Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Concept Based Mining Model for Text Clustering

The common techniques in text mining are based on the statistical analysis of a term either word or phrase. Statistical analysis of a term frequency captures the importance of the term within a document only. Two terms can have the same frequency in their documents, but one term contributes more to the meaning of its sentences than the other term. A new concept-based mining model that analyzes terms in the sentence, document level and corpus level is introduced. The concept based mining model can effectively discriminate between non important terms with respect to sentence semantics and terms which hold the concepts that represent the sentence meaning. The proposed model consists of sentence-based concept analysis, document-based concept analysis, corpus based concept analysis and concept-based similarity measure in calculating the similarity between documents.
Geometrically guided fuzzy C-means clustering for multivariate image segmentation

Fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering is an unsupervised clustering technique and is often used for the unsupervised segmentation of multivariate images. The segmentation of the image in meaningful regions with FCM is based on spectral information only. The geometrical relationship between neighbouring pixels is not used. In this paper, a semi-supervised FCM technique is used to add geometrical information during clustering. The local neighbourhood of each pixel determines the condition of each pixel, which guides the clustering process. Segmentation experiments with the geometrically guided FCM (GG-FCM) show improved segmentation above traditional FCM such as more homogeneous regions and less spurious pixels.
Challenges Presented by Re-Emerging Sexually Transmitted Infections in HIV Positive Men who have Sex with Men: An Observational Study of Lymphogranuloma Venereum in the UK

Background United Kingdom has reported the largest documented outbreak of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), a re-emerging sexually transmitted infection (STI) which is primarily seen in HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM). A diagnostic service was established in response to the outbreak linked to a voluntary LGV Enhanced Surveillance system. We examined the performance of this novel surveillance system to identify utility in tracking a re-emerging infection. Methods We described laboratory data on samples and surveillance data from case reports for LGV from 2004-2010. We performed a cross-sectional analysis comparing clinical and behavioural characteristics of HIV-positive and HIV-negative/unknown LGV cases diagnosed in MSM using multivariable logistic regression models with generalised estimating equations to control for repeat infections. Results LGV Surveillance data were available for 87% (1,370/1,581) of LGV cases (after de-duplication). There were 1,342 episodes in 1,281 MSM, most of whom were known to be HIV-positive (1,028/1,281, 80.2%,). HIV-positive men reported a shorter duration of symptoms (aOR 0.5; 95%CI 0.3, 0.8 for reporting more than a week compared to a week or less) in comparison to HIV-negative/unknown MSM, and were more likely to report unprotected receptive anal intercourse (aOR 2.7; 95% CI 1.3, 5.8). Conclusion The surveillance identified the population at greater risk of infection based on higher levels of risk behaviour in HIV-positive LGV cases. However, there was diagnostic bias towards HIV-positive LGV cases who presented with a shorter duration of symptoms when compared to HIV-negative/unknown LGV cases.
THE LENGTH OF THE PRIMAL-DUAL PATH IN MOREAU-YOSIDA-BASED PATH-FOLLOWING FOR STATE CONSTRAINED OPTIMAL CONTROL

A priori estimates on the length of the primal-dual path that results from a MoreauYosida approximation of the feasible set for state constrained optimal control problems are derived. These bounds depend on the regularity of the state and the dimension of the problem. Numerical results indicate that the bounds are indeed sharp and are typically attained in cases where the active set consists of isolated active points. Further conditions on the multiplier approximation are identified which guarantee higher convergence rates for the feasibility violation due to the MoreauYosida approximation process. Numerical experiments show again that the results are sharp and accurately predict the convergence behavior.
Computable social patterns from sparse sensor data

We present a computational framework to automatically discover high-order temporal social patterns from very noisy and sparse location data. We introduce the concept of social footprint and present a method to construct a codebook, enabling the transformation of raw sensor data into a collection of social pages. Each page captures social activities of a user over regular time period, and represented as a sequence of encoded footprints. Computable patterns are then defined as repeated structures found in these sequences. To do so, we appeal to modeling tools in document analysis and propose a Latent Social theme Dirichlet Allocation (LSDA) model -- a version of the Ngram topic model in [6] with extra modeling of personal context. This model can be viewed as a Bayesian clustering method, jointly discovering temporal collocation of footprints and exploiting statistical strength across social pages, to automatically discovery high-order patterns. Alternatively, it can be viewed as a dimensionality reduction method where the reduced latent space can be interpreted as the hidden social 'theme' -- a more abstract perception of user's daily activities. Applying this framework to a real-world noisy dataset collected over 1.5 years, we show that many useful and interesting patterns can be computed. Interpretable social themes can also be deduced from the discovered patterns.
Effectiveness of Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test-Linked Brief Intervention on Harmful and Hazardous Alcohol Use in Nigerian Semirural Communities: A Non-Randomized Intervention Study

Objective To determine the prevalence of alcohol consumption and the effectiveness of the alcohol, smoking, and substance involvement screening test (ASSIST)-linked brief intervention on hazardous and harmful alcohol use in semirural settings in Nigeria. Methods In this single arm non-randomized intervention study delivered by community health extension workers (CHEW), participants (N = 1,203), 15 years and older, recruited between October 2010 and April 2011 were assessed for prevalence of alcohol consumption and the associated level of risk. Scores of 0–10 were classified as lower risk scores, 11–26 as moderate risk, and 27+ as high risk. This was followed by a brief intervention. Prevalence of alcohol consumption and level of risk was assessed at 3 and 6 months postbrief intervention. Main outcome measure was the change in ASSIST scores at 3 and 6 months postintervention. Results There was a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of alcohol use at baseline compared with that at 6 months, χ2(2) = 4.2, p = 0.01. Among all respondents, a repeated measures ANOVA with a Greenhouse–Geisser correction showed that mean ASSIST score significantly reduced between time points [F(1.541, 34.092) = 53.241, p < 0.001]. Post hoc tests using the Bonferroni correction revealed that this difference was due to a significant reduction in the mean ASSIST scores at 3 months vs. baseline, p = 0.001, but not at 3 vs. 6 months, p = 0.09. Conclusion There is a potential for CHEW-administered ASSIST-linked screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for unhealthy alcohol use in Nigerian semirural communities. This is feasible considering serious dearth of addiction specialists in the country.
Exploring Functional Unit Design Space of VLIW Processors for Optimizing Both Performance and Energy Consumption

The number of functional units can have significant impact on both the performance and energy consumption of VLIW processors. This paper uses a design exploration approach to find optimal integer functional unit configurations for achieving the best EDP (energy delay product) results for different media applications. Our experimental results quantitatively indicate that the optimal number of integer functional units should match the instruction level parallelism that can be extracted from the applications to balance both performance and energy optimally for VLIW processors.
Study on long-term load forecasting of MIXSVM based on principal component analysis

This paper propose a long-term load forecasting model based on two integrated intelligent algorithms, i.e., principal component analysis(PCA)and support vector machines(SVM). At first, through the principal component analysis to find the core of the impact of load factor, and then build a mixed kernel function support vector machine prediction model to predict. The simulation results show that the new model compared with the traditional prediction model, prediction accuracy has been greatly improved and more applicable to long-term load forecasting.
Characteristic periods of fundamental and overtone oscillations of the earth following a deep-focus earthquake

The deep-focus earthquake of July 31, 1970, (1.5°S, 72.6°W, h = 651 km, Mb = 7.1) excited a set of fundamental and overtone free oscillations. From analysis of seismograms recorded at Berkeley, California, at an ocean-bottom station in the Pacific, and at Ogdensburg, New Jersey, the fundamental spheroidal oscillations, l = 10-98, and a number of overtones with n = 1, 2, and 3, fundamental torsional oscillations, l = 3-70, and overtones with n = 1, 2, 3, and 4, are identified. The majority of resolved spectral peaks are above the 95 per cent confidence level. For some modes with periods less than 300 sec, the observed period at each station differs by up to 2 sec. This path-dependency of the period may thus suggest the existence of lateral heterogeneity in the upper mantle. The observed periods are compared to calculated periods for Haddon-Bullen's model HB1 and Derr's model DI-11; for fundamental modes the agreements are good, while differences up to 2 sec exist for some overtone modes. A relationship between order of oscillations, l, the frequency, nωl, and the ray parameter dt/dθ is derived, which is equivalent to the Jean's equation for phase velocity. The relationship implies that each mode with period nTl will travel with phase velocity dΔ/dt along its own ray with parameter dt/dθ. Other models will travel along the same ray if they have the same ray parameter.
Acidification Enhances Hybrid N2O Production Associated with Aquatic Ammonia-Oxidizing Microorganisms

Ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms are an important source of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) in aquatic environments. Identifying the impact of pH on N2O production by ammonia oxidizers is key to understanding how aquatic greenhouse gas fluxes will respond to naturally occurring pH changes, as well as acidification driven by anthropogenic CO2. We assessed N2O production rates and formation mechanisms by communities of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) in a lake and a marine environment, using incubation-based nitrogen (N) stable isotope tracer methods with 15N-labeled ammonium (15NH4+) and nitrite (15NO2−), and also measurements of the natural abundance N and O isotopic composition of dissolved N2O. N2O production during incubations of water from the shallow hypolimnion of Lake Lugano (Switzerland) was significantly higher when the pH was reduced from 7.54 (untreated pH) to 7.20 (reduced pH), while ammonia oxidation rates were similar between treatments. In all incubations, added NH4+ was the source of most of the N incorporated into N2O, suggesting that the main N2O production pathway involved hydroxylamine (NH2OH) and/or NO2− produced by ammonia oxidation during the incubation period. A small but significant amount of N derived from exogenous/added 15NO2− was also incorporated into N2O, but only during the reduced-pH incubations. Mass spectra of this N2O revealed that NH4+ and 15NO2− each contributed N equally to N2O by a “hybrid-N2O” mechanism consistent with a reaction between NH2OH and NO2−, or compounds derived from these two molecules. Nitrifier denitrification was not an important source of N2O. Isotopomeric N2O analyses in Lake Lugano were consistent with incubation results, as 15N enrichment of the internal N vs. external N atoms produced site preferences (25.0–34.4‰) consistent with NH2OH-dependent hybrid-N2O production. Hybrid-N2O formation was also observed during incubations of seawater from coastal Namibia with 15NH4+ and NO2−. However, the site preference of dissolved N2O here was low (4.9‰), indicating that another mechanism, not captured during the incubations, was important. Multiplex sequencing of 16S rRNA revealed distinct ammonia oxidizer communities: AOB dominated numerically in Lake Lugano, and AOA dominated in the seawater. Potential for hybrid N2O formation exists among both communities, and at least in AOB-dominated environments, acidification may accelerate this mechanism.
Neural Substrates of Sound–Touch Synesthesia after a Thalamic Lesion

Neural plasticity induced by stroke can mediate positive outcomes, such as recovery of function, but can also result in the formation of abnormal connections with negative consequences for perception and cognition. In three experiments using blood-oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined the neural substrates of acquired auditory-tactile synesthesia, in which certain sounds can produce an intense somatosensory tingling sensation in a patient with a thalamic lesion. Compared with nine normal controls, the first experiment showed that the patient had a threefold greater BOLD response to sounds in the parietal operculum, the location of secondary somatosensory cortex. We hypothesized that this abnormal opercular activity might be the neural substrate of the patient's synesthesia. Supporting this hypothesis, the second experiment demonstrated that sounds that produced no somatosensation did not evoke a BOLD response in the operculum, while sounds that produced strong somatosensations evoked large BOLD responses. These abnormal responses may have resulted from plasticity induced by the loss of somatosensory inputs. Consistent with this idea, in the third experiment, BOLD responses to somatosensory stimulation were significantly weaker in the patient's operculum than in normal controls. These experiments demonstrate a double dissociation in the patient's secondary somatosensory cortex (increased responses to auditory stimulation and decreased responses to somatosensory stimulation), and suggest both that stroke-induced plasticity can result in abnormal connections between sensory modalities that are normally separate, and that synesthesia can be caused by inappropriate connections between nearby cortical territories.
A political theory of federalism

Multi-ethnic nations have sometimes found decentralized political arrangements attractive. Such arrangements permit peoples who may differ greatly in their conceptions of a good public life to develop and maintain their own separate communities, within the context of a larger and more powerful political economy. Ethnically more homogeneous nations such as the United States, at the time of its founding, or Australia today, often find decentralized modes of policy formation and administration convenient as well. In such nations, geographic distances, diverse economies, regional disparities in preferences, and variations in local historical experience can make decentralized policy-making institutions more efficient and more responsive than national ones. Federalism, the division of sovereign authority among levels of government, can be seen as a way of stabilizing, or making credible, decentralized governmental structures. This paper examines whether practical federal arrangements can sufficiently insulate governmental decisions at all levels to maintain a stable and credible decentralized political structure.
Recombinase-Mediated Cassette Exchange (RMCE)-in Reporter Cell Lines as an Alternative to the Flp-in System

Recombinase mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) is a powerful tool for targeted insertion of transgenes. Here we describe non-proprietary 'RMCE-in' cell lines as an alternative to the 'Flp-in' system and cell lines. RMCE-in cell lines offer a number of advantages including increased efficiency of integration of the genetic element of interest (GEI) at a single docking site, lack of bacterial backbone at the docking site both before and after GEI integration, removal of selection and visual markers initially present at the docking site upon GEI integration and the possibility to validate GEI integration by loss of a red fluorescence reporter. Moreover, the RMCE-in cell lines are compatible with GEI donors used for the Flp-in system. We demonstrate a three-step procedure for generating RMCE-in cell lines, (I) RMCE-in transposon and SB10 transposase transfection, (II) clone isolation, and (III) selecting single integrated clones with highest RFP level, which could in principle be used to turn any cell line into an RMCE-in cell line. The RMCE-in system was used as a proof of concept to produce three new RMCE-in cell lines using HEK293, HeLa, and murine embryonic stem (mES) cells. The established RMCE-in cell lines and vector are freely available from the ATCC cell bank and Addgene respectively.
Toward a unified intercloud interoperability conceptual model for IaaS cloud service

The concept of interoperation between cloud providers is a recent research challenging objective. Current cloud systems have been developed without concerns of seamless cloud interconnection, and actually they do not support intercloud interoperability. The paper proposes a conceptual model for Intercloud Interoperability, to enable schedule dynamic operation for Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) between different clouds. The paper is providing a better understanding of elaborates on the cloud computing architecture, appropriate metrics for Service Level Agreements (SLA) and Quality of Service (QoS) models that are required for seamless integration and interoperability between cloud environments. Then, a conceptual model for the Intercloud Interoperability Framework for Workload Migration is proposed. The novel component of the framework that provides interoperability is the Transformation Engine that maps workload between heterogeneous cloud providers, whilst Model Driven Architecture (MDA) is adopted as an applicable method for developing the Transformation Engine module.
Cosmological parameter constraints from SDSS luminous red galaxies: a new treatment of large-scale clustering

We apply a new model for the spherically averaged correlation function at large pair separations to the measurement of the clustering of luminous red galaxies (LRGs) made from the SDSS by Cabre & Gaztanaga (2009a). Our model takes into account the form of the BAO peak and the large scale shape of the correlation function. We perform a Monte Carlo Markov chain analysis for different combinations of datasets and for different parameter sets. When used in combination with a compilation of the latest CMB measurements, the LRG clustering and the latest supernovae results give constraints on cosmological parameters which are comparable and in remarkably good agreement, resolving the tension reported in some studies. The best fitting model in the context of a flat, �-CDM cosmology is specified by m = 0.261 ± 0.013, b = 0.044 ± 0.001, ns = 0.96 ± 0.01, H0 = 71.6 ± 1.2kms 1 Mpc 1 and σ8 = 0.80 ± 0.02. If we allow the time-independent dark energy equation of state parameter to vary, we find results consistent with a cosmological constant at the 5% level using all data sets: wDE = 0.97 ± 0.05. The large scale structure measurements by themselves can constrain the dark energy equation of state parameter to wDE = 1.05 +0.16 0.15, independently of CMB or supernovae data. We do not find convincing evidence for an evolving equation of state. We provide a set of "extended distance priors" that contain the most relevant information from the CMB power spectrum and the shape of the LRG correlation function which can be used to constrain dark energy models and spatial curvature. Our model should provide an accurate description of the clustering even in much larger, forthcoming surveys, such as those planned with NASA's JDEM or ESA's Euclid mission.
Text mining: A Brief survey

The unstructured texts which contain massive amount of information cannot simply be used for further processing by computers. Therefore, specific processing methods and algorithms are required in order to extract useful patterns. The process of extracting interesting information and knowledge from unstructured text completed by using Text mining. In this paper, we have discussed text mining, as a recent and interesting field with the detail of steps involved in the overall process. We have also discussed different technologies that teach computers with natural language so that they may analyze, understand, and even generate text. In addition, we briefly discuss a number of successful applications of text mining which are used currently and in future.
Performance Analysis of Optical CDMA Systems Utilizing Optical Encoding in Presence of Interference and Receiver Noises

Abstract In this paper, performance of incoherent and asynchronous optical CDMA (OCDMA) systems employing “optical encoding” is investigated and the results are compared with the results obtained when the encoding is performed in electrical domain. These investigations are performed for receiver structures that employ a single hard limiter (SHL), a double optical hard limiter (DHL) and also for the structures without a hard limiter (WHL). In addition, “electrical encoding” OCDMA systems using DHL in their receiver structures are investigated. In this work, conventional optical orthogonal codes are used and Gaussian approximation is assumed for the output of APD. Besides interference, other destructive effects such as APD and thermal noises are also taken into account. It is shown that when the number of users N is equal to or greater than pulsed laser's modulation extinction ratio Me , for all receiver structures (SHL, DHL and WHL) “optical encoding” systems are superior to their “electrical encoding” counterparts and this superiority becomes much more apparent in SHL and DHL receivers. We will also show that when N < Me , “optical encoding” WHL systems outperform their “electrical encoding” counterparts. Our results also indicate that the performance of “optical encoding” SHL systems approaches the performance of DHL systems as the transmitted power increases.
HIV Latency-Reversing Agents Have Diverse Effects on Natural Killer Cell Function

In an effort to clear persistent HIV infection and achieve a durable therapy-free remission of HIV disease, extensive pre-clinical studies and early pilot clinical trials are underway to develop and test agents that can reverse latent HIV infection and present viral antigen to the immune system for clearance. It is, therefore, critical to understand the impact of latency-reversing agents (LRAs) on the function of immune effectors needed to clear infected cells. We assessed the impact of LRAs on the function of natural killer (NK) cells, the main effector cells of the innate immune system. We studied the effects of three histone deacetylase inhibitors [SAHA or vorinostat (VOR), romidepsin, and panobinostat (PNB)] and two protein kinase C agonists [prostratin (PROST) and ingenol] on the antiviral activity, cytotoxicity, cytokine secretion, phenotype, and viability of primary NK cells. We found that ex vivo exposure to VOR had minimal impact on all parameters assessed, while PNB caused a decrease in NK cell viability, antiviral activity, and cytotoxicity. PROST caused non-specific NK cell activation and, interestingly, improved antiviral activity. Overall, we found that LRAs can alter the function and fate of NK cells, and these effects must be carefully considered as strategies are developed to clear persistent HIV infection.