Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibitors of the Tick-Borne, Hemorrhagic Fever-Associated Flaviviruses

ABSTRACT No antiviral therapies are available for the tick-borne flaviviruses associated with hemorrhagic fevers: Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV), both classical and the Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV) subtype, and Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus (OHFV). We tested compounds reported to have antiviral activity against members of the Flaviviridae family for their ability to inhibit AHFV replication. 6-Azauridine (6-azaU), 2′-C-methylcytidine (2′-CMC), and interferon alpha 2a (IFN-α2a) inhibited the replication of AHFV and also KFDV, OHFV, and Powassan virus. The combination of IFN-α2a and 2′-CMC exerted an additive antiviral effect on AHFV, and the combination of IFN-α2a and 6-azaU was moderately synergistic. The combination of 2′-CMC and 6-azaU was complex, being strongly synergistic but with a moderate level of antagonism. The antiviral activity of 6-azaU was reduced by the addition of cytidine but not guanosine, suggesting that it acted by inhibiting pyrimidine biosynthesis. To investigate the mechanism of action of 2′-CMC, AHFV variants with reduced susceptibility to 2′-CMC were selected. We used a replicon system to assess the substitutions present in the selected AHFV population. A double NS5 mutant, S603T/C666S, and a triple mutant, S603T/C666S/M644V, were more resistant to 2′-CMC than the wild-type replicon. The S603T/C666S mutant had a reduced level of replication which was increased when M644V was also present, although the replication of this triple mutant was still below that of the wild type. The S603 and C666 residues were predicted to lie in the active site of the AHFV NS5 polymerase, implicating the catalytic center of the enzyme as the binding site for 2′-CMC.
Interference-Aware Clustering Algorithms in Multi-relay Cellular Networks

We consider the downlink of a wireless cellular network which consists of one Macro Base Station (MBS), multiple relays and User Equipments (UEs). In this scenario, we propose relay clustering algorithms to address the problem of inter-cluster interference. In each cluster, we adopt a time-division relaying scheme to avoid intra-cluster interference, but the inter-cluster interference still remains. In interference-aware network, an optimal clustering algorithm requires an exhaustive search, which is infeasible. Hence, we propose a clustering algorithm which improves the system capacity by exploiting the inter-cluster information. But this algorithm is implemented in a centralized manner with high complexity that requires the calculation of inter-cluster information. To circumvent this, we propose a cluster-wise distributed algorithm with manageable complexity, which shows the performance within acceptable range from the optimal one, far better than simple and intuitive algorithms because of the effect of inter-cluster interference.
Minimum delay path selection in multi-homed systems with path asymmetry

As mobile and fixed hosts are increasingly equipped with multiple network interfaces that enable multi-homing, there is significant current interest to seek appropriate method for access network selection. To address the presence of asymmetric forward-return path combinations in practice, we propose a simple but novel scheme to determine the one-way path with the lowest delay independently for both directions. This method provides delay sensitive multimedia applications with the lowest possible round-trip time in a multi-homed environment, compared to existing methods which assume path symmetry.
A dynamic adaptive acknowledgment strategy for TCP over multihop wireless networks

Multihop wireless networks based on the IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol are promising for ad hoc networks in small scale today. The 802.11 protocol minimizes the well-known hidden node problem but does not eliminate it completely. Consequently, the end-to-end bandwidth utilization may be quite poor if the involved protocols do not interact smoothly. In particular, the TCP protocol does not manage to obtain efficient bandwidth utilization because its congestion control mechanism is not tailored to such a complex environment. The main problems with TCP in such networks are the excessive amount of both spurious retransmissions and contention between data and acknowledgment (ACK) packets for the transmission medium. In this paper, we propose a dynamic adaptive strategy for minimizing the number of ACK packets in transit and mitigating spurious retransmissions. Using this strategy, the receiver adjusts itself to the wireless channel condition by delaying more ACK packets when the channel is in good condition and less otherwise. Our technique not only improves bandwidth utilization but also reduces power consumption by retransmitting much less than a regular TCP does. Extensive simulation evaluations show that our scheme provides very good enhancements in a variety of scenarios.
Developing Confidence in Software through Credentials and Low-Ceremony Evidence

Conventional software specifications and reasoning based on such specifications do not accommodate uncertainty in the specifications, nor do they support the informal, subjective sorts of reasoning that many people use when making decisions about complex systems. We propose a notation for representing specifications in which attributes have different levels of confidence and we discuss ways that uncertain information can contribute usefully to software decisions.
Missing data theory, spectral subtraction and signal-to-noise estimation for robust ASR: an integrated study

In the missing data approach to robust Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), time-frequency regions which carry reliable speech information are identified. Recognition is then based on these regions alone. In this paper, we address the problem of identifying reliable regions and propose two criteria to solve this based on negative energy ( $ s < 0 ) and SNR ( $ s s n 2 2 2 < + ). These criteria are evaluated on the TIDigits corpus for several noise sources and compared with spectral subtraction. We show that in this task the missing data method performs considerably better than spectral subtraction and the combination of the two techniques outperforms either technique used alone. We report robust performance at 0dB SNR for car noise and 10dB SNR for factory noise.
More Efficient Photolithographic Synthesis of DNA-Chips by Photosensitization

Protecting groups of the o-nitrophenyl type thatare preferentially used for this purpose have rather low absorption coeﬃcientsat 366nm, the wavelength of the most conveniently used mercury line. The weakabsorptivity of these compounds leads to principal limitations of their light sen-sitivity. Since they have photoreactive triplet states, however, this problem can beovercome by introducing a triplet sensitizer that eﬃciently absorbs the light andtransfers the electronic energy to the reactive protecting group.The sensitized photodeprotection was studied in detail for the o-nitrophenyl-2-propoxycarbonyl (NPPOC) group
Proposal of Course Project

People are always fascinated by beauty of music during the long history of humanities. Various music genres and styles have emerged, reflecting the diversity of personalities in numerous cultures and age groups. It is hence not surprising that human tastes in music are remarkably diverse. Yahoo! Music has collected billions of user ratings for music pieces, which will reveal hidden information if properly analyzed. Possible knowledge includes how songs are grouped, which hidden patterns link various albums, which artists complement each other, and above all, which songs users would like to listen to. Based on these motivations, KDD-CUP 2011 has set up two challenges: 1. predicting the scores that users would give to a particular item; 2. distinguishing beloved songs from others for each user. To tackle the problems, we plan to explore methods stemming from Matrix Factorization (MF). One of the advantages of these methods is that auxiliary information of both users and items can be incorporated into the prediction model. Furthermore, having its origin in stochastic optimization algorithm, the approach can be operated efficiently. In general, we propose to achieve this goal in five steps:
Wind Power Forecast Methods and Very Short-term Steady-State Analysis of an Electrical Distribution System

Dispersed Generation (DG) has impacts on power system planning and operation, and these impacts must be taken into consideration. This paper deals with the very short-term (VST) steady state analysis of a distribution system with wind farms. Several forecasting methods of wind power are taken into account in order to obtain reliable input data for the VST steadystate analysis. Numerical applications are presented and discussed with reference to an actual medium voltage 109-bus distribution system in the presence of wind farms connected at different busbars. Keywords—Power Systems, wind farm, wind power forecast methods, steady-state analysis.
On fault equivalence, fault dominance, and incompletely specified test sets

It is shown that fault equivalence and fault dominance relations defined based on the sets of completely specified test vectors that detect each fault may not hold when incompletely specified test vectors are used together with three-value simulation. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the extent of this phenomenon. Its effects are discussed in general and in the context of a specific application. Possible solutions are also discussed.
Information current in Twitter: which brings hot events to the world

In this paper we investigate information propagation in Twitter from the geographical view on the global scale. An information propagation phenomenon what we call "information current" has been discovered. According to this phenomenon, we propose a hypothesis that changes of information flows may be related to real-time events. Through analysis of retweets, we show that our hypothesis is supported by experiment results. Moreover, it is discovered that the retweet texts are more effective than common tweet texts for real-time event detection. This means that Twitter could be a good filter of texts for event detection.
Feminist legal geographies of intimate-image sexual abuse: Using copyright logic to combat the unauthorized distribution of celebrity intimate images in cyberspaces

Women’s rights are often curtailed online due to the pervasive internet atmosphere of cybermisogyny. Extreme examples include ‘image-based sexual abuse’, a term which encompasses the non-consensual creation and/or distribution of private sexual images. The harms attached to this phenomenon are well documented. In this paper, we explore how copyright logic, despite its male-centric and property oriented worldview, presents one legal solution to this problem. We assert that Digital Millennium Copyright Act Takedown Notices, a copyright mechanism that notifies websites they are hosting infringing content and requires the prompt removal of the content, represents a novel legal mechanism to force websites to remove image-based sexual abuse from women’s online spaces. By using critical discourse analysis to review how Digital Millennium Copyright Act Takedown Notices attempt to provide solutions to the socio-spatial problem of image-based sexual abuse, we argue that copyright can subvert its current leanings to return to its original purpose: supporting creativity. Supporting creativity also helps to protect against the reproduction of gendered harms, from the real world to virtual spaces. This theorization represents not just legal geography but a feminist legal geography, in that it recognizes the internet should be a safe and legal space for women. In endorsing a pragmatic legal solution for women to regulate the sexually violent and nonconsensual distribution of their intimate images online, copyright is one mechanism that affirms women’s right to cyberspaces.
STUDIES OF THE MITOCHONDRIAL ENERGY-TRANSFER SYSTEM OF BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE

An investigation of the mechanisms of norepinephrine action and heat production in brown adipose tissue from newborn rabbits has been carried out. Data obtained with the use of biochemical techniques has been correlated with morphological data from electron microscopy. Norepinephrine was found to stimulate the respiration of brown fat in vitro. Inhibitors of glycolysis abolish this effect, whereas inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation do not, at least not to the same extent. Brown fat is readily permeable to added Krebs cycle intermediates. Substrate level phosphorylation, but no electron transport-coupled phosphorylation, could be demonstrated in isolated mitochondria. It is suggested that the rate of fatty acid oxidation is limited by the availability of phosphate acceptor systems which break down ATP formed at the substrate level and thus provide ADP for further substrate level phosphorylation. The theory of respiratory control by the action of reesterification of fatty acids is discussed in the light of these findings. Under the electron microscope, brown fat mitochondria are characterized by their large size, tightly packed cristae, and by the different types of granules in the matrix. No elementary particles are seen when the mitochondria are examined by the negative-staining technique. The absence of electron transport-coupled phosphorylation together with the apparent absence of elementary particles seems to be of particular significance.
Bovine leukemia virus genotype 1 and 6 are circulating among dairy and beef cattle of small and medium holding farms in northern Vietnam

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection among cattle in northern Vietnam, and to molecularly characterize the detected strains. Ninety-three blood samples (45 dairy and 48 beef cattle) were randomly collected from 464 cattle from 22 farms in four districts in northern Vietnam. The samples were tested for the presence of BLV by using two realtime PCR detection systems that targeted the BLV pol gene and tax gene. The samples were also tested for BLV antibody, using an ELISA kit. Nested PCR was designed to obtain the full-length nucleotide sequence of the BLV env gp51 gene. From the BLV pol gene real-time PCR and ELISA results, 33 of the 93 (35.48%) samples consistently tested positive for BLV infection. Phylogenetic analysis of the BLV env gp51 gene showed that the Vietnam strains were clustered into genotypes 1 and 6 (G1 and G6), of which G1 was dominant. Of three G6 strains detected, two were clearly distinguished from the known subgenotypes G6a-G6e and were therefore designated as a new subgenotype, G6f. Results of the phylogenetic analyses highlighted the requirement of the full-length env gp51 gene for reliable identification of the G6 strains. It was also noted that the commercial real-time PCR kit for the BLV tax gene failed to detect the Vietnam G6 strains, as was likewise previously reported for Myanmar BLV G10 strains.
Characteristics and simulation of snow interception by the canopy of primary spruce‐fir Korean pine forests in the Xiaoxing'an Mountains of China

Abstract Snow interception by the forest canopy is an important control on the forest hydrological cycle in the Xiaoxing'an Mountains within the northern temperate region of China. In this study, the effects of snowfall characteristics and stand structures on the snowfall redistribution of the canopies within primary spruce‐fir Korean pine forests are analyzed at the forest stand scale. Characteristics of snowfall, through‐canopy snowfall, and stand structure are continuously measured using positioning observations. A semiempirical theoretical model is used to conduct snow interception simulations in the Xiaoxing'an Mountain region. The results indicate that the snowfall, canopy density, slope gradient, and tree height have a significant effect on the through‐canopy snowfall. The interception efficiency gradually decreases with an increase in the amount of snowfall and is particularly sensitive to the snowfall and canopy density, although it shows no significant correlation with average diameter at breast height, tree height, basal area, canopy height, canopy width, leaf area, or slope gradient. Very similar results have been observed in Canada and Switzerland, suggesting the transferability of the results between North America, Western Europe, and China. However, although model results provide a satisfactory simulation of snow interception, further studies are required to optimize the model in this region.
The Open University ’ s repository of research publications and other research outputs Metrics for ranking ontologies

Representing knowledge using domain ontologies has shown to be a useful mechanism and format for managing and exchanging information. Due to the difficulty and cost of building ontologies, a number of ontology libraries and search engines are coming to existence to facilitate reusing such knowledge structures. The need for ontology ranking techniques is becoming crucial as the number of ontologies available for reuse is continuing to grow. In this paper we present AKTiveRank, a prototype system for ranking ontologies based on the analysis of their structures. We describe the metrics used in the ranking system and present an experiment on ranking ontologies returned by a popular search engine for an example query.
Signal Alignment: Enabling Physical Layer Network Coding for MIMO Networking

We apply signal alignment (SA), a wireless communication technique that enables physical layer network coding (PNC) in multi-input multi-output (MIMO) wireless networks. Through calculated precoding, SA contracts the perceived signal space at a node to match its receive capability, and hence facilitates the demodulation of linearly combined data packets. PNC coupled with SA (PNC-SA) has the potential of fully exploiting the precoding space at the senders, and can better utilize the spatial diversity of a MIMO network for higher system degrees-of-freedom (DoF). PNC-SA adopts the idea of `demodulating a linear combination' from PNC. The design of PNC-SA is also inspired by recent advances in IA, though SA aligns signals not interferences. We study the optimal precoding and power allocation problem of PNC-SA, for SNR (singal-to-noise-ratio) maximization at the receiver. The mapping from SNR to BER is then analyzed, revealing that the DoF gain of PNC-SA does not come with a sacrifice in BER. We then design a general PNC-SA algorithm in larger systems, and demonstrate general applications of PNC-SA, and show via network level simulations that it can substantially increase the throughput of unicast and multicast sessions, by opening previously unexplored solution spaces in multi-hop MIMO routing.
Tumor-Associated Circulating MicroRNAs as Biomarkers of Cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), the 17- to 25-nucleotide long noncoding RNAs that modulate the expression of mRNAs and proteins, have emerged as critical players in cancer initiation and progression processes. Deregulation of tissue miRNA expression levels associated with specific genetic alterations has been demonstrated in cancer, where miRNAs function either as oncogenes or as tumor-suppressor genes and are shed from cancer cells into circulation. The present review summarizes and evaluates recent advances in our understanding of the characteristics of tumor tissue miRNAs, circulating miRNAs, and the stability of miRNAs in tissues and their varying expression profiles in circulating tumor cells, and body fluids including blood plasma. These advances in knowledge have led to intense efforts towards discovery and validation of differentially expressing tumor-associated miRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets of cancer. The development of tumor-specific miRNA signatures as cancer biomarkers detectable in malignant cells and body fluids should help with early detection and more effective therapeutic intervention for individual patients.
A Macro Mobility and Multihoming Notification Protocol for Wireless Mesh Networks implementing Mobile IP and SHIM 6

Wireless mesh networks provide cost-efficient means to ubiquitous Internet access. Large-scale wireless mesh networks may use multiple access networks. Depending on the routing protocol, a node may not know over which of these access networks it is communicating. In this report, we propose a routing protocol-independent method that allows nodes to (i) determine when they are switching the access network and (ii) to handle switches gracefully or (iii) to support multihoming. In addition, we discuss implementation of the proposed method with Mobile IP as underlying technology to support mobility and Shim6 to support multihoming.
Bit-Plane Compression: Transforming Data for Better Compression in Many-Core Architectures

As key applications become more data-intensive and the computational throughput of processors increases, the amount of data to be transferred in modern memory subsystems grows. Increasing physical bandwidth to keep up with the demand growth is challenging, however, due to strict area and energy limitations. This paper presents a novel and lightweight compression algorithm, Bit-Plane Compression (BPC), to increase the effective memory bandwidth. BPC aims at homogeneously-typed memory blocks, which are prevalent in many-core architectures, and applies a smart data transformation to both improve the inherent data compressibility and to reduce the complexity of compression hardware. We demonstrate that BPC provides superior compression ratios of 4.1:1 for integer benchmarks and reduces memory bandwidth requirements significantly.
Predicting First Term Success in an Associates Degree Nursing Program Using Cognitive and Noncognitive Factors

Since the late 1990s the nursing field has experienced increased demand for RN’s as well as a number of internal and external factors that have worsened this problem. College admissions officers have struggled to identify those students who are most likely to persist in an associate degree nursing (ADN) program. Estimates of programmatic attrition vary, but fall somewhere between 25-50%. A great deal of research has been expended in an attempt to determine which preadmission variables are most likely to indicate programmatic success. Unfortunately, no “best set” of admissions variables has been identified. The purpose of this research was to identify cognitive and noncognitive predictors of success in an ADN program. These variables can then be used by nursing program administrators to help identify students during the admissions phase who are most likely to persist through the first term and potentially to degree completion. Bloom’s theory of school learning serves as the theoretical framework for this research. The participants in this study were 188 students (summer and fall cohorts) in the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program at a large state college in the southeastern region of the United States. The research design was a quantitative, non-experimental, correlational design to predict the relationship between four input predictor variables and one criterion variable. The Health Education Systems Inc A 2 assessment (HESI A 2 ) and the Grit-S Scale were used to measure these input variables. Binary regression was used to analyze the resulting data. This research is critical in addressing nursing shortfalls, a pressing real world problem facing society at large, nursing in general, and college admissions departments for ADN programs in particular.