding box for each visual object category. Our approach combines image classification and object detection. Given a query image, our approach firstly searches the candidate regions coarsely using the beyond sliding windows scheme, and then locate the object finely using the sliding window scheme, and after that update the learning model. We use two criteria to evaluate the image labeling, the detection precision and the detection consistency with the ground truth label. Our approach can localize the object fast and sequentially update the learning model with the increasing of the unlabeled samples. The experiment results have demonstrated that our approach outperforms the BOW model in terms of the precision and consistency of detection.
Prevalence and Clinical Significance of HIV Drug Resistance Mutations by Ultra-Deep Sequencing in Antiretroviral-Naïve Subjects in the CASTLE Study

Background CASTLE compared the efficacy of atazanavir/ritonavir with lopinavir/ritonavir, each in combination with tenofovir-emtricitabine in ARV-naïve subjects from 5 continents. Objectives Determine the baseline rate and clinical significance of TDR mutations using ultra-deep sequencing (UDS) in ARV-naïve subjects in CASTLE. Methods A case control study was performed on baseline samples for all 53 subjects with virologic failures (VF) at Week 48 and 95 subjects with virologic successes (VS) randomly selected and matched by CD4 count and viral load. UDS was performed using 454 Life Sciences/Roche technology. Results Of 148 samples, 141 had successful UDS (86 subtype B, 55 non-B subtypes). Overall, 30.5% of subjects had a TDR mutation at baseline; 15.6% only had TDR(s) at <20% of the viral population. There was no difference in the rate of TDRs by B (30.2%) or non-B subtypes (30.9%). VF (51) and VS (90) had similar rates of any TDRs (25.5% vs. 33.3%), NNRTI TDRs (11.1% vs.11.8%) and NRTI TDRs (24.4% vs. 25.5%). Of 9 (6.4%) subjects with M184V/I (7 at <20% levels), 6 experienced VF. 16 (11.3%) subjects had multiple TAMs, and 7 experienced VF. 3 (2.1%) subjects had both multiple TAMs+M184V, and all experienced VF. Of 14 (9.9%) subjects with PI TDRs (11 at <20% levels): only 1 experienced virologic failure. The majority of PI TDRs were found in isolation (e.g. 46I) at <20% levels, and had low resistance algorithm scores. Conclusion Among a representative sample of ARV-naïve subjects in CASTLE, TDR mutations were common (30.5%); B and non-B subtypes had similar rates of TDRs. Subjects with multiple PI TDRs were infrequent. Overall, TDRs did not affect virologic response for subjects on a boosted PI by week 48; however, a small subset of subjects with extensive NRTI backbone TDR patterns experienced virologic failure.
Active versus Passive Screen Time for Young Children

IN THIS PAPER WE REPORT SOME initial findings from our investigations into the Australian Government's Longitudinal Study of Australian Children dataset. It is revealed that the majority of Australian children are exceeding the government's Screen Time recommendations and that most of their screen time is spent as TV viewing, as opposed to video game play or computer use. In light of this finding, we review the body of research surrounding children's engagement in Screen Time activities and the associated positive and negative effects. Based on existing evidence, we define two categories of Screen Time—Active Screen Time and Passive Screen Time. It is proposed that this distinction provides a more accurate classification of Screen Time and a more informative lens through which to consider the associated benefits and detrimental effects for young children.
Static balancing of a manipulator with hemispherical work space

This paper proposes a gravity compensator for the roll-pitch rotation which can be operated in hemispherical work space. The gravity compensator comprises two 1-dof gravity compensators and a bevel differential. It is revealed from analyses of energy and torque that the proposed gravity compensator can perform static balancing completely. The gravity compensation of a 4-dofs manipulator is briefly introduced for example. Experiments show that the proposed compensator can counterbalance the gravitational torques effectively and can be operated in hemispherical work space.
Home Visits: Teacher Reflections about Parental Involvement, Student Achievement, and Behavior

Few would argue that it is the responsibility of classroom teachers to establish and build good relationships with students and their parents, especially when dealing with difficult students. Sixty experienced elementary teachers conducted a home visit with the parents of their most challenging student in order to get better acquainted, commit to regular communication, and develop common goals that targeted improvement in the child’s behavior and academic performance. As reluctant as these teachers were to initiate a home visit, their willingness to do so brought improvement in their relationships with students and their parents and resulted in significant positive results in student attitudes, behavior, work habits, and academic achievement.
Span-based Statistical Dependency Parsing of Chinese

Using non-constituent spans, we have applied the CYK algorithm to statistical dependency parsing of Chinese, with an additional measure to avoid duplicated e(cid:11)orts. We used a rule-based Chinese parser to generate a training corpus of functionally labelled dependency annotations. In this paper, we describe our span-based CYK algorithm and report initial experimental results.
Incremental on-line feature space MLLR adaptation for telephony speech recognition

In this paper, we present a method for incremental on-line adaptation based on feature space Maximum Likelihood Linear Regression (FMLLR) for telephony speech recognition applications. We explain how to incorporate a feature space MLLR transform into a stack decoder and perform on-line adaptation. The issues discussed are as follows: collecting adaptation data on-line and in real time; mapping adaptation data from previous feature space to the present feature space; and smoothing adaptation statistics with initial statistics based on original acoustical model to achieve stability. Testing results on various systems demonstrate that on-line incremental FMLLR adaptation could be an effective and stable method when the adaptation statistics are mapped and smoothed.
Dragon systems' 1998 broadcast news transcription system

In this paper we shall describe key improvements to Dragon’s Broadcast News Transcription System, which include: the addition of a speaker-change detection algorithm to our preprocessing subsystem, a new diagonalizing transformation trained using semi-tied covariances, and the addition of probabilities on pronunciations. This new transcription system yields a word error rate of 15.2% on the 1997 evaluation test data, and 14.5% őn the 1998 evaluation test data.
Usability by Inspection : Collaborative Techniques for Software and Web Applications

Usability inspections are a cost-effective alternative to conventional usability testing for evaluating and improving the usability of software and Web-based systems. The collaborative usability inspection technique described here is a highly structured, scenario-driven inspection process optimized for rapidly identifying, classifying, and prioritizing usability defects. The process has been refined through extensive application into a highly efficient, easily learned technique. The basic structure is introduced and guidelines for conducting successful inspections are described.
Extracting Condition-Opinion Relations Toward Fine-grained Opinion Mining

A fundamental issue in opinion mining is to search a corpus for opinion units, each of which typically comprises the evaluation by an author for a target object from an aspect, such as “This hotel is in a good location”. However, few attempts have been made to address cases where the validity of an evaluation is restricted on a condition in the source text, such as “for traveling with small kids”. In this paper, we propose a method to extract condition-opinion relations from online reviews, which enables fine-grained analysis for the utility of target objects depending the user attribute, purpose, and situation. Our method uses supervised machine learning to identify sequences of words or phrases that comprise conditions for opinions. We propose several features associated with lexical and syntactic information, and show their effectiveness experimentally.