Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Telecommunications and Cost Savings in Health Care Services

Public concern and government attention has focused on the explosive rise in health care costs. Analysts in various academic and professional fields have investigated the ways in which health care costs can be controlled while improving the quality and availability of medical services. While several policyand technology-based options have been examined, testimony presented at recent congressional hearings attests to the potential for telecommunications services, in particular, to broaden the availability and quality of health care services while moderating the costs of those services. ' Practicing physicians, medical researchers, appointed officials, and other medical specialists have extolled telecommunications' role in enabling doctors to provide better service. All parties familiar with the ways in which telecommunications services have benefited health care urge policy makers to recognize these contributions and ensure that telecommunications, as a relatively low-cost means of improving quality and access, continue to be exploited in the provision of health care services. As summarized by J. Michael McGinnis, M.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health,
Characterization of Encrypted and VPN Traffic using Time-related Features

Traffic characterization is one of the major challenges in today’s security industry. The continuous evolution and generation of new applications and services, together with the expansion of encrypted communications makes it a difficult task. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are an example of encrypted communication service that is becoming popular, as method for bypassing censorship as well as accessing services that are geographically locked. In this paper, we study the effectiveness of flow-based time-related features to detect VPN traffic and to characterize encrypted traffic into different categories, according to the type of traffic e.g., browsing, streaming, etc. We use two different well-known machine learning techniques (C4.5 and KNN) to test the accuracy of our features. Our results show high accuracy and performance, confirming that time-related features are good classifiers for encrypted traffic characterization.
COMBINING HISTOLOGY AND BIOCHEMICAL MEASUREMENTS OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE COMPONENTS IN SMALL SAMPLES OF LUNG: APPLICATION TO BLEOMYCIN-INDUCED FIBROSIS IN THE MOUSE

Bleomycin-induced lung injury in mice was used to illustrate the plausibility of quantitating changes in elastin or protein concentration in histologically defined regions of mouse lungs. Mice were instilled by either the intranasal or intratracheal route with varying levels of bleomycin and the lungs were removed and fixed under pressure for histology and analysis. Histological sections that bracketed a defined volume of tissue was used for biochemical analysis and was limited to the alveolar region of the lung. Our studies showed that the intranasal method of instillation was as effective as the intratracheal method for inducing fibrosis. Even though distribution to the 4 major lobes of the lung was fairly uniform, there was no consistency in the degree of fibrosis between the various lobes of the same animal. The most dramatic change in biochemical parameters was protein concentration, which increased over 10-fold in some fibrotic lungs compared to normal lungs, whereas desmosine concentration increased up to 5-fold. Fibrosis scores agreed well with desmosine concentration, except with moderate desmosine increases where histologically defined fibrosis was not observed. The experiments illustrate the feasibility and desirability of comparing histology and biochemical analysis on the same fixed lung sample. elastin desmosine lung fibrosis
CBRS Spectrum Sharing between LTE-U and WiFi: A Multiarmed Bandit Approach

The surge of mobile devices such as smartphone and tablets requires additional capacity. To achieve ubiquitous and high data rate Internet connectivity, effective spectrum sharing and utilization of the wireless spectrum carry critical importance. In this paper, we consider the use of unlicensed LTE (LTE-U) technology in the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band and develop a multiarmed bandit (MAB) based spectrum sharing technique for a smooth coexistence with WiFi. In particular, we consider LTE-U to operate as a General Authorized Access (GAA) user; hereby MAB is used to adaptively optimize the transmission duty cycle of LTE-U transmissions. Additionally, we incorporate downlink power control which yields a high energy efficiency and interference suppression. Simulation results demonstrate a significant improvement in the aggregate capacity (approximately 33%) and cell-edge throughput of coexisting LTE-U and WiFi networks for different base station densities and user densities.
Legislative Influence v. Presidential Dominance: Competing Models of Bureaucratic Control

The continued delegation of policy-making authority to the bureaucracy has made the administrative process a primary arena for competition between the American president and Congress. The fact that the president has been winning consistently in recent years thus has important implications both for the character of policy making and for the distribution of power within our political system. This article is concerned with innovations in theory that have provided impetus and justification for this development. As an exercise in institutional analysis, it integrates normative considerations of good and constitutionally-sound policy making with an empirical assessment of executive and legislative competence. We argue that the emergent model of political oversight, which advocates centralized presidential control over agency policy making while prescribing a passive role for Congress, ignores key goals of our political system as well as important external influences and internal constraints that shape institutional behavior. A theory of oversight properly reconciled with the reality of agency policy making must allow for a direct congressional role in the administrative process as a counterpoise to executive power. Oversight issues were once much simpler than they are today. As discussed in the first section, the traditional model of public administration yielded an elegant set of prescriptions for institutional control of the bureaucracy in which formal
The RRADS platform: a real road autonomous driving simulator

This platform paper introduces a methodology for simulating an autonomous vehicle on open public roads. The paper outlines the technology and protocol needed for running these simulations, and describes an instance where the Real Road Autonomous Driving Simulator (RRADS) was used to evaluate 3 prototypes in a between-participant study design. 35 participants were interviewed at length before and after entering the RRADS. Although our study did not use overt deception---the consent form clearly states that a licensed driver is operating the vehicle---the protocol was designed to support suspension of disbelief. Several participants who did not read the consent form clearly strongly believed that they were interacting with a fully autonomous vehicle. The RRADS platform provides a lens onto the attitudes and concerns that people in real-world autonomous vehicles might have, and also points to ways that a protocol deliberately using misdirection can gain ecologically valid reactions from study participants.
Analysis of MADS-Box Gene Family Reveals Conservation in Floral Organ ABCDE Model of Moso Bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis)

Mini chromosome maintenance 1, agamous, deficiens, and serum response factor (MADS)-box genes are transcription factors which play fundamental roles in flower development and regulation of floral organ identity. However, till date, identification and functions of MADS-box genes remain largely unclear in Phyllostachys edulis. In view of this, we performed a whole-genome survey and identified 34 MADS-box genes in P. edulis, and based on phylogeny, they were classified as MIKCC, MIKC∗, Mα, and Mβ. The detailed analysis about gene structure and motifs, phylogenetic classification, comparison of gene divergence and duplication are provided. Interestingly, expression patterns for most genes were found similar to those of Arabidopsis and rice, indicating that the well-established ABCDE model can be applied to P. edulis. Moreover, we overexpressed PheMADS15, an AP1-like gene, in Arabidopsis, and found that the transgenic plants have early flowering phenotype, suggesting that PheMADS15 might be a regulator of flowering transition in P. edulis. Taken together, this study provides not only insightful comprehension but also useful information for understanding the functions of MADS-box genes in P. edulis.
Linking genotype to phenotype: the International Rice Information System (IRIS)

The International Rice Information System (IRIS, http://www.iris.irri.org) is the rice implementation of the International Crop Information System (ICIS, http://www.icis.cgiar.org), a database system for the management and integration of global information on genetic resources and germplasm improvement for any crop. Building upon the germplasm genealogy and field data components of ICIS, IRIS is being extended to handle diverse rice genomics data including: genetic mapping, genome annotation, genotype, mutant, transcripteome, proteome and metabolomic data. Users can access information in the database through stand-alone programs and WWW interfaces offering specialist views to researchers with different interests.
``Effectiveness'' in Finnish healthcare studies

Aims: Evaluation of effectiveness is connected with prevailing paradigms, and the breadth and perspective applied therein exhibit differences. Effectiveness refers to the extent to which a given intervention or service produces health outcomes in individuals to whom it is offered. The aim of this paper is to clarify the concept of effectiveness evaluation in health care and present the ways in which Finnish healthcare studies use the concept of effectiveness. Methods: Through a systematic review of Finnish scientific journals in the healthcare research field, 25 original studies, 35 review articles, and 20 discussion papers were acquired. The inclusion criterion was that the word ``effectiveness'' was presented in the title or abstract. Results: In this study the effects of actions were evaluated through the process (outputs) or through the outcomes (harms and benefits). The word ``effectiveness'' is widely used in healthcare research in Finland; mostly in studies of orthopaedics, health services research, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and psychiatry, yet the concept was explicitly defined in only three papers. Most studies used both process and outcome measures. The outcome indicators were usually disease-specific. Papers presenting only process outputs clearly showed a health service producer's perspective. Health-related quality of life as an outcome indicator was rarely used. Conclusions: In Finnish healthcare studies, the concept of effectiveness was rarely defined and effectiveness measures were often vague or even nonexistent. The meaning of the term had to be interpreted from the study methodology, measures, and indicators.
Loop I of U1 small nuclear RNA is the only essential RNA sequence for binding of specific U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle proteins

The binding of the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP)-specific proteins C, A, and 70K to U1 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) was analyzed. Assembly of U1 snRNAs from bean and soybean and a set of mutant Xenopus U1 snRNAs into U1 snRNPs in Xenopus egg extracts was studied. The ability to bind proteins was analyzed by immunoprecipitation with monospecific antibodies and by a protein-sequestering assay. The only sequence essential for binding of the U1-specific proteins was the conserved loop sequence in the 5' hairpin of U1. Further analysis suggested that protein C binds directly to the loop and that the assembly of proteins A and 70K into the RNP requires mainly protein-protein interactions. Protein C apparently recognizes a specific RNA sequence rather than a secondary structural element in the RNA.
Speaker Clustering by Iteratively Finding Discriminative Feature Space and Cluster Labels

This paper presents a speaker clustering framework by iteratively performing two stages: a discriminative feature space is obtained given a cluster label set, and the cluster label set is updated using a clustering algorithm given the feature space. In the iterations of two stages, the cluster labels may be different from the true labels, and thus the obtained feature space based on the labels may be inaccurately discriminated. However, by iteratively performing above two stages, more accurate cluster labels and more discriminative feature space can be obtained, and finally they are converged. In this research, the linear discriminant analysis is used for discriminating the ivector feature space, and the variational Bayesian expectationmaximization on Gaussian mixture model is used for clustering the i-vectors. Our iterative clustering framework was evaluated using the database of keyword utterances and compared with the recently-published approaches. In all experiments, the results show that our framework outperforms the other approaches and converges in a few iterations.
Should inflation targeting be abandoned in favour of nominal income targeting

In the wake of the international financial crisis nominal income targeting has received renewed attention from a number of leading macroeconomists as alternative to inflation targeting. The case for nominal income targeting has been built on both positive and negative arguments. The negative case relates to perceived inadequacies of inflation targeting, including: the presumed lack of robustness of inflation targeting to aggregate supply shocks, inadequate concern with financial stability, as well as concerns with the accountability of inflation targeting central banks. The positive case for nominal income targeting is that it will better suit current macroeconomic circumstances and policy needs, without sacrificing the gains made by inflation targeting. A thorough evaluation of these arguments is presented in this paper with the conclusion that the case for nominal income targeting is weak compared with the way in which inflation targeting has been implemented internationally.
Development of an ANFIS-based QoS model for a GSM service provider (MTN Nigeria Kano region network)

MTN Nigeria is one of the leading GSM service providers in Nigeria with 40 million subscribers and as such Quality of Service (QoS) is of vital importance. Due to the mobility of subscribers and the complexity of radio waves in propagation, the radio part (GSM Capacity) is mostly the decisive factor affecting the Quality of Service of the GSM network. GSM Logical Control channels Data obtained from May 2006 to December 2009 from MTN, Kano region, were partitioned into training data set (142 data pairs represents 75% of the entire data) and checking data set (48 data pairs represents 25% of the entire data). Data obtained from January to March 2010 were used as validation data. The developed Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) model was tested for Quality of Service on Logical Control Channel variables using Average Percentage Error (APE) and Performance comparison of data distribution.
Agenda Formation and the U.S. Supreme Court: A Topic Model Approach

This paper exploits a relatively new approach to quantitative text analysis — topic modeling — to examine the subject matter of Supreme Court decisions, and in particular to analyze how the semantic content produced by the Court differs from the published decisions of the U.S. Appellate Courts. To conduct this analysis, we fit a topic model to the joint corpus of decisions (Supreme Court plus Appellate Court). The topic model enables a quantitative measurement of differences in semantic content between three corpora: the Supreme Court decisions, the Appellate Court decisions, and Appellate Court cases selected for review. We develop new methods to estimate these differences over time. We reach two findings. First, the Supreme Court has become substantially more semantically idiosyncratic in recent decades, as measured by the use of the topic distribution within a decision as a predictor of the authoring court. We then examine potential causes of this trend, isolating the use of the Court’s case selection power. We find that the topic model based measure of semantic difference between the cases selected for review by the Court does not appear to be increasing over time, indicating instead that the Court has become more distinctive in how it discusses a similarly distinct pool of cases. Normative implications and avenues for future research are discussed. This work demonstrates the utility of topic modeling as a valuable supplement to and/or replacement of hand-coded labels in the study of hierarchically arranged judiciaries. While this case study focuses on the U. S. Courts, extensions and broadening to other national and international judicial corpora can be readily accomplished. More generally, this work opens the door for broader application of topic models within empirical legal studies and related disciplines to study the rich textual corpora generated by legal institutions.
Automatic recognition of misconceptions in visual algorithm simulation exercises

Visual algorithm simulation (VAS) is an activity in which students practice their understanding of algorithms: They simulate the steps of an algorithm by manipulating a bespoke visualization within a supporting software system. Multiple instances of a VAS exercise may be automatically generated for different learners or for repetitive practice by a single learner. In this work-in-progress report, we discuss how misconceptions might be automatically detected in students' solutions to VAS exercises and how misconception-aware feedback might be provided in VAS. We identify two strategies for producing multiple instances of VAS exercises and evaluate them against several criteria. The tradeoffs so identified are also pertinent for similar process-simulation practice beyond VAS and computing education.
Primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma with enteric differentiation

A pulmonary neoplasm with cytologic characteristics typical of differentiated small intestinal epithelium is reported. Individual cells showed features suggesting columnar absorptive, goblet, Paneth, and neuroendocrine cell differentiation. Thorough investigation and follow‐up for 4 years did not identify a primary tumor other than in the lung. The occurrence of such a neoplasm at this site is evidence for the existence of a common stem cell in the lower respiratory and gastrointestinal tract mucosa.
Identification of a novel cardiac lineage-associated protein(cCLP-1): A candidate regulator of cardiogenesis.

We describe the isolation and characterization of a cDNA clone, called cCLP-1, that is a candidate for the previously described early cardiac-specific transcription factor BBF-1. BBF-1 binds the MEF2 (or element B) binding site within the cardiac myosin light chain 2 (MLC2) gene promoter. We used the element B sequence as a probe to screen an expression library constructed from mRNA obtained from the presumptive heart-forming regions of stage 6 chicken embryos. This yielded the cCLP-1 cDNA clone. Gel-shift analysis of stage 6 embryonic chicken protein extracts suggests that a protein that is recognized by the anti-cCLP-1 antibody binds to the same element B binding site to which BBF-1 binds. cCLP-1 mRNA was detected early in chicken development, prior to cardiac fate assignment at stage 4. The expression pattern of cCLP-1, based on whole mount in situ hybridization, coincides remarkably well with the established morphogenetic field of early heart formation. The nuclear localization of cCLP-1 is phosphorylation-dependent, suggesting that cCLP-1 may be a member of that class of transcription factors whose activity is regulated by cytoplasm to nucleus transport. Taken together, these data suggest that cCLP-1 may encode a novel transcription factor whose expression pattern is in agreement with that of the cardiogenic precursor cells of the early chicken embryo.
Supported Student Success: Communities of Practice in Higher Education

This research tells a story about how students form communities of practice that help them succeed in graduate school. Told within the context of individual and collective experiences, it holds valuable lessons for how student success can be supported across the higher education landscape. Communities of practice can develop spontaneously when individuals involved in a common activity or with a sense of shared identity come together to deal with organizational complexities or establish a forum for continued learning. The practice of becoming an accomplished and successful student who is able to develop scholarly abilities and deepen disciplinary understanding, experience personal growth and achievement, while at the same time maintaining a healthy school-work-life balance is a non-trivial exercise. Membership in a community of practice can help students achieve success as part of the process of navigating this complex journey. Generously informed by the experiences of Prescott College Sustainability Education doctoral students, this research used survey responses, anecdote circles, interviews, and grounded theory methods to determine how communities of practice develop among graduate students in support of their success. This presentation asks and answers questions about what communities of practice are, how and why they develop, and what value they can bring to higher education.
Liddle's syndrome associated with a point mutation in the extracellular domain of the epithelial sodium channel γ subunit

Objective To characterize novel type of mutations of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) β or γ subunits in patients with Liddle's syndrome, an autosomal dominant form of hypertension. Patients and methods DNA samples from two probands with early-onset, treatment-resistant hypertension and suppressed plasma renin activity were initially screened for mutations in the C-terminal exons of the ENaC β or γ subunit genes, using amplification by polymerase chain reaction and direct DNA sequencing. Results Two novel mutations causing Liddle's syndrome were identified. One mutation due to a single nucleotide insertion in the exon 13 of βENaC results in a frameshift at codon 601 and abrogates the PY motif similar to all the previously described ENaC mutations causing Liddle's syndrome. The other mutation, substituting serine for asparagine at codon 530 (Asn530Ser) of the extracellular loop of γENaC subunit, was found in a 25-year-old man with hypertension, hypokalemia, low plasma renin activity and low serum aldosterone levels. Hypertension and hypokalemia favorably responded to amiloride or triamterene administration both in the proband and his affected mother. Expression of the mutant Asn530Ser γENaC subunit in Xenopus oocytes demonstrated a two-fold increase in ENaC activity, compared with the wild-type, without a significant change in cell surface expression of ENaC. This suggests that the γENaC Asn530Ser mutation increases the channel open probability, and is consistent with an abnormally high sodium reabsorption in the distal nephron. Conclusions This study describes the first mutation located in the extracellular domain of an ENaC subunit associated with an increased ENaC activity and Liddle's syndrome.