Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular Characterization of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus with Emergence of Epidemic Clones of Sequence Type (ST) 22 and ST 772 in Mumbai, India

ABSTRACT A total of 412 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains isolated between October 2006 and June 2009, representing a mixed hospital- and community-associated patient population from Mumbai, India, were evaluated. MRSA was characterized by multiplex PCR amplification of the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) gene and the mecA gene, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). PCR results were compared with patient risk factors (CDC guidelines) and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. A total of 395 MRSA strains were mecA positive, and 224 were PVL gene positive. A total of 97 mecA-positive strains were SCCmec III (25%), 136 were SCCmec IV (34%), and 162 were SCCmec V (41%). All SCCmec III strains were multidrug resistant, and all patients had risk factors. Of the SCCmec IV and V strains, 73% were multidrug susceptible and 72% of the associated patients had no risk factors. The multidrug susceptibility and absence of patient risk factors in 72% of cases with SCCmec IV and SCCmec V MRSA demonstrate the presence of community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) in Mumbai. Twenty-one percent of these patients had risk factors, signifying CA-MRSA infiltration into hospitals. MLST showed clonal expansion of multidrug-susceptible sequence type (ST) 22 (SCCmec IV) and ST 772 (SCCmec V), both of which feature in Asian studies and may be slowly replacing the multidrug-resistant ST 239 (SCCmec III) in hospitals. The PVL gene-positive methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) strains were ST 30 and were postulated to be related to the penicillin-resistant S. aureus phage type 80/81, notorious for its virulence in the 1950s.
Quantitative analysis and comparison of offline and online methods used to detect the core multi-point grounding fault

Multipoint grounding of transformer core is one of the common faults of transformer. In this paper, a transformer was detected by the electrical performance tests and gas chromatography experiment. Based on this failure, the finite element analysis was carried out to quantify the effects of various parameters on the fault. Finally, this paper summarized the basic theory of quantitative analysis and comparison of offline and online detection methods and proposed how to use different detection methods when detecting the core multipoint grounding fault.
Zero-One Law for Regular Languages and Semigroups with Zero

A regular language has the zero-one law if its asymptotic density converges to either zero or one. We prove that the class of all zero-one languages is closed under Boolean operations and quotients. Moreover, we prove that a regular language has the zero-one law if and only if its syntactic monoid has a zero element. Our proof gives both algebraic and automata characterisation of the zero-one law for regular languages, and it leads the following two corollaries: (i) There is an O(n log n) algorithm for testing whether a given regular language has the zero-one law. (ii) The Boolean closure of existential first-order logic over finite words has the zero-one law.
Sézary Syndrome and Atopic Dermatitis: Comparison of Immunological Aspects and Targets

Sézary syndrome (SS), an aggressive form of erythrodermic pruritic cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL), from an immunological perspective characterized by increased Th2 cytokine levels, elevated serum IgE and impaired cellular immunity. Not only the clinical appearance but also the hallmark immunological characteristics of SS often share striking similarities with acute flares of atopic dermatitis (AD), a common benign chronic inflammatory skin disease. Given the overlap of several immunological features, the application of similar or even identical therapeutic approaches in certain stages of both diseases may come into consideration. The aim of this review is to compare currently accepted immunological aspects and possible therapeutic targets in AD and SS.
Evolutionary learning of hierarchical decision rules

This paper describes an approach based on evolutionary algorithms, hierarchical decision rules (HIDER), for learning rules in continuous and discrete domains. The algorithm produces a hierarchical set of rules, that is, the rules are sequentially obtained and must therefore be tried until one is found whose conditions are satisfied. Thus, the number of rules may be reduced because the rules could be inside of one another. The evolutionary algorithm uses both real and binary coding for the individuals of the population. We tested our system on real data from the UCI repository, and the results of a ten-fold cross-validation are compared to C4.5s, C4.5Rules, See5s, and See5Rules. The experiments show that HIDER works well in practice.
Quantitative modeling of Norwegian tonal accents in different focus conditions

The present paper is a first attempt to use the Fujisaki model to parameterize the F0 contours of utterances containing Accent 1 and Accent 2 tonal accents in Norwegian in different focus conditions. Differences in timing and amplitude of the accent commands are found, largely corresponding to descriptions in the literature. This shows that the model can be used as a basis for manipulating stimuli which can then be used in perception tests to determine phonetic differences between different accent as well as focus types.
Controlled, prospective trial of psychosocial function before and after continuous positive airway pressure therapy

The aim of the study was to investigate psychosocial function before and after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, and establish the determinants and consequences of objective CPAP use. In a prospective, parallel-group study, changes in psychosocial scores were compared with conservative management or CPAP therapy for the sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (SAHS). Patient/partner couples from the top (CPAP treated, n=44) or bottom (conservatively treated, n=25) of a CPAP waiting list rated marital satisfaction (evaluation and nurturing relationship issues, communication and happiness (ENRICH), behavioural questionnaire), health/functional status (Short-Form-36 Health Survey, functional outcomes of sleep questionnaire) and sleepiness (Epworth sleepiness scale). Both groups' ratings at baseline were completed while on conservative therapy. Baseline variables did not differ between groups. At follow-up, all seven summary psychosocial scores were statistically better in CPAP-treated patients, effect sizes (ES) ranging from moderate (0.5 sd: marital satisfaction) to very large (>1.0 sd: patients health, functional status and sleepiness scores). Scores in conservatively-treated patients deteriorated to a small or moderate degree (ES −0.2– −0.7 sd), while those in the CPAP-treated group improved to a larger degree (0.3–1.3 sd). Baseline polysomnographical and psychosocial scores, including marital satisfaction, did not predict objective CPAP use (r<0.3). CPAP use was modestly correlated (r=0.3–0.6) with improvement in all psychosocial areas. Continuous positive airway pressure produced statistically and clinically significant psychosocial improvements, some of large magnitude, in psychosocial function. Determinants of usage were not identified, but benefits and usage were positively correlated.
State and legal practice in the Caucasus. Anthropological perspectives on law and politics

legal circular migration to the EU is generally out of reach, and they are often left with illegal migration options. Moreover, as a result of the 2006 closing of the Russian border and 2008 August war with Russia, migration to the Russian Federation became more difficult, also requiring illegalities. Although the discussion of migration is a clear highlight of the book, it deserves a critical eye. The author claims that the Tushetians are particularly disposed to temporary emigration in part due to their history of transhumance. In this regard, he cites the fact that 26.2% of Tushetian families in Kvemo Alvani had at least one current emigrant abroad during his survey. While certainly a high percentage, rural areas in Georgia have generally declined in population as evidenced by the preliminary findings of the 2014 Georgian census. Moreover, temporary emigration is not unique to the Tushetians, but rather Georgians generally express greater interest in temporary rather than permanent migration, as polling data has consistently shown. To take just one example, CRRC’s 2013 Caucasus Barometer survey found that 44% of Georgians reported they were interested in temporary emigration, while only 7% reported they were interested in permanent emigration (CRRC 2013). In this way, the book’s claims regarding the Tush’s migration patterns would benefit from some hedging. Despite the need for more extensive comparative work on attitudes towards migration among the Tushetians, Being a State and States of Being in Highland Georgia makes a significant contribution to the study of the Caucasus. Policy-makers are also likely to gain insight into migration push factors in Georgia, an important consideration given the ongoing dialogue over the Georgia-EU visa liberalization process.
Pumping of OH Main-Line Masers in Star-Forming Regions

Pumping routes of masers can in principle be recovered from a small matrix of master equations, at an advanced stage of elimination, by tracing back the coefficients to a set of unmodified all-process rate coefficients, drawn from those which appeared in the original set of master equations, prior to any elimination operations. The traceback is achieved by logging the operations carried out on each coefficient. There is no guarantee that a pumping scheme can be represented as a small set of important routes in this way. In the present work, the traceback method is applied to a model which is typical of a large volume of parameter space which produces very strong inversions in the main lines of the rotational ground state of OH, at 1665- and 1667-MHz. For both lines, the pumping scheme is largely restricted to the 2 �3/2 stack of rotational levels, and it is possible to list a comparatively small set of routes (less than ten) which provide more than 80 per cent of the inversion. In both cases, the strongest, and simplest, route consists of a radiative upward stage, to the 2 �3/2, J = 5/2 rotational level, followed by a collisional de-excitation to the rotational ground state.
Information architecture in JASIST: Just where did we come from?

The emergence of Information Architecture within the information systems world has been simultaneously drawn out yet rapid. Those with an eye on history are quick to point to Wurman’s 1976 use of the term “architecture of information,” but it has only been in the last 2 years that IA has become the source of sufficient interest for people to label themselves professionally as Information Architects. The impetus for this recent emergence of IA can be traced to a historical summit, supported by ASIS&T in May 2000 at Boston. It was here that several hundred of us gathered to thrash out the questions of just what IA was and what this new field might become. At the time of the summit, invited to present a short talk on my return journey from the annual ACM SIGCHI conference, I entered the summit expecting little and convinced that IA was nothing new. I left 2 days later refreshed, not just by the enthusiasm of the attendees for this term but by IA’s potential to unify the disparate perspectives and orientations of professionals from a range of disciplines. It was at this summit that the idea for the special issue took root. I proposed the idea to Don Kraft, hoping he would find someone else to run with it. As luck would have it, I ended up taking charge of it myself, with initial support from David Blair. From the suggestion to the finished product has been the best part of 2 years, and in that time more than 50 volunteers reviewed over 20 submissions.
Efficient analysis of gaze-behavior in 3D environments

We present an approach to identify the 3D point of regard and the fixated object in real-time based on 2D gaze videos without the need for manual annotation. The approach does not require additional hardware except for the mobile eye tracker. It is currently applicable for scenarios with static target objects and requires an instrumentation of the environment with markers. The system has already been tested in two different studies. Possible applications are visual world paradigms in complex 3D environments, research on visual attention or human-human/human-agent interaction studies.
Patterns in Advocacy Group Portrayal

This article compares features of protest and non-protest news items across three types of advocacy groups. More specifically, it tests differences in news item duration (length), prominence (lead item), standing (direct quotation), and source selection (balance). Analyzing 2,845 news items of 17 Belgian advocacy groups, this study shows that across all advocacy groups, protest items are less frequently balanced and significantly shorter than non-protest items. Differences between protest and non-protest items are small for unions, detrimental for environmental groups, and beneficial for peace organizations. Discussion centers on the (un)conditionality of the protest paradigm and its implications for advocacy groups seeking social change.
Randomization and In Vivo Selection Reveal a GGRG Motif Essential for Packaging Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2 RNA

ABSTRACT The packaging signal (ψ) of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) is present in the 5′ noncoding region of RNA and contains a 10-nucleotide palindrome (pal; 5′-392-GGAGUGCUCC) located upstream of the dimerization signal stem-loop 1 (SL1). pal has been shown to be functionally important in vitro and in vivo. We previously showed that the 3′ side of pal (GCUCC-3′) is involved in base-pairing interactions with a sequence downstream of SL1 to make an extended SL1, which is important for replication in vivo and the regulation of dimerization in vitro. However, the role of the 5′ side of pal (5′-GGAGU) was less clear. Here, we characterized this role using an in vivo SELEX approach. We produced a population of HIV-2 DNA genomes with random sequences within the 5′ side of pal and transfected these into COS-7 cells. Viruses from COS-7 cells were used to infect C8166 permissive cells. After several weeks of serial passage in C8166 cells, surviving viruses were sequenced. On the 5′ side of pal there was a striking convergence toward a GGRGN consensus sequence. Individual clones with consensus and nonconsensus sequences were tested in infectivity and packaging assays. Analysis of individuals that diverged from the consensus sequence showed normal viral RNA and protein synthesis but had replication defects and impaired RNA packaging. These findings clearly indicate that the GGRG motif is essential for viral replication and genomic RNA packaging.
Analysis by Age and Sex of Efficacy Data From Placebo-Controlled Trials of Desvenlafaxine in Outpatients With Major Depressive Disorder

This pooled analysis evaluated the efficacy of desvenlafaxine (administered as desvenlafaxine succinate) for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in patients grouped by age and sex. Nine clinical trials were pooled. Outpatients 18 years or older with MDD received desvenlafaxine 50, 100, 200, or 400 mg/d (men = 709; women = 1096) or placebo (men = 399; women = 709) for 8 weeks. Data were analyzed by sex and by age groups of 40 years and younger, 41 to 54 years, 55 to 64 years, and 65 years and older. The primary outcome was change from baseline in the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D17) total score at the final evaluation. Secondary measures included response (≥50% reduction in HAM-D17) and remission (HAM-D17 ≤7). No significant sex-treatment, age-treatment, or sex-age-treatment interactions were observed. Differences in the HAM-D17 change from baseline for desvenlafaxine versus placebo were −1.72 for women (P < 0.001) and −2.11 for men (P < 0.001); these changes were significant among women of the 18-to-40 (P = 0.01), 41-to-54 (P = 0.002), and 65-years-and-older subgroups (P = 0.02), and significant among men for the 18-to-40 (P = 0.03) and 41-to-54 subgroups (P = 0.002). The response rates for desvenlafaxine and placebo were 53% and 42% (P < 0.001), respectively, among women, and 53% and 41% (P < 0.001), respectively, among men; the remission rates were 31% and 21% (P < 0.001) and 34% and 26% (P = 0.007), respectively. The response rates were similar across age subgroups, with significant differences from placebo observed in the 18-to-40 (P ≤ 0.05), 41-to-54 (P ≤ 0.005), and 65-and-older subgroups (P = 0.02). The remission rates were significant versus placebo in the 41-to-54 (P = 0.006), 55-to-64 (P = 0.01), and 65-and-older (P = 0.02) subgroups among women but not in any age subgroup among men. Desvenlafaxine generally improved depressive symptoms across age and sex subgroups.
On the Use of Long-Term Average Spectrum in Automatic Speaker Recognition

State-of-the-art automatic speaker recognition systems use mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) features to describe the spectral properties of speakers. In forensic phonetics, the long-term average spectrum (LTAS) has been used for the same purpose. LTAS provides an intuitive graphical representation which can be used to visualize and quantify speaker differences. However, few studies have reported the use of LTAS in automatic speaker recognition. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to systematically study how to use the LTAS in automatic speaker recognition. We will also find out whether it provides additional discriminative information in respect to the MFCC-based system.
Emotion regulation among male prisoners

Prior research consistently documents that prisons are emotionally fraught places where successful adaptation depends, in part, on prisoners’ abilities to calibrate their emotional expressions and display strategies. Yet these accounts have largely overlooked theoretical insights from the psychological literature on emotion which can develop our understanding of exactly how and why prisoners regulate their emotions. By combining Gross and Thompson’s component model of emotion regulation with recent interview data (N = 16) from a medium security men’s prison (HMP Moorland), this research draws three conclusions. First, prisoners manage emotion by attending to different components of the emotion model (i.e. through situation selection, attention deployment and response strategies). Second, attempts to regulate emotion are often hampered by the unique challenges of close confinement and prison rules. Finally, emotion management may be influenced by both ‘hedonistic’ and ‘utilitarian’ goals: the latter may explain situations where prisoners harness ‘negative’ emotions (such as anger and fear) to achieve long-term aims such as health and social conformity. The implications of this research are twofold: it offers a way beyond dramaturgical models of prison life, while also offering suggestions which could promote the emotional health of prisoners.
A fistful of pings: Accurate and lightweight anycast enumeration and geolocation

Use of IP-layer anycast has increased in the last few years: once relegated to DNS root and top-level domain servers, anycast is now commonly used to assist distribution of general purpose content by CDN providers. Yet, the measurement techniques for discovering anycast replicas have been designed around DNS, limiting their usefulness to this particular service. This raises the need for protocol agnostic methodologies, that should additionally be as lightweight as possible in order to scale up anycast service discovery. This is precisely the aim of this paper, which proposes a new method for exhaustive and accurate enumeration and city-level geolocation of anycast instances, requiring only a handful of latency measurements from a set of known vantage points. Our method exploits an iterative workflow that enumerates (an optimization problem) and geolocates (a classification problem) anycast replicas. We thoroughly validate our methodology on available ground truth (several DNS root servers), using multiple measurement infrastructures (PlanetLab, RIPE), obtaining extremely accurate results (even with simple algorithms, that we compare with the global optimum), that we make available to the scientific community. Compared to the state of the art work that appeared in INFOCOM 2013 and IMC 2013, our technique (i) is not bound to a specific protocol, (ii) requires 1000 times fewer vantage points, not only (iii) achieves over 50% recall but also (iv) accurately identifies the city-level geolocation for over 78% of the enumerated servers, with (v) a mean geolocation error of 361 km for all enumerated servers.
Slicing Objects Using System Dependence Graph

We present an SDG for object-oriented software that is more precise than previous representations and is more efficient to construct than previous approaches. The new SDG distinguishes data members for different objects, provides a way to represent object parameters, represents the effects of polymorphism on parameters and parameter bindings, represents incomplete classes efficiently, and provides a way to represent class libraries. Based on this system dependence graph, we introduce the concept of object slicingand an algorithm to implement this concept. Object slicing enables the user to inspect the statements in the slice, object-byobject, and is helpful for debugging and impact analysis.
Quantifying the energy cost of data movement for emerging smart phone workloads on mobile platforms

In portable computing systems like smartphones, energy is generally a key but limited resource where application cores have been proven to consume a significant part of it. To understand the characteristics of the energy consumption, in this paper, we focus our attention on the portion of energy that is spent to move data to the application core's internal registers from the memory system. The primary motivation for this focus comes from the relatively higher energy cost associated with a data movement instruction compared to that of an arithmetic instruction. Another important factor is the distributive computing nature among different units in a SoC which leads to a higher data movement to/from the application cores. We perform a detailed investigation to quantify the impact of data movement on overall energy consumption of a popular, commercially-available smart phone device. To aid this study, we design micro-benchmarks that generate desired data movement patterns between different levels of the memory hierarchy and measure the instantaneous power consumed by the device when running these micro-benchmarks. We extensively make use of hardware performance counters to validate the micro-benchmarks and to characterize the energy consumed in moving data. We take a step further to utilize this calculated energy cost of data movement to characterize the portion of energy that an application spends in moving data for a wide range of popular smart phone workloads. We find that a considerable amount of total device energy is spent in data movement (an average of 35% of the total device energy). Our results also indicate a relatively high stalled cycle energy consumption (an average of 23.5%) for current smart phones. To our knowledge, this is the first study that quantifies the amount of data movement energy for emerging smart phone applications running on a recent, commercial smart phone device. We hope this characterization study and the insights developed in the paper can inspire innovative designs in smart phone architectures with improved performance and energy efficiency.