Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Conceptualization and Visualization of Tagging and Folksonomies

Tagging has become a popular indexing method for interactive systems in the past decade. It offers a simple yet effective way for users to organize an ever increasing amount of digital information for themselves and/or others. The linked user vocabulary resulting from tagging is known as folksonomy and provides a valuable source for the retrieval and exploration of digital resources. Although several models and representations of tagging have been proposed, there is no coherent conceptualization that provides a comprehensive and precise description of the concepts and relationships in the domain. Furthermore, there is little systematic research in the area of folksonomy visualization, and so folksonomies are still mainly depicted as simple tag clouds. Both problems are related, as a well-defined conceptualization is an important prerequisite for the interoperable use and visualization of folksonomies. The thesis addresses these shortcomings by developing a coherent conceptualization of tagging and visualizations for the interactive exploration of folksonomies. It gives an overview and comparison of tagging models and defines key concepts of the domain. After a comprehensive review of existing tagging ontologies, a unified and coherent conceptualization is presented that incorporates the best parts of the reviewed ontologies. The conceptualization is implemented in a standardized ontology language and enables scalable reasoning on folksonomies. Based on the conceptualization, different tag cloud layouts and their ability to support users in information seeking tasks are investigated. Extensions to tag clouds are developed and combined into an analysis system, enhanced by sophisticated natural language processing and intuitive interaction techniques. Furthermore, existing work on visualizing folksonomies as graphs is analyzed and a new type of graph visualization tailored to the tag-based exploration of digital resources is introduced. The work presented in this thesis has been successfully applied in different contexts. The developed conceptualization has been used in knowledge and requirements engineering, the tag cloud extensions have been applied in visual text analysis, and the novel graph visualization has proved useful in image retrieval and requirements analysis. These examples demonstrate the utility of the developed approaches beyond the topic of tagging and open up interesting questions for future research.
New Acylated Flavonol Glycosides and a Phenolic Profile of Pritzelago alpina, a Forgotten Edible Alpine Plant

Thirteen acylated flavonoid glycosides, 1–13, including eleven new congeners, 3–13, were isolated from the aerial parts of Pritzelago alpina (Brassicaceae) by a combination of column chromatography on Sephadex LH‐20, and preparative and semi‐preparative HPLC. The structures were established by extensive NMR and MS experiments in combination with acid hydrolysis and sugar analysis by GC/MS. The new compounds were shown to be kaempferol and quercetin glycosides acylated for most of them by a branched short chain fatty acid or a hydroxycinnamic acid residue on the sugar portion. As shown by a HPLC‐DAD analysis of a MeOH extract, these compounds are the main phenolic constituents in the aerial parts of the plant.
Age-area scaling of extinction debt within isolated terrestrial vertebrate assemblages.

A new model of delayed species loss (extinction debt) within isolated communities is applied to a large data set of terrestrial vertebrate assemblages (n = 188) occupying habitat fragments or islands varying greatly in size and age. The model encapsulates previous approaches based on diversity-dependent (DD) extinction rates while allowing for a more flexible treatment of temporal dynamics. Three important results emerge. First, species loss rate slows down with the age of the isolate, a strong and general pattern largely unnoticed so far. Secondly, while being good candidates in the light of previous works, DD models fail to account for this pattern, a result that necessitates a search for other mechanisms. Thirdly, a simple diversity-independent model based on area (converted into population size) and age explains 97% of the variability in species loss rate and appears to be a promising predictive tool to handle extinction debt following habitat loss.
A study on serum magnesium correlation with metabolic syndrome in a rural tertiary care hospital in Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu

Introduction: Magnesium which is present in the extra-cellular compartment is very vital for antagonising calcium physiology. Hypomagnesemia is sensed as a stressor by our body suggesting that magnesium metabolism plays an essential role in the evolving of metabolic syndrome. Statistical data on the association of hypomagnesemia with metabolic syndrome would help the clinicians to overcome therapeutic compliance of the patients, so our study was designed to estimate the levels of serum magnesium in patients with metabolic syndrome and healthy controls and to correlate it with the components of metabolic syndrome. Materials and Methods: The present case-control study was conducted in patients with metabolic syndrome attending a tertiary care hospital in Kanchipuram District during the period from April to December 2017. 65 patients of metabolic syndrome & 65 controls who attended the various out-patient departments of the hospital were selected for the study. Waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, serum triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol and serum magnesium was estimated, compared and analyzed. Results: This study has proven that the mean serum magnesium level in patients with metabolic syndrome was 1.3±0.07mg/dL while in controls it was 2.06±0.26mg/dL. A highly significant difference (p Conclusion: The study has made the association of hypomagnesemia and metabolic syndrome evident. Further studies with larger sample size will help in providing data to implement supplementation of oral magnesium for effective correction of metabolic derangements observed in metabolic syndrome. Keywords: Hypomagnesemia, Metabolic syndrome.
An Argument-based Approach to Mining Opinions from Twitter

Social networks have grown exponentially in use and impact on the society as a whole. In particular, microblogging platforms such as Twitter have become important tools to assess public opinion on different issues. Recently, some approaches for assessing Twitter messages have been developed, identifying sentiments associated with relevant keywords or hashtags. However, such approaches have an important limitation, as they do not take into account contradictory and potentially inconsistent information which might emerge from relevant messages. We contend that the information made available in Twitter can be useful to extract a particular version of arguments (called “opinions” in our formalization) which emerge bottom-up from the social interaction associated with such messages. In this paper we present a framework which allows to mine opinions from Twitter based on incrementally generated queries. As a result, we will be able to obtain an “opinion tree”, rooted in the first original query. Distinguished, conflicting elements in an opinion tree lead to so-called “conflict trees”, which resemble dialectical trees as those used traditionally in defeasible argumentation.
A comparison between the simulation and experimental results of cathodic protection of oil well casings

Metallic structures such as oil well casings in contact with soil or submerged under water are subject to corrosion. Leaks that develop in the casing of a well, constitute a serious problem and are expensive to repair. Cathodic protection (CP) is the cost‐effective control of external well casing corrosion. There are certain methods to ensure that the applied CP should meet the required criteria. In CP of well casings, monitoring of potential values is often based on surface E‐log I measurement which is a cost‐ and time‐consuming method. Simulation software and numerical methods often have been used to address this issue. In this paper, simulation of CP has been done by means of a computer software with finite element capability (ANSYS 11). Potential profiles were obtained by selecting different soil electrical conductivities (single‐ and multi‐layered media) and by changing applied current density values. Experimental procedure was established to determine the accuracy of simulation data. The results showed good agreement, especially in the single‐layered medium and at higher values of applied current.
Number of embryos for transfer after IVF and ICSI: a Cochrane review.

BACKGROUND The most common complication of IVF is multiple pregnancy, which occurs in 25% of pregnancies following the transfer of two embryos. Single embryo transfer can minimize twin pregnancies but could also lower live birth rates. Our aim was to perform a systematic review of randomized trials to determine the effectiveness of single versus double embryo transfer. METHODS Cochrane Collaboration review methods were followed. Randomized controlled trials comparing single and double embryo transfers were identified by searching Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane register of controlled trials. Contents of specialist journals and proceedings from meetings of relevant societies were hand searched. Data were pooled with Rev Man software using the Peto-modified Mantel-Hanzel method. RESULTS Pooled results from four trials indicate that although double embryo transfer leads to a higher live birth rate per woman [odds ratio (OR) 1.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.47-2.55] in a fresh IVF cycle, comparable results are obtained by subsequent transfer of a frozen embryo (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.87-1.62). The multiple pregnancy rate is significantly higher (OR 62.83, 95% CI 8.52-463.57) after double embryo transfer. CONCLUSIONS Single embryo transfer significantly reduces the risk of multiple pregnancy, but also decreases the chance of live birth in a fresh IVF cycle. Subsequent replacement of a single frozen embryo achieves a live birth rate comparable with double embryo transfer.
Relative Contributions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ExoU, ExoS, and ExoT to Virulence in the Lung

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses a type III secretion system to promote development of severe disease, particularly in patients with impaired immune defenses. While the biochemical and enzymatic functions of ExoU, ExoS, and ExoT, three effector proteins secreted by this system, are well defined, the relative roles of each protein in the pathogenesis of acute infections is not clearly understood. Since ExoU and ExoS are usually not secreted by the same strain, it has been difficult to directly compare the effects of these proteins during infection. In the work described here, several isogenic mutants of a bacterial strain that naturally secretes ExoU, ExoS, and ExoT were generated to carefully evaluate the relative contribution of each effector protein to pathogenesis in a mouse model of acute pneumonia. Measurements of mortality, bacterial persistence in the lung, and dissemination indicated that secretion of ExoU had the greatest impact on virulence while secretion of ExoS had an intermediate effect and ExoT had a minor effect. It is of note that these results conclusively show for the first time that ExoS is a virulence factor. Infection with isogenic mutants secreting wild-type ExoS, ExoS defective in GTPase-activating protein (GAP) activity, or ExoS defective in ADP-ribosyltransferase activity demonstrated that the virulence of ExoS was largely dependent on its ADP-ribosyltransferase activity. The GAP activity of this protein had only a minor effect in vivo. The relative virulence associated with each of these type III effector proteins may have important prognostic implications for patients infected with P. aeruginosa.
The effectiveness of telephone-based continuing care for alcohol and cocaine dependence: 24-month outcomes.

CONTEXT Telephone-based disease management protocols have shown promise in improving outcomes in a number of medical and psychiatric disorders, but this approach to continuing care has received little study in alcohol- and drug-dependent individuals. OBJECTIVE To compare telephone-based continuing care with 2 more intensive face-to-face continuing care interventions. DESIGN A randomized 3-group clinical trial with a 2-year follow-up. SETTING Two outpatient substance abuse treatment programs, one community-based and the other at a Veterans Affairs medical center facility. PATIENTS Alcohol- and/or cocaine-dependent patients (N = 359) who had completed 4-week intensive outpatient programs. INTERVENTIONS Three 12-week continuing care treatments: weekly telephone-based monitoring and brief counseling contacts combined with weekly supportive group sessions in the first 4 weeks (TEL), twice-weekly cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention (RP), and twice-weekly standard group counseling (STND). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Percentage of days abstinent from alcohol and cocaine, total abstinence from alcohol and cocaine, negative consequences of substance use, cocaine urine toxicological results, and gamma-glutamyltransferase. RESULTS Participants in TEL had higher rates of total abstinence over the follow-up than those in STND (P<.05). In alcohol-dependent participants, 24-month gamma-glutamyltransferase levels were lower in TEL than in RP (P = .005). In cocaine-dependent participants, there was a significant group x time interaction (P = .03) in which the rate of cocaine-positive urine samples increased more rapidly in RP as compared with TEL. On percentage of days abstinent or negative consequences of substance use, TEL did not differ from RP or STND. Participants with high scores on a composite risk indicator, based on co-occurring alcohol and cocaine dependence and poor progress toward achieving intensive outpatient program goals, had better total abstinence outcomes up to 21 months if they received STND rather than TEL, whereas those with lower scores had higher abstinence rates in TEL than in STND (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS Telephone-based continuing care appears to be an effective form of step-down treatment for most patients with alcohol and cocaine dependence who complete an initial stabilization treatment, compared with more intensive face-to-face interventions. However, high-risk patients may have better outcomes if they first receive group counseling continuing care after completing intensive outpatient programs.
Di(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate Exposure In Utero Damages Sertoli Cell Differentiation Via Disturbance of Sex Determination Pathway in Fetal and Postnatal Mice.

Mice may share similar mechanism with human underlying reproductive toxicity induced by di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), which is not supposed to be associated with decreased testicular testosterone. Pregnant mice were exposed to DEHP by gavage, with the dosage regime beginning at human relevant exposure level. After in utero DEHP exposure, loss of Sertoli cells and germ cells were observed in the male pups at postnatal days 21. And SRY-related HMG box 9 (SOX9), Fibroblast growth factor-9 (FGF9), and Double-sex and Mab-3 related transcripttion factor 1 (DMRT1) proteins were significantly downregulated by DEHP at 2 mg/kg/d and above, suggesting the depression of Sertoli cell differentiation. The repression of Sox9 genes expression was supported by whole-mount in situ hybridization and real-time real-time-quantitative PCR. The expressions of Cyp11α1 and Star were not significantly affected by in utero DEHP exposure, indicating the absence of effects on testosterone biosynthesis. Furthermore, the testosterone-independent pathway regulating Sertoli cells differentiation was disturbed in fetus by DEHP at 2 mg/kg/d and above during the critical time window of sex determination, involving Gadd45g → Gata4/Fog2 → Sry → Sox9 → Fgf9 The results suggest that in utero DEHP exposure damaged Sertoli cells in the postnatal life of mice offspring via disturbance of the differentiation regulating pathway, potentially inducing declines in spermatogenesis.
Peer versus Authority as Decision Maker: Are the Demographics of the Perceiver Related to Judgements of Fairness?

In a role-playing study, 264 university students evaluated the fairness of procedures and outcomes used to punish a student for plagiarizing from a web site. Individuals reading the scenario gave the highest ratings of justice when the decision maker was a group of nonpeers (faculty), compared to when the decision maker was an individual or peer (student). Sex and self-reported guilt of individuals reading the scenario also influenced their ratings of justice.
On the Definition of Radar Range Resolution for Targets of Greatly Differing RCS

Conventional radar system design uses only waveform bandwidth to measure the range resolution. This paper examines the effect of both bandwidth and the difference in target radar cross section on range resolution. In the context of the subject scenario, the nature of the pulse-compressed return is studied, and a commonly used measurement definition of range resolution that assumes equally reflective targets is extended to account for the difference in target reflectivity as well. Results are presented as an application of the derived results to depict how resolution performance is affected by various parameters and how a more comprehensive definition of range resolution can be used during the system design.
An Adaptive Learning Model for k-Anonymity Location Privacy Protection

Location based services (LBS) and the recent awareness towards their privacy threats have kindled the research in providing state of the art approaches and techniques to preserve the user location privacy. Most of these approaches make use of the k-anonymity model to provide personalized location privacy. Through personalization, a k-anonymity model is able to achieve privacy based on the input user profile and can even accommodate changes to user's privacy preferences at per-query granularity. Though this is progressive towards providing user with more control over their location privacy, even the most privacy-centric users might overlook some privacy issues due to complexity in tracking their privacy preferences at a per-query basis. The main goal of this research is to develop a framework that would help users to choose and manage their privacy preferences effectively and to obtain context-based privacy from the anonymizers. Based on analyzing a set of factors that generally influence the choice of privacy profile, a learning model is constructed to help users to make right decisions in protecting their location-based privacy. As the learning model evolves, it will manage different privacy preferences of users for different contexts with minimum user intervention and therefore prevent them from privacy compromises as well as motivate them making use of privacy preferences available to them.
Clustering data and imprecise concepts

Cluster analysis is the assignment of grouping a set of observations into clusters so that observations in the same cluster are similar in some sense. One of the key features for clustering is how to define a sensible similarity measure. However, classical clustering algorithms have no ability to cluster data instances and imprecise concepts using traditional distance measures. In this paper, we proposed a (dis)similarity measure based on a new knowledge representation framework called label semantics. Based on this new measure, we can automatically cluster data instance and descriptive concepts represented by logical expressions of linguistic labels. Experimental results on a toy problem in image classification demonstrate the effectiveness of the new proposed clustering algorithm. Since the new proposed measure can be extended to measuring distance between any two granularities, the new clustering algorithms can also be extended to clustering data instance and imprecise concepts represented by other granularities.
Edge of Chaos Computation in Mixed-Mode VLSI - A Hard Liquid

Computation without stable states is a computing paradigm different from Turing's and has been demonstrated for various types of simulated neural networks. This publication transfers this to a hardware implemented neural network. Results of a software implementation are reproduced showing that the performance peaks when the network exhibits dynamics at the edge of chaos. The liquid computing approach seems well suited for operating analog computing devices such as the used VLSI neural network.
Distributed Torque Control of Deloaded Wind DFIGs for Wind Farm Power Output Regulation

In this work, we propose a distributed control methodology that solves the problem of dispatching and regulating the power outputs of a group of deloaded wind double-fed induction generators (DFIGs) to attain fast, dynamic, and efficient wind farm power output regulation, with fair load-sharing among the DFIGs. In this context, fair load-sharing means that the ratio defined by the mechanical power over the maximum power from the wind, i.e., the utilization level, of all DFIGs, is the same in the steady state. Dynamic distributed dispatch and control of the power outputs of DFIGs refers to their ability to self-dispatch and regulate their power outputs under dynamical conditions and through peer-to-peer information exchange. Initially, we propose a leader–follower consensus protocol that DFIGs can adopt into their control system to attain: 1) asymptotic consensus on their utilization levels (i.e., fair load-sharing), and 2) total power output regulation. Then, we perform compositional stability analysis and prove that the protocol asymptotically converges under sufficient conditions. Finally, we design a distributed control-Lyapunov-function-based torque controller for the rotor-side converter that realizes the protocol in practice. The performance of the distributed control methodology is evaluated through numerical simulations on the modified IEEE 24-bus RT system.
Cost-Efficient, High-Volume Transmission: Advanced Transmission Design and Architecture of Next Generation RF Modems and Front-Ends

Growing demands for higher data rates and the sheer volume of data traffic have been the main drivers for the evolution of Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) cellular communication standards. Increased data rates have, in turn, enabled network operators to offer consumers unparalleled performance and a seamless user experience (UX). To address future demands for even better performance, the UX has to evolve to support various new high-speed packet access (HSPA) configurations, such as dual-cell high-speed downlink (DL) packet access (DC-HSDPA), DC-HSDPA together with dual-band or multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO), DC high-speed uplink (UL) packet access (DC-HSUPA), high-speed DL packet access (HSDPA) with MIMO, and long-term evolution (LTE) with carrier aggregation (CA).
Nanotube nanoelectronics

Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are emerging as the prototypical one-dimensional conductor. Since their discovery in the 90's, they have been the subject of amazingly intense study. Here we review our groups' work in this field - the creation of tiny nanoelectronic devices with nanotubes as the active element. Some nanotubes are semiconductors, and can be used to construct devices that are the 1D analogs of the MOSFET. Other nanotubes behave as nearly perfect metallic conductors, and are proving to be a new laboratory for studying the physics of electrons in 1D. Both kinds of devices may have significant technological applications.