Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The standardisation of cloud computing: Trends in the state-of-the-art and management issues for the next generation of cloud

Roll-out of future cloud systems will be influenced by regulations from the standardisation bodies, if made available across the community. Trends in cloud deployment, operation and management to date have not been guided by any regulatory standards, and resources have been deployed in an ad hoc manner as demanded according to the business objectives of service providers. This is the least costly and most quickly revenue-returning business model. It is not however, the most cost-effective approach on a long-term basis: As a consequence of this roll-out model to date, the interoperability of resources deployed across clouds managed by different operators is restricted through inability to allocate workload to them in a regulated and controllable manner. The absence of standardised approaches to cloud management is therefore beginning to be accommodated such that the cost and performance advantages of interoperable operation may be exploited. In this paper, we review the state-of-the-art in standards across the field and trends in their development. We present a model which defines the drivers for cloud interoperability and constraints which restrict the extent to which this may realistically occur in future scalable solutions. This is supplemented with discussion on future challenges foreseen with regard to cloud operation and the way in which standards require provision such that cloud interoperation may be accommodated.
Living Independently in Spain: Barriers and Supports from the Views of People with Intellectual Disabilities

ABSTRACT The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognises the right to independent living. Given the lack of studies carried out in Spain, the aim of this research is to explore the barriers and supports that people with intellectual disability (ID) themselves believe affect their exercising of this right. To this end, an in-depth individual interview was designed and administered to 22 people with ID following various personal pathways. Thematic data analysis was conducted. According to the results, people with ID have highlighted the barriers and supports in different areas of their lives that affect their opportunities to exercise control over their lives, live and participate in ordinary and inclusive spaces within the community. In conclusion, this study helps to identify areas for improvement that are key to exercise the right to independent living.
A security Policy Query Engine for fully automated resolution of anomalies in firewall configurations

Legacy work on correcting firewall anomalies operate with the premise of creating totally disjunctive rules. Unfortunately, such solutions are impractical from implementation point of view as they lead to an explosion of the number of firewall rules. In a related previous work, we proposed a new approach for performing assisted corrective actions, which in contrast to the-state-of-the-art family of radically disjunctive approaches, does not lead to a prohibitive increase of the configuration size. In this sense, we allow relaxation in the correction process by clearly distinguishing between constructive anomalies that can be tolerated and destructive anomalies that should be systematically fixed. However, a main disadvantage of the latter approach was its dependency on the guided input from the administrator which controversially introduces a new risk for human errors. In order to circumvent the latter disadvantage, we present in this paper a Firewall Policy Query Engine (FPQE) that renders the whole process of anomaly resolution a fully automated one and which does not require any human intervention. In this sense, instead of prompting the administrator for inserting the proper order corrective actions, FPQE executes those queries against a high level firewall policy. We have implemented the FPQE and the first results of integrating it with our legacy anomaly resolver are promising.
Human Leukocyte Antigen DQB1 (HLA-DQB1) Polymorphisms and the Risk for Guillain-Barré Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune disorder of the peripheral nervous system. There is no consensus regarding reported associations between human leukocyte antigen DQB1 (HLA-DQB1) polymorphisms and the risk for developing GBS. Here, we evaluated possible associations between HLA-DQB1 polymorphisms and the risk for GBS using a meta-analysis. We searched PubMed for case-control genetic association studies for HLA-DQB1 polymorphisms (*020x, *030x, *040x, *050x, and *060x) and the risk for GBS. Fixed-effect meta-analytical methods were used for the outcome measure and subgroup analyses. Estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to investigate the associations between HLA-DQB1 polymorphisms and the risk for GBS. Nine case-control studies involving 780 cases of GBS and 1353 controls were identified in the current study. The meta-analysis demonstrated no significant associations between HLA-DQB1 polymorphisms and the risk for GBS in Asian and Caucasian populations. There were two associations that approached significance: HLA-DQB1*030x in Asian patients (P = 0.07; OR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.57–1.03) and HLA-DQB1*060x in all patients (P = 0.08; OR: 1.48, 95% CI: 0.96–2.29). Additional studies with larger sample sizes are required to establish a definitive assessment of the contribution of HLA-DQB1 polymorphisms to GBS risk.
Features and Risk Factors of Nonfatal Injury among the Rural Children: A Survey of Seven Schools in a Mountain Area in Southwest China

Objective We aimed to investigate the patterns and risk factors of nonfatal injuries among rural mountain-area children in southwest China. Methods A stratified sampling method was used to recruit rural children aged 8 to 17 years (mainly 9–14 years) from 7 schools. Self-reported injuries during the past 12 months and relevant concerns were collected from June to December 2012 by using a structured questionnaire in a class interview. Results The mean age of the 2,854 children was 12.2±1.5 years. The probability of annual injury was 16.7% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 15.3–18.1%), with slightly higher injury risk for boys than girls (17.7% vs. 16.0%; P>0.05). The top 3 causes of injuries were falls (37.3%), animal-related incidents (20.6%), and burns (14.9%). The main injury risk factors included being involved in a violent episode (odds ratio [OR] 1.34, 95% CI 1.08–1.66, P = 0.007), maltreatment by parents or guardians (1.42, 1.17–1.72, P<0.001), and being from a single-child family (1.30, 1.10–1.66, P = 0.039). Older age was a protective factor (0.81, 0.76–0.87, P<0.001). Conclusions The incidence of nonfatal injury among rural children was high, and falls were the leading cause. Younger children and boys from poor-care and poor-living environments were at increased risk of injury, which requires urgent attention. Injury prevention programs targeting these issues are needed in this mountain area and similar rural regions of China.
Stable Distributions for Heavy-Tailed Data and Their Application in Asset Health Monitoring

Probabilistic approaches used in asset health monitoring applications attempt to capture the properties exhibited by the random variables describing the operational behaviour of the asset. In a standard parametric approach, the underlying data density is modelled using distributions. The model parameters are fitted to the observed data (in some approaches with an assumption that the data follows a Gaussian distribution) using empirical or maximum likelihood methods. The model is then used to make decisions on out-of-sample data for any potentially extreme (and “abnormal”) events. In practical applications, large datasets obtained from assets exhibit heavier tails than Gaussian distributions, and have non-zero skewness. The tail behaviour of such distributions offers valuable information for decision support and risk management tools used by fleet engineers. This paper introduces the application of stable distributions to a dataset of performance parameters acquired from an aerospace gas-turbine engine. Stable distributions are a class of probability distributions that generalise Gaussian distributions, and which can accommodate heavy tails and skewness. The results show that stable distributions accurately describe the tail events of real-life data in an accurate manner and can be used as an alerting tool in fleet management.
An N100-P300 Spelling Brain-Computer Interface with Detection of Intentional Control

A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a tool to communicate with a computer via brain signals without the user making any physical movements, thus enabling disabled people to communicate with their environment and with others. P300-based ERP spellers are a widely used spelling visual BCI using the P300 component of event-related potential (ERP). However, they have a technical problem in that at least 2 N flashes are required to present N characters. This prevents the improvement of accuracy and restricts the typing speed. To address this issue, we propose a method that uses N100 in addition to P300. We utilize novel stimulus images to detect the user’s gazing position by using N100. By using both P300 and N100, the proposed visual BCI reduces the number of flashes and improves the accuracy of the P300 speller. We also propose using N100 to classify non-control (NC) and intentional control (IC) states. In our experiments, the detection accuracy of N100 was significantly higher than that of P300 and the proposed method exhibited a higher information transfer rate (ITR) than the P300 speller.
ConNet: A Network Programming Language with Concurrency

Interdependent functionalities such as access authorizing, routing, traffic observing, and load adjusting are offered by today's networks. Inconveniently, the existing languages for programming software defined networks do not provide parallelism to simulate the natural interdependence between common network functionalities. These languages are also not successful in providing a rudimentary solution to overcome the bad need for concurrency. This results in perplexed network programs. This paper proposes ConNet, a model for a concurrent network programming langauge. This model is simple, yet powerful enough to express strong networking applications. The model is supported with a new operational semantics that is based on a new concept, the event of states concept. A type system to guarantee type safety of ConNet programs is proposed in this paper as well. Mathematical formalization for the correctness of the type system is stated in the paper. Results of experiments checking efficiency of the language model are presented and discussed in the paper.
Modeling and simulation of power flow controller in hybrid renewable energy systems

This paper deals with hybrid renewable energy generation system, applying advanced power control techniques fed by three power sources namely: wind power, solar power, and storage battery which is not connected to a commercial power system. Considerable effort was put into the development of active-reactive power control. Phase locked loop (PLL) is a phase synchronization technique through which the active power can be controlled. As the system uses only natural energy sources there is no cause for polluting the surrounding environment. The above system can be used for supplying power on isolated islands and in rural locations without any dependence on the commercial power system. The system is also flexible, so different power sources can be interconnected anywhere on the system there by increasing the production of power.
Polymeric LabChip Real-Time PCR as a Point-of-Care-Potential Diagnostic Tool for Rapid Detection of Influenza A/H1N1 Virus in Human Clinical Specimens

It is clinically important to be able to detect influenza A/H1N1 virus using a fast, portable, and accurate system that has high specificity and sensitivity. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to develop a highly specific primer set that recognizes only influenza A viral genes and a rapid real-time PCR system that can detect even a single copy of the viral gene. In this study, we developed and validated a novel fluidic chip-type real-time PCR (LabChip real-time PCR) system that is sensitive and specific for the detection of influenza A/H1N1, including the pandemic influenza strain A/H1N1 of 2009. This LabChip real-time PCR system has several remarkable features: (1) It allows rapid quantitative analysis, requiring only 15 min to perform 30 cycles of real-time PCR. (2) It is portable, with a weight of only 5.5 kg. (3) The reaction cost is low, since it uses disposable plastic chips. (4) Its high efficiency is equivalent to that of commercially available tube-type real-time PCR systems. The developed disposable LabChip is an economic, heat-transferable, light-transparent, and easy-to-fabricate polymeric chip compared to conventional silicon- or glass-based labchip. In addition, our LabChip has large surface-to-volume ratios in micro channels that are required for overcoming time consumed for temperature control during real-time PCR. The efficiency of the LabChip real-time PCR system was confirmed using novel primer sets specifically targeted to the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of influenza A/H1N1 and clinical specimens. Eighty-five human clinical swab samples were tested using the LabChip real-time PCR. The results demonstrated 100% sensitivity and specificity, showing 72 positive and 13 negative cases. These results were identical to those from a tube-type real-time PCR system. This indicates that the novel LabChip real-time PCR may be an ultra-fast, quantitative, point-of-care-potential diagnostic tool for influenza A/H1N1 with a high sensitivity and specificity.
Molecular detection and phylogenetic tree of infectious laryngotracheitis virus in layers in Al-Diwaniyah province, Iraq

Background and Aim: Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) of chickens is a substantial issue to be studied in Iraq because this disease is one of the most highly contagious respiratory diseases in the world caused by a herpesvirus. However, in Iraq, the ILT virus (ILTV) infection and disease have yet not been confirmed in layers, so farm owners do not vaccinate these layers. The current study aimed to document the detection and characterization of ILTV in layer hens from Al-Diwaniyah city, for the first time in Iraq, using molecular techniques like polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing. Materials and Methods: Four layer farms (15,000 unvaccinated layers/farm) in Al-Diwaniyah province, Iraq, suffered a severe ILT outbreak, was diagnosed and reported by clinical and PCR tests. This disease has been reported in Iraq, and more recently, it began to show outbreaks in Al-Diwaniyah city. The current work opted to investigate the ILTV using PCR and DNA sequencing techniques. The study targeted the p32 gene of ILTV using pooled tracheal swabs and organs including the trachea, lung, and kidneys which were collected from dead and clinically infected chickens. Results: The analyses revealed that four of six suspected field samples showed positive results by PCR. The DNA sequencing results showed the homology of the amplified fragments with the studied gene. Conclusion: This study confirmed the presence of ILTV in hens with respiratory signs during the outbreak.
The politics of creditor–debtor relations and mortgage payment strikes: The case of the Uruguayan Federation of Mutual-Aid Housing Cooperatives

Mortgage debt and concomitant forms of financial expropriation continue their largely uncontested expansion across the social terrain. The atomisation of debtors and commodity fetishism are two key factors that underpin this process. The collective and partially de-commodified character of mutual-aid housing cooperatives in Uruguay and their conflict-ridden mortgage debt relations provide a contrasting, reverse mirror image. This paper analyses how in the case of a collective debtor, the spatial fixity and temporal uncertainties that result from the establishment of mortgage debt relations can work against the creditor. Housing cooperatives make up a geography of spaces that are opaque to the creditor, in the sense that mortgage debtors cannot be individually identified and pursued. Once homes are constructed and inhabited, the creditor’s debt claims can be collectively challenged. In the context of the most recent mortgage payment strike (2001–2011) carried out by the Uruguayan Federation of Mutual-Aid Housing Cooperatives, what is presumed a voluntary contract between equal parties is revealed as a power struggle between owners and non-owners of capital. This atypical case provides an opportunity to empirically attest to the political nature of creditor–debtor relations, often rendered socially invisible due to the extreme power imbalance between counterparties.
Bilateral teleoperation of cooperative manipulators

This paper presents an adaptive controller for the bilateral teleoperation of a system composed by a single local manipulator and multiple cooperative remote manipulators handling a common object. First, the nonlinear operational space dynamical behavior of the complete teleoperation system is derived. Then, under the assumptions that the remote manipulators are rigidly grasping a non-deformable object and that the communications may induce constant time-delays, it is proved that velocities and position-orientation error between the local manipulator end-effector and the object asymptotically converge to zero. Simulations results are included to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
A Swarm Intelligence Appliance to the Construction of an Intelligent Peer-to-Peer Overlay Network

Location and manipulation of complex data is a difficult, challenging task in nowadays extremely complex IT systems and on the Internet, overwhelmed with a huge amount of information that develops and grows rapidly. In this paper, we propose a self-organizing approach that combines purely decentralized unstructured P2P with space based computing in order to locate effectively and filter (retrieve) information from a network. The inspiration came from swarm intelligence that possesses distributive and autonomous properties and represents a self-organizing biological system. The goal is to achieve a good query capability, which we prove by means of benchmarks.
Lowest complexity adaptive rank filter for FPGA implementation

The presented lowest complexity adaptive bit-pipeline rank filter (LCABP) reduces the complexity of specialized processing hardware, due to similar pipeline stages and the complete absence of masking bits in comparison with other solutions. FPGA realization of adaptive bit-pipeline rank filter according to this paper provides significantly higher maximum operating frequency and much smaller used chip resources in comparison with state-of-the-art methods.
Prevalence of Virulence Factors and Drug Resistance in Clinical Isolates of Enterococci: A Study from North India

Along with emergence of multidrug resistance, presence of several virulence factors in enterococci is an emerging concept. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of various virulence factors phenotypically and genotypically in enterococci and study their association with multidrug resistance. A total of 310 enterococcal isolates were studied, comprising 155 E. faecium and 155 E. faecalis. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done by disc diffusion and agar dilution method. Hemolysin, gelatinase, biofilm production, and haemagglutination were detected phenotypically and presence of virulence genes, namely, asa1, gelE, cylA, esp, and hyl, was detected by multiplex PCR. Of the total, 47.41% isolates were high level gentamicin resistant (HLGRE) and 7.09% were vancomycin resistant (VRE). All the virulence traits studied were found in varying proportions, with majority in E. faecalis (p > 0.05). Strong biofilm producers possessed either asa1 or gelE gene. gelE silent gene was detected in 41.37% (12/29). However, increase in resistance was associated with significant decrease in expression or acquisition of virulence genes. Further, acquisition of vancomycin resistance was the significant factor responsible for the loss of virulence traits. Though it is presumed that increased drug resistance correlates with increased virulence, acquisition of vancomycin resistance might be responsible for reduced expression of virulence traits to meet the “biological cost” relating to VRE.
Adipose Tissue Exosome-Like Vesicles Mediate Activation of Macrophage-Induced Insulin Resistance

OBJECTIVE We sought to determine whether exosome-like vesicles (ELVs) released from adipose tissue play a role in activation of macrophages and subsequent development of insulin resistance in a mouse model. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS ELVs released from adipose tissue were purified by sucrose gradient centrifugation and labeled with green fluorescent dye and then intravenously injected into B6 ob/ob mice (obese model) or B6 mice fed a high-fat diet. The effects of injected ELVs on the activation of macrophages were determined through analysis of activation markers by fluorescence-activated cell sorter and induction of inflammatory cytokines using an ELISA. Glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance were also evaluated. Similarly, B6 mice with different gene knockouts including TLR2, TLR4, MyD88, and Toll-interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain–containing adaptor protein inducing interferon-β (TRIF) were also used for testing their responses to the injected ELVs. RESULTS ELVs are taken up by peripheral blood monocytes, which then differentiate into activated macrophages with increased secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Injection of obELVs into wild-type C57BL/6 mice results in the development of insulin resistance. When the obELVs were intravenously injected into TLR4 knockout B6 mice, the levels of glucose intolerance and insulin resistance were much lower. RBP4 is enriched in the obELVs. Bone marrow–derived macrophages preincubated with recombinant RBP4 led to attenuation of obELV-mediated induction of IL-6 and TNF-α. CONCLUSIONS ELVs released by adipose tissue can act as a mode of communication between adipose tissues and macrophages. The obELV-mediated induction of TNF-α and IL-6 in macrophages and insulin resistance requires the TLR4/TRIF pathway.
Title : RBF-based Constrained Texture Mapping

There are many methods based on optimization technique for resolving the problem of distortion-minimization in texture mapping. Recently, a new optimization-based method for parameterizing polygonal meshes with minimum deformation has been developed to specifically address the problem of feature matching in texture mapping. However, these optimization-based methods achieve the result of high quality at the expense of long computation time. In this paper we present a fast analytic texture mapping method based on RBF (Radial Basis Function) interpolation to solve the problem of constrained texture mapping. The users control the mapping process by interactively defining and editing a set of constraints consisting of 3D points picked on the surface and the corresponding 2D points of the texture. RBF is invoked to interpolate the user-defined constraints to provide an analytic parameterization of the surface. The energy-minimization characteristic of RBF also ensures that the mapping function smoothly interpolates the constraints with satisfying non-deformation properties. This method has been applied to several data sets and excellent results have been produced. Our method is much faster than the optimization-based method in texture mapping with the same good effect achieved.