Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Querying Web-Scale Information Networks Through Bounding Matching Scores

Web-scale information networks containing billions of entities are common nowadays. Querying these networks can be modeled as a subgraph matching problem. Since information networks are incomplete and noisy in nature, it is important to discover answers that match exactly as well as answers that are similar to queries. Existing graph matching algorithms usually use graph indices to improve the efficiency of query processing. For web-scale information networks, it may not be feasible to build the graph indices due to the amount of work and the memory/storage required. In this paper, we propose an efficient algorithm for finding the best k answers for a given query without precomputing graph indices. The quality of an answer is measured by a matching score that is computed online. To speed up query processing, we propose a novel technique for bounding the matching scores during the computation. By using bounds, we can efficiently prune the answers that have low qualities without having to evaluate all possible answers. The bounding technique can be implemented in a distributed environment, allowing our approach to efficiently answer the queries on web-scale information networks. We demonstrate the effectiveness and the efficiency of our approach through a series of experiments on real-world information networks. The result shows that our bounding technique can reduce the running time up to two orders of magnitude comparing to an approach that does not use bounds.
An audio fingerprinting system for live version identification using image processing techniques

Suppose that you are at a music festival checking on an artist, and you would like to quickly know about the song that is being played (e.g., title, lyrics, album, etc.). If you have a smartphone, you could record a sample of the live performance and compare it against a database of existing recordings from the artist. Services such as Shazam or SoundHound will not work here, as this is not the typical framework for audio fingerprinting or query-by-humming systems, as a live performance is neither identical to its studio version (e.g., variations in instrumentation, key, tempo, etc.) nor it is a hummed or sung melody. We propose an audio fingerprinting system that can deal with live version identification by using image processing techniques. Compact fingerprints are derived using a log-frequency spectrogram and an adaptive thresholding method, and template matching is performed using the Hamming similarity and the Hough Transform.
Selected Determinants of Consumer Satisfaction and Complaint Reports

Data obtained from 375 members of a consumer panel in a two-phase study of consumer experiences with automobile repairs and services were used to examine the antecedents and consequences of consumer satisfaction. The results support previous findings that expectations and disconfirmation are plausible determinants of satisfaction, and suggest that complaint activity may be included in satisfaction/dissatisfaction research as suggested by earlier descriptions of consumer complaining behavior.
OMA 2011: orthology inference among 1000 complete genomes

OMA (Orthologous MAtrix) is a database that identifies orthologs among publicly available, complete genomes. Initiated in 2004, the project is at its 11th release. It now includes 1000 genomes, making it one of the largest resources of its kind. Here, we describe recent developments in terms of species covered; the algorithmic pipeline—in particular regarding the treatment of alternative splicing, and new features of the web (OMA Browser) and programming interface (SOAP API). In the second part, we review the various representations provided by OMA and their typical applications. The database is publicly accessible at http://omabrowser.org.
Educational Aspirations of Minority Youth

Using the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), we analyze how educational aspirations are formed and maintained from eighth to twelfth grades among a single cohort of youth. Guided by research in the status-attainment literature, which focuses on how aspirations are shaped, and the blocked-opportunities framework, which considers the structural obstacles that bound or level aspirations, we find that the relative shares of minority youth who have high educational aspirations are high from eighth to twelfth grades. However, ethnic groups differ in the extent to which high educational aspirations are maintained such that black and Hispanic youth have less stable aspirations. Our results suggest that family socioeconomic status (SES) not only contributes to ambitious aspirations in eighth grade but, more important, to the maintenance of high aspirations throughout the high school years. Because black and Hispanic students are less likely to maintain their high aspirations throughout high school, owing to their lower family SES background, we argue that their early aspirations are less concrete than those of white and especially Asian students. Focus-group discussions with adolescents support quantitative findings that, compared to whites and Asians, black and Hispanic youth are relatively uninformed about college, thus dampening their odds of reaching their educational goals.
Scale dependence of the hydraulic properties of a fractured aquifer estimated using transfer functions

We present an investigation of the scale dependence of hydraulic parameters in fractured media based on the concept of transfer functions (TF). TF methods provide an inexpensive way to perform aquifer parameter estimation, as they relate the fluctuations of an observation time series (hydraulic head fluctuations) to an input function (aquifer recharge) in frequency domain. Fractured media are specially sensitive to this approach as hydraulic parameters are strongly scale‐dependent, involving nonstationary statistical distributions. Our study is based on an extensive data set, involving up to 130 measurement points with periodic head measurements that in some cases extend for more than 30 years. For each point, we use a single‐porosity and dual‐continuum TF formulation to obtain a distribution of transmissivities and storativities in both mobile and immobile domains. Single‐porosity TF estimates are compared with data obtained from the interpretation of over 60 hydraulic tests (slug and pumping tests). Results show that the TF is able to estimate the scale dependence of the hydraulic parameters, and it is consistent with the behavior of estimates from traditional hydraulic tests. In addition, the TF approach seems to provide an estimation of the system variance and the extension of the ergodic behavior of the aquifer (estimated in approximately 500 m in the analyzed aquifer). The scale dependence of transmissivity seems to be independent from the adopted formulation (single or dual‐continuum), while storativity is more sensitive to the presence of multiple continua.
Perceived Constraints and Social Support for Active Leisure Among Mothers With Young Children

Evidence suggests that women who are mothers of young children have lower levels of physical activity than women of similar age who do not have children (Brown, Lee, Mishra, & Bauman, 2000). The purposes of this study were to explore the factors that constrain mothers of young children from being more physically active, and the relationship between physical activity and levels of social support available to the women. The empirical basis for this examination was provided through a study of activity levels and barriers to physical activity experienced by a sample of 543 mothers of young children from differing socioeconomic backgrounds. The data indicate that: (a) more than two-thirds of the mothers were inadequately active in their leisure time for health benefit; (b) while the vast majority of mothers expressed a desire to be more active, they were inhibited in their ability to act out their leisure preferences by a combination of structural (e.g., lack of time, money, energy) and ideological influences (e.g., sense of commitment to others); (c) access to social support (from partners, family, and friends) was seen to place some women in a better position than others to negotiate constraints that inhibit leisure participation; and (d) within groups of varying socioeconomic status (SES) there was wide variation in the amount of time spent each week in active leisure.
Achievement Goal Validation Among African American High School Students

Achievement goal theory helps describe how and why students engage in various academic behaviors. Historically, achievement goals have been examined almost exclusively with undergraduate, nonminority samples, and predominately with factor analytic techniques. The present study adds to a growing literature by providing initial validation of a leading achievement goal measure, the Achievement Goal Questionnaire-Revised (AGQ-R; Elliot & Murayama, 2008), among rural (N = 186) and urban (N = 197) African American high school students. Collectively, results from both confirmatory factor and Rasch analyses highlight issues that should be considered when using the AGQ-R among African American high school students.
Progression to AIDS slowed even more after the first two years with highly active antiretroviral therapy

Aims: The aim of this study was to describe the effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral treatment for HIV after the treatment became publicly available in Norway in August 1996 and through to the year 2000. The effectiveness was studied for the three main transmission groups for HIV in Norway. Methods: Effectiveness was measured as change in progression to AIDS after highly active antiretroviral treatment for HIV was introduced in the population of HIV-diagnosed persons. Notifications of HIV diagnosed persons and persons with AIDS from 1983 to 2000 in Norway were used in the analysis. Progression to AIDS after August 1996 compared with progression to AIDS before 1996 was analysed by Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models. Results: Progression to AIDS slowed after highly active antiretroviral treatment was introduced. The intensity of getting AIDS was significantly reduced after August 1996 compared with the intensity of getting AIDS before August 1996. The reduction in intensity after August 1996 was less explicit in the two years following August 1996 than in the subsequent two and a half years from August 1998 to December 2000. The reduction was less explicit among HIV-diagnosed intravenous drug users. Conclusions: The effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral treatment lasted for at least four and a half years and increased after the first two calendar years. The problem of less effectiveness among HIV-diagnosed intravenous drug users should be addressed by the health authorities.
Immunogenicity and Safety Testing of a Group B Intranasal Meningococcal Native Outer Membrane Vesicle Vaccine

ABSTRACT The presently licensed meningococcal vaccine is a tetravalent capsular polysaccharide vaccine that induces immunity to serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135 but not to group B, which causes nearly half of the meningitis cases in the United States. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of an intranasal native outer membrane vesicle (NOMV) vaccine prepared from a capsule negative strain of group B of Neisseria meningitidis. In this study all volunteers received the same dose of vaccine, but we evaluated two different immunization schedules and the oropharyngeal and intranasal routes of vaccine delivery, assessed nasal cytology for cellular infiltration, and measured antibody-secreting cells (enzyme-linked immunospot assay [ELISPOT]) as an early marker for systemic immune response. Additionally, both intranasal and serum vaccine-specific antibodies were measured as well as serum bactericidal activity. Four groups with a total of 42 subjects were immunized on days 0, 28, and 56. Group 3 received an additional dose on day 7. Group 2 subjects were immunized both intranasally and oropharyngeally. Group 4 received a different lot of vaccine. All groups received approximately 1,200 μg of vaccine per subject. Patients were evaluated for side effects. The vaccine was well tolerated without evidence of inflammation on nasal cytology. The group receiving the extra vaccine dose showed the maximum increase in bactericidal activity. Thirty of 42 subjects demonstrated an increase in meningococcus-specific intranasal immunoglobulin A (IgA) titers, while 23 of 42 demonstrated an increase in specific IgG titers. The group receiving vaccine intranasally and oropharyngeally showed the highest rise in intranasal titers for both IgA and IgG. Groups 1, 3, and 4 showed a significant increase in antibody-secreting cells on ELISPOT. Eighteen of 42 volunteers demonstrated a fourfold or greater rise in bactericidal titers, with 81% showing an increase over baseline. We have demonstrated the immunogenicity and safety of a group B lipopolysaccharide-containing, intranasal, NOMV vaccine.
Bacillus thermoamylovorans Spores with Very-High-Level Heat Resistance Germinate Poorly in Rich Medium despite the Presence of ger Clusters but Efficiently upon Exposure to Calcium-Dipicolinic Acid

ABSTRACT High-level heat resistance of spores of Bacillus thermoamylovorans poses challenges to the food industry, as industrial sterilization processes may not inactivate such spores, resulting in food spoilage upon germination and outgrowth. In this study, the germination and heat resistance properties of spores of four food-spoiling isolates were determined. Flow cytometry counts of spores were much higher than their counts on rich medium (maximum, 5%). Microscopic analysis revealed inefficient nutrient-induced germination of spores of all four isolates despite the presence of most known germination-related genes, including two operons encoding nutrient germinant receptors (GRs), in their genomes. In contrast, exposure to nonnutrient germinant calcium-dipicolinic acid (Ca-DPA) resulted in efficient (50 to 98%) spore germination. All four strains harbored cwlJ and gerQ genes, which are known to be essential for Ca-DPA-induced germination in Bacillus subtilis. When determining spore survival upon heating, low viable counts can be due to spore inactivation and an inability to germinate. To dissect these two phenomena, the recoveries of spores upon heat treatment were determined on plates with and without preexposure to Ca-DPA. The high-level heat resistance of spores as observed in this study (D 120°C, 1.9 ± 0.2 and 1.3 ± 0.1 min; z value, 12.2 ± 1.8°C) is in line with survival of sterilization processes in the food industry. The recovery of B. thermoamylovorans spores can be improved via nonnutrient germination, thereby avoiding gross underestimation of their levels in food ingredients.
Nocturnal blood pressure fall on ambulatory monitoring in a large international database. The "Ad Hoc' Working Group.

A wide range of definitions is used to distinguish subjects in whom blood pressure (BP) falls at night (dippers) from their counterparts (nondippers). In an attempt to standardize the definition of nondipping, we determined the nocturnal BP fall and night-day BP ratio by 24-hour ambulatory monitoring in 4765 normotensive and 2555 hypertensive subjects from 10 to 99 years old. In all subjects combined, the systolic/diastolic nocturnal fall and corresponding ratio averaged (+/- SD) -16.7 +/- 11.0/ -13.6 +/- 8.1 mm Hg and 87.2 +/- 8.0%/83.1 +/- 9.6%, respectively. In normotensive subjects, the 95th percentiles were -0.3/-1.1 mm Hg for the nocturnal fall and 99.7%/98.3% for the night-day ratio. Both the fall and ratio showed a curvilinear correlation with age. The smallest fall and largest ratio were observed in older (> or = 70 years) subjects. A higher BP on conventional sphygmomanometry was associated with a larger systolic (partial r = .11) and diastolic (r = .12) nocturnal BP fall. The diastolic (r = .08) but not the systolic night-day ratio increased with higher conventional BP. The nocturnal BP fall was larger and the corresponding night-day ratio smaller in oscillometric (n = 5884) than in auscultatory (n = 1436) recordings, in males (n = 3730) than in females (n = 3590), and in Europe (n = 4556) than in the other continents (n = 2764). The distributions of the nocturnal BP fall and night-day ratio showed considerable overlap among normotensive and hypertensive subjects, but the overlap tended to be larger for the ratio than for the fall. Of all subjects, 3.2% had systolic and diastolic ratios of 100% or more. With adjustments applied for confounders, the probability of being a nondipper increased 2.8 times (95% confidence interval, 2.0-4.0) from 30 to 60 years and 5.7 times (4.4-7.4) from 60 to 80 years. The odds ratios were 1.0 (0.8-1.4) for males versus females. 1.6 (1.2-2.1) for subjects with definite hypertension versus normotensive subjects, 2.4 (1.2-4.7) for Asians (n = 2213, 96% Japanese) versus inhabitants of the other continents, and 2.4 (1.5-3.8) for subjects examined with auscultatory versus oscillometric devices. In conclusion, the mathematical definition of nondipping, ie, having a night-day ratio of 100% or more for systolic and diastolic BPs, closely approximated the 95th percentiles of the night-day ratio in normotensive subjects. The ratio depends less on BP level than the nocturnal BP fall and is therefore to be preferred in the definition of dipping status. Notwithstanding the present findings, the reproducibility of nondipping and its prognostic significance need further clarification.
Efficient free space coupling in 2D semi-conductor photonic crystal nanocavities

By engineering the electromagnetic environment of L3 photonic crystal nanocavities a strong re-direction of the emission pattern is achieved. This is experimentally demonstrated by means of far-field measurements. The same approach is implemented for coupled L3 nanocavities. FDTD simulations show strong beaming effect for both the symmetric and the anti-symmetric modes of the photonic molecule. Laser operation of the single folded cavities is demonstrated, showing that the band-folding procedure implemented here preserves a high Q-factor operation.
Enhancement of Security and Embedding Capacity through Huffman Coding in Steganography

: In this paper, we incorporated Huffman coding algorithm in digital image steganography to enhance both the data security and embedding capacity. Data is compressed by variable length compression technique and then embedded in digital colored images using modified LSB technique. Pixels are broken into RGB components and some of the least significant bits, based on certain criterion, of these components are used to embed the secret message. Security is extended to a greater extent by using multi-keys for embedding and data compression ratio varies from 45% to 80% that depends on the type of data embedded. Here, we have categorized data into three types, small length, larger length and data from a particular domain. Our experimental results have shown that distortion in the stego-image is negligible, very difficult to extract the message and embedding capacity increased to a large extent.
Computing the drainage network on huge grid terrains

We present a very efficient algorithm, named EMFlow, and its implementation to compute the drainage network, that is, the flow direction and flow accumulation on huge terrains stored in external memory. It is about 20 times faster than the two most recent and most efficient published methods: TerraFlow and r.watershed. seg. Since processing large datasets can take hours, this improvement is very significant. The EMFlow is based on our previous method RWFlood which uses a flooding process to compute the drainage network. And, to reduce the total number of I/O operations, EMFlow is based on grouping the terrain cells into blocks which are stored in a special data structure managed as a cache memory. Also, a new strategy is adopted to subdivide the terrains in islands which are processed separately. Because of the recent increase in the volume of high resolution terrestrial data, the internal memory algorithms do not run well on most computers and, thus, optimizing the massive data processing algorithm simultaneously for data movement and computation has been a challenge for GIS.
A Study of Mashup as a Software Application Development Technique with Examples from an End-User Programming Perspective

The purpose of this study is to present, introduce and explain the principles, concepts and techniques of mashups through an analysis of mashup tools from End-user Development (EuD) software engineering perspectives, since it is a new program ming paradigm. Problem statement: Although mashup tools supporting the creation of mashups rel y heavily on data integration, they still require users to have reasonable programming skills, rather than simply enabling the integration of content in a template approach. Mashup tools also have their lif espan in a fast moving technology-driven world which requires meta-application handling. Some developers have discontinued their mashup tools but others are still available in the mashup space. It has been noted that there is a steady increase of n ew mashups on a daily basis with a concomitant increas e of new Application Programming Interface (APIs) to support meta-mashup application EuD. Approach: Both qualitative and quantitative research methods have been utilized. After introducing the b asic principles, concepts and techniques of mashups, we develop and present a categorization of mashups and mashup tools and summarize the ten most popular currently used mashup tools against se ven indictors from end-user software engineering perspectives ranging from programming skill require ment, prompt suggestion of features use, operability, 'share-ability' and reuse, service, ty pe and target user, in order to evaluate how these mashup tools support end-user development. To perform the evaluation and produce the final results, the selected indicators' features have been horizon tally compared and comprehensively analyzed. Results: The philosophy of mashup is aimed at providing simple rapid program development by end- users with minimum programming skills. However, we observe that mashup tools typically follow four data processing styles: Webpage customization, wire paradigm, spreadsheet and programming by demonstration. These mashup tools are supposed to seamlessly and effortlessly assist end-users programming but this is not the case. Conclusion: From our research we concluded that some mashup tools are not really simple enough to handle and st ill require end-users to have a computer programmin g background to learn and understand its platform inf rastructures and mechanisms. These might all change in the near future. There are some companies that are now involved with mashup development which provide huge opportunities to both individual and organizational customers. Mashup have now become a commercial opportunity rather than a simple way of integrating data from Web 2.0 platforms.
Multi vehicle trajectory coordination for automated parking

Automated parking will probably be among the first tasks performed by fully autonomous vehicles. To smoothly integrate into the existing infrastructure and traffic scenarios an autonomous vehicle has to make assumptions on the intentions of human drivers and maneuver safely at low speeds in a highly structured environment without Car2X communication. This work presents a trajectory planning and coordination strategy for such situations. Based on the observed situation and an estimated intention of other participants in the scene their driving behavior is quantified and an optimized trajectory plan is calculated using mixed-integer linear programming. It balances own and other intentions and avoids collisions. The approach resolves conflicts occurring in parking situations as demonstrated in two simulated scenarios.