Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tossing NoSQL-Databases Out to Public Clouds

Cloud-Service Providers (CSPs) can now handle heavy workloads by occasionally renting resources from public clouds. The capabilities and respective lease prices of such infrastructure may significantly vary over time. In this environment, two distinct types of SLAs have to work in tandem: a) the SLA furnished by the private cloud to the end user of the application (or database), and b) the SLA offered by the public cloud to the application through its host private cloud. This dual and continuously evolving relationship inherently complicates the computation of the operation of cloud applications. In this paper, we present a cost-aware resource provisioning algorithm for No SQL-databases that aims to meet Quality of Service (QoS) requirements while minimizing the total cost incurred by its deployment on multiple cloud tiers. Our method is based on look-ahead optimization and takes into account the costs incurred by potential database transitions to new configurations in a heterogeneous multi-cloud environment. Experimentation with a prototype shows that our approach reflects the total cost of a cloud application more accurately than the conventional technique of minimizing SLA violations. More importantly, it avoids thrashing of resources.
Adaptive model predictive control strategy of hybrid electric bus based on SOC programming

In the paper, Adaptive Model Predictive Control Strategy (AMPC) for HEB is designed based on battery state of charge (SOC) programming. The reference SOC is calculated based on dynamic programming algorithm (DP). According to the reference SOC (SOCref), control thresholds are adjusted to make the real SOC following the SOCref by parameter adaptive algorithm. The dynamic model of HEB is established by Simulink and AVL Cruise. Simulation results are shown that the energy consumption generated by the proposed strategy is significantly lower than that of the Rule-Based (RB) strategy and the economic performance of HEB can be improved.
Observed relating behaviours between voice hearers and their persecutory voice during AVATAR therapy dialogue

Distressing auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) can cause suffering and significant impairment. This thesis focuses on psychological interventions for AVH and is presented in three parts. Part I is a qualitative and quantitative review on the effects group therapy has on AVH. Twenty studies met inclusion criteria. The findings taken as a whole are mixed. There is not strong evidence to suggest that group therapy is effective in reducing AVH symptoms but there are more promising findings for group approaches in targeting AVH beliefs and distress. Part II aimed to map relating behaviours observed between participants and their created avatars (visual representation of their persecutory voice) in the context of AVATAR therapy dialogue. A coding frame was developed to enable a fine-grained analysis of the therapy. The findings do indicate that relating behaviours between participants and avatars change over the course of therapy. The results also provide an insight into the specific therapeutic techniques delivered within AVATAR therapy dialogue. Part III is a critical appraisal of the methodological developments presented in the empirical paper. It explores the rationale behind analysing complex psychological interventions and offers an account of the methodological, conceptual and practical issues faced when developing a coding frame.
Underdetermined Sparse Blind Source Separation by Clustering on Hyperplanes

In the underdetermined blind source separation and sparse component analysis, we get sensor signals. The mixed matrix and source signals aren’t known, where the number of sensor signals less than that of source signals, but we can know source signals are sparse, so we use the information to recover source signals by estimating the mixed matrix. This paper gives an algorithm for estimating mixed matrix based on sparse sources information in underdetermined blind separation by clustering on hyperplanes’ normal lines, and the good performance is shown by the last example.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis: An Emerging Disease of Free-Ranging Wildlife

Expansion of ecotourism-based industries, changes in land-use practices, and escalating competition for resources have increased contact between free-ranging wildlife and humans. Although human presence in wildlife areas may provide an important economic benefit through ecotourism, exposure to human pathogens may represent a health risk for wildlife. This report is the first to document introduction of a primary human pathogen into free-ranging wildlife. We describe outbreaks of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a human pathogen, in free-ranging banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) in Botswana and suricates (Suricata suricatta) in South Africa. Wildlife managers and scientists must address the potential threat that humans pose to the health of free-ranging wildlife.
Enhancing Early Interventionists' Abilities to Support Caregiver Learning through Multi-component, Technology-mediated Inservice Professional Development

ENHANCING EARLY INTERVENTIONISTS’ ABILITIES TO SUPPORT CAREGIVER LEARNING THROUGH MULTI-COMPONENT, TECHNOLOGY-MEDIATED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Dana C. Childress Old Dominion University, 2017 Director: Dr. Sharon Raver-Lampman In order to have qualified service providers from a variety of disciplines (e.g., early childhood special education, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology) who are well-prepared to provide effective early intervention (EI), high quality professional development is needed that is easily accessed by service providers and enhances their abilities to implement specific, evidence-based intervention practices with children and families. Because of the family-centered nature of EI, service providers must be knowledgeable about how to support caregiver learning during EI visits, using practices that are grounded in adult learning theory. The case study research project described in this dissertation addresses those needs by outlining the development, facilitation, and evaluation of a brief multi-component, technology-mediated inservice training course entitled, Using Adult Learning Strategies to Support Caregivers during Early Intervention Visits. This training course included ongoing, embedded support and was provided for nine EI service providers who were currently practicing within the Infant and Toddler Connection of Virginia, the Commonwealth’s EI system. A within-subjects pre-posttest design was used to evaluate the 6-week training course to determine the effects of participation on: 1) service providers’ use of four EI adult learning strategies (e.g., reflective conversation, caregiver practice with feedback, collaborative problem-solving, and joint planning); 2) providers’ changes in knowledge about adult learning and how to apply the adult learning strategies during EI visits with families; and 3) providers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the multi-component, technology-mediated training course.
Beneficial antipsychotic effects of celecoxib add-on therapy compared to risperidone alone in schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE Abnormalities in the immune system in schizophrenia have been described. However, important findings such as high levels of activating cytokines in the CSF and signs of CNS inflammation have been controversial. The authors conducted a trial of the new selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor celecoxib, an immunomodulatory drug, in schizophrenic patients to evaluate its therapeutic effects. METHOD In a prospective, double-blind evaluation, 50 patients with an acute exacerbation of schizophrenia were randomly assigned to either risperidone plus celecoxib or risperidone plus placebo. After a washout period, 25 patients received 2-6 mg/day of risperidone plus placebo and 25 received risperidone plus 400 mg/day of celecoxib for 5 weeks. The treatment effect was calculated by analysis of covariance. There were no significant differences between groups in age, sex, duration or severity of disease or psychopathology, or risperidone dose or plasma level. RESULTS Over 5 weeks, both groups of patients showed significant improvement in scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and on all subscales. However, the celecoxib group showed significantly greater improvement in the total score. CONCLUSIONS Additional treatment with celecoxib has significant positive effects on the therapeutic action of risperidone with regard to total schizophrenia psychopathology. Moreover, the fact that treatment with an immunomodulatory drug showed beneficial effects on schizophrenia symptoms indicates that immune dysfunction in schizophrenia is not just an epiphenomenon but is related to the pathomechanism of the disorder. However, a nonimmunological therapeutic effect of celecoxib mediated by the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor has to be taken into account.
Exploiting intelligent agent-based technologies for programming smart mobile applications

The extraordinary progress of mobile device technologies pushes for a new generation of smart mobile applications, featuring complex computational and interactive behaviour, exhibiting different degrees of autonomy and flexibility. This raises new challenges in mobile application programming, calling for programming tools and development platforms providing a proper level of abstraction to deal with such a new level of complexity. This demo aims at investigating the adoption of agent-oriented programming - and in particular of agent-based programming languages rooted on a strong notion of agency - to tackle the complexities related to the design of fore-coming smart mobile applications. For doing this we present an agent-oriented platform called JaCa-Android, providing an agent-oriented level of abstraction to design, program and execute smart mobile applications on top of the Android platform.
Constitutively Active Insulin-Like Growth Factor I Receptor Tumor Development by Transgenic Expression of a

The insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-IR) is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase that is essential to growth and development and also thought to provide a survival signal for the maintenance of the transformed phenotype. There has been increasing interest in further understanding the role of IGF-I signaling in cancer and in developing receptor antagonists for therapeutic application. We describe herein a novel animal model that involves transgenic expression of a fusion receptor that is constitutively activated by homodimerization. Transgenic mice that expressed the activated receptor showed aberrant development of the mammary glands and developed salivary and mammary adenocarcinomas as early as 8 weeks of age. Xenograft tumors and a cell line were derived from the transgenic animals and are sensitive to inhibition by a novel small-molecule inhibitor of the IGF-IR kinase. This new model should provide new opportunities for further understanding how aberrant IGF-IR signaling leads to tumorigenesis and for optimizing novel antagonists of the receptor kinase. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(9): 3781-7)
Cancer Incidence among Pesticide Applicators Exposed to Dicamba in the Agricultural Health Study

Background Dicamba is an herbicide commonly applied to crops in the United States and abroad. We evaluated cancer incidence among pesticide applicators exposed to dicamba in the Agricultural Health Study, a prospective cohort of licensed pesticide applicators in North Carolina and Iowa. Methods Detailed pesticide exposure information was obtained through a self-administered questionnaire completed from 1993 to 1997. Cancer incidence was followed through 31 December 2002 by linkage to state cancer registries. We used Poisson regression to estimate rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals for cancer subtypes by tertiles of dicamba exposure. Two dicamba exposure metrics were used: lifetime exposure days and intensity-weighted lifetime exposure days (lifetime days × intensity score). Results A total of 41,969 applicators were included in the analysis, and 22,036 (52.5%) reported ever using dicamba. Exposure was not associated with overall cancer incidence nor were there strong associations with any specific type of cancer. When the reference group comprised low-exposed applicators, we observed a positive trend in risk between lifetime exposure days and lung cancer (p = 0.02), but none of the individual point estimates was significantly elevated. We also observed significant trends of increasing risk for colon cancer for both lifetime exposure days and intensity-weighted lifetime days, although these results are largely due to elevated risk at the highest exposure level. There was no apparent risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Conclusions Although associations between exposure and lung and colon cancer were observed, we did not find clear evidence for an association between dicamba exposure and cancer risk.
LC/MS-Based Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Paraffin-Embedded Archival Melanomas Reveals Potential Proteomic Biomarkers Associated with Metastasis

Background Melanoma metastasis status is highly associated with the overall survival of patients; yet, little is known about proteomic changes during melanoma tumor progression. To better understand the changes in protein expression involved in melanoma progression and metastasis, and to identify potential biomarkers, we conducted a global quantitative proteomic analysis on archival metastatic and primary melanomas. Methodology and Findings A total of 16 metastatic and 8 primary cutaneous melanomas were assessed. Proteins were extracted from laser captured microdissected formalin fixed paraffin-embedded archival tissues by liquefying tissue cells. These preparations were analyzed by a LC/MS-based label-free protein quantification method. More than 1500 proteins were identified in the tissue lysates with a peptide ID confidence level of >75%. This approach identified 120 significant changes in protein levels. These proteins were identified from multiple peptides with high confidence identification and were expressed at significantly different levels in metastases as compared with primary melanomas (q-Value<0.05). Conclusions and Significance The differentially expressed proteins were classified by biological process or mapped into biological system networks, and several proteins were implicated by these analyses as cancer- or metastasis-related. These proteins represent potential biomarkers for tumor progression. The study successfully identified proteins that are differentially expressed in formalin fixed paraffin-embedded specimens of metastatic and primary melanoma.
The Border Wars: A Neo-Gricean Perspective

In reports Þled from several fronts in the semantics/pragmatics border wars, I seek to bolster the loyalist (neo-)Gricean forces against various recent revisionist sorties, including (but not limited to) the relevance-theoretic view on which the maxims (or more speciÞcally their sole surviving descendant, the principle of relevance) inform truthconditional content through the determination of explicatures, Levinsons defense of implicatures serving as input to logical form, recent arguments by Mira Ariel for a semantic treatment of the upper bound (not all) for propositions of the formMost F are G, and Chierchias proposal to reanalyze implicatures as part of compositional semantics. I argue for drawing the semantics/pragmatics boundary in a relatively traditional way, maintaining a constrained characterization of what is said, while adopting a variant of Kent Bachs position on impliciture and supporting the Gricean conception of implicature as an aspect of speaker meaning, as opposed to its reconstruction in terms of default inference or utterance interpretation. I survey current controversies concerning the meaning and acquisition of disjunction and other scalar operators, the relation of subcontrariety and its implications for lexicalization, the nature of polarity licensing, and the innateness controversy. In each case, I seek to emphasize the signiÞcance of the generalizations that a (neo-)classical pragmatic approach enables us to capture. For some time, David Kaplan (cf. Kaplan 1978:223) has taken to harking nostalgically back to the Golden Age of Pure Semantics, which reached its apotheosis with the theory of extension and intension in Carnaps (1947)Meaning and Necessity before the tarnish from the ravages of proper names and demonstratives inevitably set in. Following Kaplans lead, I will dub the traditional pre-lapsarian pragmatic theory, on which non-truth-conditional aspects of meaning are read off the output of semantically interpreted logical form, the Golden Age of Pure Pragmatics, a.k. a. GAPP (see e.g. Grice [1967] 1989, Horn 1972, 1973, Gazdar 1979, Levinson 1983, Hirschberg 1991). My survey of the borderlands where semantics meets pragmatics begins with the relevancetheoretic (e.g. Sperber & Wilson, Carston) view on which the maxims (or more speciÞcally their sole surviving descendant, the principle of relevance) inform truth-conditional content through the determination of explicatures and Levinsons framework on which implicatures serve as input to logical form. 1 Implicature, explicature, and propositional content As is well known, GAPP advocates a general account of scalar values as lower-bounded by their literal meaning (what is said) and upper-bounded by quantity-based implicature. Thus the one-sided meanings delivered by the linguistic semantics is Þlled in to yield the two-sided communicated understandings in the examples in (1):
Robot finger design for myoelectric prosthetic hand and recognition of finger motions via surface EMG

In this paper, robot hand design aiming at application to a myoelectric prosthetic hand and recognition of finger operation via surface EMG are discussed. The robot hand with two fingers, thumb and index finger, was built to implement fundamental motions required in daily life, such as grasping and holding. The fingers are driven by the wire actuation system to imitate the human's tendon mechanism. In order to control each finger of the developed myoelectric prosthetic hand independently, using the neural network, identifier which classifies four finger operations, namely flexion and extension of the thumb in metacarpophalangeal (MP) joint and flexion and extension of the index finger in MP joint, was constructed. The recognition of each finger operation was performed using the four patterns of the neural network based identifiers in which the recognition method of finger operations differs each other, and the results were compared.
Overexpression of microRNA-1 Causes Atrioventricular Block in Rodents

The present study was designed to investigate whether microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in atrioventricular block (AVB) in the setting of myocardial ischemia (MI). A cardiac-specific miR-1 transgenic (Tg) mouse model was successfully established for the first time in this study using microinjection. miR-1 level was measured by real-time qRT-PCR. Whole-cell patch clamp was employed to record L-type calcium current (ICa,L) and inward rectifier K+ current (IK1). Expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) protein was determined by western blot analysis. Alternations of [Ca2+]i was detected by laser scanning confocal microscopy in ventricular myocytes. The incidence of AVB was higher in miR-1 Tg mice than that in wild-type (WT) mice. The normalized peak current amplitude of ICa,L was lower in ventricular myocytes from miR-1 Tg mice as compared with WT mice. Similarly, the current density of IK1 was decreased in miR-1 Tg mice than that in WT mice. Compared with WT mice, miR-1 Tg mice exhibited a significant decrease of the systolic [Ca2+]i in ventricular myocytes but a prominent increase of the resting [Ca2+]i. Moreover, Cx43 protein was downregulated in miR-1 Tg mice compared to that in WT mice. Administration of LNA-modified antimiR-1 reversed all the above changes. miR-1 overexpression may contribute to the increased susceptibility of the heart to AVB, which provides us novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying ischemic cardiac arrhythmias.
Empirical Studies on Community Structure for Networked Web E mpirical Studies on Community Structure for Networked Web Empirical Studies on Community Structure for Networked Web Empirical Studies on Community Structure for Networked Web Services

This paper presents studies on detecting community structure in web services formed network, which can signiﬁcantly explore and understand the underlying functionality and behavior of interactions among web services, as well as facilitate the state of art service computing. The community structure in this paper focusing on two typical social characteristics for networked web services: competition and collaboration. Competition-oriented community structure is based on the functional semantics (i.e. the inputs/outputs of web services), in which we group web services sharing common interests. Collaboration-oriented community structure is computed by the topological analysis, so that we can cluster web services that interact densely. We present empirical analysis on our dataset and the generated communities for capturing the insight dynamics for web services formed network. Besides, we also present some potential utilities which can accelerate service-oriented computing.
Sampling Methods for Random Subspace Domain Adaptation

Supervised classification tasks like Sentiment Analysis or text classification need labelled training data. These labels can be difficult to obtain, especially for complicated and ambiguous data like texts. Instead of labelling new data, domain adaptation tries to reuse already labelled data from related tasks as training data. We propose a greedy selection strategy to identify a small subset of data samples that are most suited for domain adaptation. Using these samples the adaptation is done on a subspace in a kernel defined feature space. To make this kernel approach applicable for large scale data sets, we use random Fourier features to approximate kernels by expectations.
Policy, philanthropy and profit: the OECD’s PISA for Schools and new modes of heterarchical educational governance

ABSTRACT This paper examines the development and administration of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) for Schools – a new testing instrument of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development – to demonstrate the relevance of heterarchical processes to educational governance. Drawing suggestively across new ‘relational’ thinking around policy networks, and new spatialities associated with globalisation, the research shows how PISA for Schools helps constitute new spaces and relations of, and for, educational governance. Informed by policy documents and interviews conducted with 33 key actors across the PISA for Schools policy cycle, I show how PISA for Schools typifies contemporary educational policy-making and governance via the export of ‘statework’ to private actors and agencies, including intergovernmental organisations, philanthropic foundations and edu-businesses. I conclude by considering how treating PISA for Schools, and other similar education services, as a ‘product’ produces a potentially dangerous blurring of public and private benefits, with the potential that (private) profit might ultimately trump (public) education.
METRIC-SEQDAC: a hybrid approach for audio segmentation

This paper presents a hybrid approach for audio segmentation, in which the metric-based segmentation with long sliding windows is applied first to segment an audio stream into shorter sub-segments, and then the divide-and-conquer segmentation is applied to a fixed-length window that slides from the beginning to the end of each sub-segment to sequentially detect the remaining acoustic changes. The experimental results on five one-hour broadcast news shows show that our approach outperforms the existing metric-based and model-selection-based approaches.