Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Advertiser and Publisher-centric Privacy Aware Online Behavioral Advertising

Online behavioral advertising (OBA) has become one of the most successful advertising models on the Internet. Nevertheless, all existing OBA systems are broker-centric in the billing phase, which means it is the broker who exclusively determines advertisers' expenses and publishers' revenues. Consequently, a malicious broker may cheat in their tallying of ad clicks to overcharge advertisers or underpay publishers. Furthermore, as the broker cannot justify the bills, malicious advertisers may deny actual clicks to ask for refunds, and malicious publishers may claim non-existing clicks to demand extra revenue shares. This paper solves these problems by reversing the priority between the broker and the advertisers and publishers. Specifically, when users click on ads, it makes corresponding advertisers and publishers forward click reports of clients to the broker after checking, anonymizing and signing them. The broker then settles accounts with advertisers and publishers fully based on these reports. To guarantee the interests of the broker after the priority reversal, we further propose effective mechanisms for detecting underreporting advertisers and over reporting publishers, respectively.
Cyclical Structure Converter (CSC): a System for Handling the Interaction of Structured and Semi-structured Data Sources

This paper aims at investigating the integration of structured data into a semi-structured environment. In particular, it introduces the Cyclic Structure Con- verter (CSC) system that performs this task. In CSC, correspondence assertions and integration rules provide the adequate intelligence to reconcile the (possible) heteroge- neous semantics relative to involved information sources. CSC has also the capability to filter and process only the relevant operational data. CSC's versatility in maneuvering with different data models allows it to be applied into any field, such as engineering, insurance, medicine, space science and education, to mention a few.
Quantitative Analysis of Epstein-Barr Virus Load by Using a Real-Time PCR Assay

ABSTRACT To measure the virus load in patients with symptomatic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections, we used a real-time PCR assay to quantify the amount of EBV DNA in blood. The real-time PCR assay could detect from 2 to over 107 copies of EBV DNA with a wide linear range. We estimated the virus load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) from patients with symptomatic EBV infections. The mean EBV-DNA copy number in the PBMNC was 103.7 copies/μg of DNA in patients with EBV-related lymphoproliferative disorders, 104.1 copies/μg of DNA in patients with chronic active EBV infections, and 102.2copies/μg of DNA in patients with infectious mononucleosis. These numbers were significantly larger than those in either posttransplant patients or immunocompetent control patients without EBV-related diseases. In a patient with infectious mononucleosis, the virus load decreased as the symptoms resolved. The copy number of EBV DNA in PBMNC from symptomatic EBV infections was correlated with the EBV-positive cell number determined by the in situ hybridization assay (r = 0.842; P < 0.0001). These results indicate that the real-time PCR assay is useful for diagnosing symptomatic EBV infection and for monitoring the virus load.
Performance evaluation of feature selection methods for ANN based iris recognition

Iris recognition is receiving increasing attention as a means of personal recognition. Statistical methods, namely Single Value Decomposition (SVD), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Independent Component Analysis (ICA) are employed to extract the iris feature from a pattern named IrisPattern based on the iris image. These extracted patterns are classified by using a Feedforward Backpropagation Neural Network (BPNN) with different dimensions of features. From the experimental result, it is observed that ICA is the most appropriate feature extraction method for BPNN for the data sets used.
An empirical study on the ownership choice of Chinese MNEs

On the international expanding model choice, little attention had been paid to the MNEs from developing countries. Drawing on a sample of 279 overseas subsidiaries invested by Chinese MNEs, the paper examines the factors of influencing the choice between wholly owned subsidiary and joint venture. The binomial logistic regression results show that the host countries' risk, the resource-based industry and the model of establishment have significant positive impact on the preference of joint venture. As a special consideration, the Central Stated-owned Enterprises prefer to choose joint ventures also. Moreover, unlike the MNEs from developed countries, the Chinese MNEs with high R&D intensity are more likely to set up international joint ventures.
Design and early evaluation of a 3-D die stacked chip multi-vector processor

Modern vector processors have significant advantages over commodity-based scalar processors for memory-intensive scientific applications. However, vector processors still keep single core architecture, though chip multiprocessors (CMPs) have become the mainstream in recent processor architectures. To realize more efficient and powerful computations on a vector processor, this paper proposes a 3-D stacked chip multi-vector processor (CMVP) by combining a chip multi-vector processor architecture and the coarse-grain die stacking technology. The 3-D stacked CMVP consists of I/O layers, core layers and the vector cache layers. The I/O layer significantly improves off-chip memory bandwidth, and the vector core layer enables to install many vector cores on a die. The vector cache layer increases the capacity of on-chip memory and a high memory bandwidth to achieve the performance improvement and energy reduction by deceasing the number of off-chip memory accesses. The results of performance evaluation using real scientific and engineering applications show the potential of the 3-D stacked CMVP. Moreover, this paper clarifies that introducing the vector cache is more energy-effective than increasing the off-chip memory bandwidth to achieve the same sustained performance on the 3-D stacked CMVP.
Optimal Puncturing of Block-Type LDPC Codes and Their Fast Convergence Decoding

In this paper, we study and propose a puncturing algorithm of block-type low-density parity-check (B-LDPC) codes. This optimal puncturing algorithm is derived from the fact that puncturing of parity bits is equivalent to merging the check nodes. Furthermore, we propose a new decoding algorithm suitable for the punctured B-LDPC codes. This decoding algorithm needs not only smaller number of operations at each iteration, but also shows faster decoding convergence speed than the conventional erasure decoding algorithm. If the optimally punctured B-LDPC code is decoded by the new decoding algorithm, it results in the same performance as the unpunctured B-LDPC code of the same code rate
Genetic Association of CDC2 with Cerebrospinal Fluid Tau in Alzheimer’s Disease

We have recently reported that a polymorphism in the cell division cycle (CDC2) gene, designated Ex6 + 7I/D, is associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The CDC2 gene is located on chromosome 10q21.1 close to the marker D10S1225 linked to AD. Active cdc2 accumulates in neurons containing neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), a process that can precede the formation of NFT. Therefore, CDC2 is a promising candidate susceptibility gene for AD. We investigated the possible effects of the CDC2 polymorphism on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers in AD patients. CDC2 genotypes were evaluated in relation to CSF protein levels of total tau, phospho-tau and β-amyloid(1–42) in AD patients and control individuals, and in relation to the amount of senile plaques and NFT in the frontal cortex and in the hippocampus in patients with autopsy-proven AD and controls. The CDC2 Ex6 + 7I allele was associated with a gene dose-dependent increase of CSF total tau levels (F2, 626 = 7.0, p = 0.001) and the homozygous CDC2 Ex6 + 7II genotype was significantly more frequent among AD patients compared to controls (p = 0.006, OR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.13–2.17). Our results provide further evidence for an involvement of cdc2 in the pathogenesis of AD.
Factors Affecting the Convergence of Self-Peer Ratings on Contextual and Task Performance

This study examines factors that predict the extent to which 408 operating-level workers rated themselves higher, lower, or the same as their coworkers rated them, for both task and contextual performance. On ratings of contextual performance, underestimators tended to be distinguished by significantly higher levels of both self-monitoring and social desirability. This trend operated similarly, though not significantly for task performance. Additionally, ratings of quantity of work obtained the highest degree of self-peer rating convergence as compared to ratings of quality of work and contextual performance. These results are discussed in terms of the practical implications for multirater systems.
Uvmode: usability verification mixed reality system for mobile devices

UVMODE is a mixed reality based usability evaluation system for mobile information device development. The system contributes to increasing efficiency of the usability evaluation process by replacing real products with virtual models. With our system, users can change the design of a virtual product easily, and investigate how it affects its usability. While users can review and test the virtual product by manipulating it with MR interfaces, the system also provides evaluation tools for measuring objective usability measures, including estimated design quality and users' hand load. In this paper, we present the system design and implementation details of our system, and discuss how it could improve the current usability evaluation processes held in mobile information device industry.
Diaphragm Based Fiber Bragg Grating Acceleration Sensor with Temperature Compensation

A novel fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing-based acceleration sensor has been proposed to simultaneously decouple and measure temperature and acceleration in real-time. This design applied a diaphragm structure and utilized the axial property of a tightly suspended optical fiber, enabling improvement in its sensitivity and resonant frequency and achieve a low cross-sensitivity. The theoretical vibrational model of the sensor has been built, and its design parameters and sensing properties have been analyzed through the numerical analysis. A decoupling method has been presented with consideration of the thermal expansion of the sensor structure to realize temperature compensation. Experimental results show that the temperature sensitivity is 8.66 pm/°C within the range of 30–90 °C. The acceleration sensitivity is 20.189 pm/g with a linearity of 0.764% within the range of 5~65 m/s2. The corresponding working bandwidth is 10~200 Hz and its resonant frequency is 600 Hz. This sensor possesses an excellent impact resistance for the cross direction, and the cross-axis sensitivity is below 3.31%. This implementation can avoid the FBG-pasting procedure and overcome its associated shortcomings. The performance of the proposed acceleration sensor can be easily adjusted by modifying their corresponding physical parameters to satisfy requirements from different vibration measurements.
The Indigenous Knowledge of African Traditional Health Practitioners and the South African Science Curriculum

Abstract South Africa's new and revised National Curriculum Statement implicitly suggests the integration of indigenous knowledge (IK) into the science curriculum so that learners can, inter alia, learn within the context of their cultural knowledge. Unfortunately, teachers do not necessarily know about the various indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) within South Africa. We therefore decided to identify the ideas of traditional health practitioners (THPs) concerning what children need to know, and then to obtain science teachers' responses to these ideas. In this pilot study in the Western Cape, we used a qualitative approach and conducted in-depth interviews with a small group of THPs, with a follow-up questionnaire and discussion with a larger group. We then shared the THPs' ideas with both experienced science educators and high school science teachers. Our results show that THPs think that South African learners need to know about and respect their heritages, especially African IKS. They emphasized the importance of learning about health and freedom from disease, particularly HIV/AIDS. The THPs believe that both science and IK are important in the education of learners, and that they could co-teach their IK in conjunction with science topics. They suggested how they could do this. They believe that science teachers need to learn about IK, and suggested that THPs could learn some science. Both groups of science teachers were interested in, and strongly supportive of the THP suggestions. They also emphasized that IK needs to be standardized and validated by an indigenous organization.
Using email and WWW in a distributed participatory design project

In this paper we present our experience from a distributed software development project supported with basic Internet tools. In particular we focus on how these basic tools can be used for supporting the involvement of users in the development process. We sketch some observations, presenting some advantages and disadvantages of using such a basic cooperation infrastructure. Finally we highlight some requirements for lightweight groupware systems overcoming the described drawbacks.
For Whom Is Parting With Possessions More Painful?

The endowment effect—the tendency for owners (potential sellers) to value objects more than potential buyers do—is among the most widely studied judgment and decision-making phenomena. However, the current research is the first to explore whether the effect varies across cultures. Given previously demonstrated cultural differences in self-construals and self-enhancement, we predicted a smaller endowment effect for East Asians compared with Westerners. Two studies involving buyers and sellers of a coffee mug (Study 1a) and a box of chocolates (Study 1b) supported this prediction. Study 2 conceptually replicated this cultural difference by experimentally manipulating independent and interdependent self-construals. Finally, Study 3 provided evidence for an underlying self-enhancement mechanism: Cultural differences emerged when self-object associations were made salient, but disappeared when self-object associations were minimized. Thus, the endowment effect may be influenced by the degree to which independence and self-enhancement (vs. interdependence and self-criticism) are culturally valued or normative.
Bridging the Gap with P 2 P Patterns

The design principles of pervasive computing software architectures are widely driven by the need for opportunistic interaction among distributed, mobile and heterogeneous entities in the absence of global knowledge and naming conventions. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) frameworks have evolved, abstracting the access to shared, while distributed information. To bridge the architectural gap between P2P applications and P2P frameworks we propose patterns as an organizational schema for P2P based software systems. Our Peer-it hardware platform is used to demonstrate an application in the domain of flexible manufacturing systems.
Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Are Activated by mGluR5 through IP3 and Activate ERK and PKA to Increase Excitability of Amygdala Neurons and Pain Behavior

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide are emerging as important signaling molecules in physiological plasticity but also in peripheral and spinal cord pain pathology. Underlying mechanisms and pain-related ROS signaling in the brain remain to be determined. Neuroplasticity in the amygdala plays a key role in emotional-affective pain responses and depends on group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) and protein kinases. Using patch-clamp, live-cell imaging, and behavioral assays, we tested the hypothesis that mitochondrial ROS links group I mGluRs to protein kinase activation to increase neuronal excitability and pain behavior. Agonists for mGluR1/5 (DHPG) or mGluR5 (CHPG) increased neuronal excitability of neurons in the laterocapsular division of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeLC). DHPG effects were inhibited by an mGluR5 antagonist (MTEP), IP3 receptor blocker (xestospongin C), or ROS scavengers (PBN, tempol), but not by an mGluR1 antagonist (LY367385) or NO synthase inhibitor (l-NAME). Tempol inhibited the effects of IP3 but not those of a PKC activator, indicating that ROS activation was IP3 mediated. Live-cell imaging in CeLC-containing brain slices directly showed DHPG-induced and synaptically evoked mitochondrial superoxide production. DHPG also increased pain-related vocalizations and spinal reflexes through a mechanism that required mGluR5, IP3, and ROS. Combined application of inhibitors of ERK (U0126) and PKA (KT5720) was necessary to block completely the excitatory effects of a ROS donor (tBOOH). A PKC inhibitor (GF109203X) had no effect. Antagonists and inhibitors alone did not affect neuronal excitability. The results suggest an important role for the novel mGluR5- IP3-ROS-ERK/PKA signaling pathway in amygdala pain mechanisms.
An Empirical Investigation of the Defect Detection Capabilities of Requirements Specification Languages

It is a frequently reported effect of applying requirements specification languages that the formalization of informal requirements leads to the detection of defects such as omissions, conflicts, and ambiguities. However, there is little quantitative data available on this effect. This paper presents an empirical study with requirements specification languages, which addresses two research questions. First, which types of defects are detected by a requirements engineer during the development of a requirements model, and second, what happen to those defects that are not detected? The results indicate that ambiguities require special care during formalization, because they are less frequently reported than other types of defects. Instead, ambiguities tend to become often disambiguated unconsciously, which is a serious problem, because implicit assumptions are more likely than in our study to be wrong when the system is more complex. Moreover, ambiguities are misinterpreted more often than other types of defects. Finally, ambiguities, if noticed, require immediate clarification.
Hexamethylbisacetamide and disruption of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 latency in CD4(+) T cells.

BACKGROUND Novel therapeutic approaches are needed to attack persistent proviral human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Hexamethylbisacetamide (HMBA), a hybrid bipolar compound, induces expression of the HIV-1 promoter in the long terminal repeat (LTR) region in a Tat-independent manner but mimics the effect of Tat, overcoming barriers to LTR expression and increasing the processivity of LTR transcription complexes. METHODS We studied alterations in cellular factors and their LTR occupancy induced by HMBA in models of latent HIV-1 infection. We measured the induction of viral outgrowth by HMBA in resting CD4(+) T cells from aviremic HIV-1-infected donors. RESULTS HMBA induced outgrowth of HIV-1 from resting CD4(+) T cells recovered from aviremic patients treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART). HMBA triggered cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) recruitment to the LTR, a key factor in the induction of efficient HIV-1 expression, via an unexpected interaction with the transcription factor Sp1. The availability of Sp1 and Sp1 DNA binding sites were necessary for HMBA-induced CDK9 recruitment and LTR expression. HMBA signaling via both protein kinase C mu and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase appeared to contribute to LTR induction. CONCLUSIONS The novel mechanism through which HMBA disrupts latent HIV-1 infection involves 2 cellular kinases that may be therapeutically exploited to induce expression of persistent proviral HIV-1.
Combo Drive : Optimizing Cost and Performance in a Heterogeneous Storage Device

We propose a new type of heterogeneous storage device called Combo Drive, which comprises of a smaller-capacity low-latency solid-state disk drive (SSD) concatenated with a larger-capacity high-throughput hard disk drive (HDD). The overall cost of a Combo Drive, similar to a Hybrid Drive, is still dominated by the more capacious HDD. With Combo Drive, the performance advantages of both the SSD and the HDD are readily utilized by assigning the lower portion of the address space, which is already considered by many file systems as faster than the higher portion, to the SSD. Performance can be optimized further on file system level on the host side. In contrast, existing Hybrid Drives utilize non-volatile memory hierarchically as a cache transparent to the environment requiring complex cache coherence algorithms. We built a Combo Drive prototype and propose multiple heuristic optimization algorithms implemented in file-system-level optimizers. Performance measurements on the host side show that the prototype achieves system start up time and application launch time similar to an SSD alone while offering large capacity and low cost of an HDD.
Jensen-R&#233;nyi Divergence for Source Separation on the Time-Frequency Plane

Blind source separation aims at recovering the original source signals given only observations of their mixtures. Some common approaches to the source separation problem include second or higher order statistics based methods, and independent component analysis. Most of these methods are developed in the time domain, and thus, inherently assume the stationarity of the underlying signals. Since most real life signals of interest are non-stationary, there have been efforts to perform source separation in the time-frequency domain. In this paper, we propose a new approach for source separation on the time-frequency plane using an information-theoretic cost function. Jensen-Renyi divergence, as adapted to time-frequency distributions, is introduced as an effective cost function to extract sources that are disjoint on the time-frequency plane. The sources are extracted through a series of Givens rotations and the optimal rotation angle is found using the steepest descent algorithm. The performance of the proposed method is illustrated and quantified through examples