Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Counseling Function of Pastors: A Study in Practice and Preparation

This study looked at the counseling function of pastors in terms of several practice and preparation variables by studying a group of pastors from the Columbia District, United Methodist Church, Columbia, South Carolina. The results showed that all respondents were to some extent involved in counseling activities, used primarily Rogerian theory and non-directive techniques, worked mostly with individuals and dyads, had short-term contacts, and most frequently dealt with problems related to traditional pastoral functions and life meaning. Respondents saw their ability to help as due primarily to personal characteristics and their spiritual perspective. Satisfaction with training was low. Results also raised several questions that merit further investigation.
Cruce de las pruebas nacionales Saber 11 y Saber Pro en Antioquia, Colombia: una aproximación desde la regresión geográficamente ponderada (GWR)

Hasta donde sabemos, Colombia parece ser el unico pais en el mundo donde se puede evaluar exactamente a los mismos estudiantes que tomaron las pruebas estandar del Estado al terminar la secundaria y luego en una institucion de educacion superior (IES). Se caracteriza el desempeno de los resultados de los 1,806 estudiantes que tomaron la prueba Saber 11 para los anos 2005 y 2006 y luego la prueba Saber Pro 2009-2010. Nuestro estudio se limita a aquellos estudiantes que se graduaron de un colegio y una IES en el departamento de Antioquia. El desempeno en la muestra es ligeramente inferior a la del universo en ambas pruebas. Se llevo a cabo una regresion exploratoria en ArcGis, la regresion de minimos cuadrados y la regresion geograficamente ponderada (GWR). Se encontro una asociacion positiva entre los puntajes de las dos pruebas. Paralelamente, los hijos de padre pensionado o que se encuentra estudiando obtienen mayores puntajes en la prueba Saber Pro, en comparacion con los hijos de padre asalariado. Sorprendentemente, hay una relacion negativa entre la pension de los colegios y los puntajes en la prueba Saber Pro. Los estudiantes que asistieron a una IES en Rionegro obtuvieron mayores puntajes en esta prueba en comparacion con las IES de otros municipios antioquenos. Se concluye que la GWR contribuye ligeramente a medir el caracter espacial de los datos de estas dos pruebas en el caso de Antioquia.
The Use of Word N-Grams and Parts of Speech for Hierarchical Cluster Language Modeling

We present extensions to the work of backoff hierarchical class n-gram language modeling of Zitouni et al. (2003) by studying the efficacy of exploring the use of parts of speech (POS) information in hierarchical word clustering. We propose two approaches. One is to use POS n-gram contextual distributions of a target word for clustering. The other is to generate a class tree for each group of words sharing the same POS. The resulting class tree and a set of class trees, from the two approaches, respectively, are then employed in the hierarchical cluster language modeling. We evaluate the two approaches on SRI Arabic conversational telephone speech recognition system and show that the approach of building a set of POS-specific class trees achieves a 3% relative improvement on perplexity compared to the model of Zitouni et al. and a 8% relative improvement on perplexity over the baseline standard word n-grams. When used for N-best rescoring, our approach also outperforms the model of Zitouni et al. and the baseline and achieves significant word error rate (WER) reductions
Estimating network path loss episode frequency by passive measurement

End-to-end loss episode frequency is the congestion characteristic of the network path, but it is difficult to measure passively. Although there are active methods to measure this metric, probe packets may have impact on the network in order to get accurate result. In this paper, a passive method is proposed to estimate the packet loss episode frequency of end-to-end network path by parallel TCP flow trace. We evaluate the accuracy of the method by simulations. The results show that the algorithm can estimate the loss episode frequency of end-to-end path within tolerable error range.
Inferring functional interaction and transition patterns via dynamic bayesian variable partition models

Multivariate connectivity and functional dynamics have been of wide interest in the neuroimaging field, and a variety of methods have been developed to study functional interactions and dynamics. In contrast, the temporal dynamic transitions of multivariate functional interactions among brain networks, in particular, in resting state, have been much less explored. This article presents a novel dynamic Bayesian variable partition model (DBVPM) that simultaneously considers and models multivariate functional interactions and their dynamics via a unified Bayesian framework. The basic idea is to detect the temporal boundaries of piecewise quasi‐stable functional interaction patterns, which are then modeled by representative signature patterns and whose temporal transitions are characterized by finite‐state transition machines. Results on both simulated and experimental datasets demonstrated the effectiveness and accuracy of the DBVPM in dividing temporally transiting functional interaction patterns. The application of DBVPM on a post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) dataset revealed substantially different multivariate functional interaction signatures and temporal transitions in the default mode and emotion networks of PTSD patients, in comparison with those in healthy controls. This result demonstrated the utility of DBVPM in elucidating salient features that cannot be revealed by static pair‐wise functional connectivity analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 35:3314–3331, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Low frequency bidirectional communication transponder for security and automotive applications

A microcontroller-based passive keyless entry (PKE) transponder can be used for smart bi-directional communications. The transponder can detect low-frequency signals as low as 1 mVpp, and respond to the base station unit (reader) by using its internal backscattering modulators for proximity range or via an external high-frequency transmitter for long-range applications. This transponder device has three input channels to detect signals from x, y and z directions. The device's versatile low frequency front-end functions are dynamically controlled by the microcontroller firmware. The device can be used for smart keyless-entry systems in high volume low cost security and automotive applications. This paper describes the feasibility of the smart transponder for various hands-free access control applications.
A vicious circle of alveolar macrophages and fibroblasts perpetuates pulmonary fibrosis via CCL18.

RATIONALE Recently, models of macrophage activation have been revised. Macrophages stimulated with Th2 cytokines have been classified as alternatively activated. OBJECTIVES This article examines the expression and regulation of CC chemokine ligand 18 (CCL18), a marker of alternative activation, by human alveolar macrophages (AMs). METHODS AM were obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, or hypersensitivity pneumonitis (n = 69) and healthy volunteers (n = 22). Expression of CCL18 was determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, in situ hybridization, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry, respectively. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Spontaneous CCL18 production by BAL-derived cells was markedly increased in patients with pulmonary fibrosis and correlated negatively with pulmonary function test parameters. CCL18 gene expression and protein production were up-regulated in normal AMs after Th2 cytokine stimulation and/or coculture with human lung fibroblasts. Native collagen significantly up-regulated CCL18 expression in normal AMs activated with Th2 cytokines via a mechanism mediated by beta2-integrin/ scavenger receptor(s). Culture supernatants of AMs from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis increased collagen production by normal lung fibroblasts partly mediated via CCL18. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that AMs from patients with pulmonary fibrosis disclose a phenotype of alternative activation and might be a part of a positive feedback loop with lung fibroblasts perpetuating fibrotic processes.
Experience designing the waterloo port user interface

The Waterloo Port operating system was produced by the Software Portability Group at the University of Waterloo as part of an ongoing research project. Port runs on a variety of personal workstations, and is used by researchers and by 120 students annually in fourth-year and graduate real-time programming courses. Many of the concepts in Port evolved from our earlier system, Thoth [1,2]. The emphasis on message-passing semantics and an anthropomorphic view of multi-process structuring [3,4] remains a focus of this evolution; integration of the implementation language with the user interface and file system is more evident in Port [5].
siRNA-Mediated Suppression of Synuclein γ Inhibits MDA-MB-231 Cell Migration and Proliferation by Downregulating the Phosphorylation of AKT and ERK

Purpose Synuclein-γ (SNCG), which was initially identified as breast cancer specific gene 1, is highly expressed in advanced breast cancers, but not in normal or benign breast tissue. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of SNCG siRNA-treatment on breast cancer cells and elucidate the associated mechanisms. Methods Vectors containing SNCG and negative control (NC) siRNAs were transfected into MDA-MB-231 cells; mRNA levels were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell proliferation was evaluated using the MTT assay, cell migration was assessed by the Transwell assay, apoptosis and cell cycle analyses were conducted with the flow cytometer, and Western blot analysis was performed to determine the relative levels of AKT, ERK, p-AKT, and p-ERK expression. Results SNCG mRNA levels were significantly reduced in MDA-MB-231 cells transfected with SNCG siRNA. Our results indicate that in SNCG siRNA-treated cells, cell migration and proliferation decreased significantly, apoptosis was induced, and the cell cycle was arrested. Western blot analysis indicated that the protein levels of p-AKT and p-ERK were much lower in the SNCG siRNA-treated groups, than in the control and NC groups. Conclusion SNCG siRNA could decrease the migration and proliferation of breast cancer cells by downregulating the phosphorylation of AKT and ERK.
Two approaches to derive approximate formulae of NILT method with generalization

The paper deals with relationship between two approaches to derive approximate formulae of one specific numerical inverse Laplace transform (NILT) method, which is based on the approximation of the exp(st) function in the definition Bromwich integral, and the method based on the direct numerical integration of this ILT integral. It is shown that respective approximate formulae can also be derived by integrating the Bromwich integral numerically provided the integration path and the step are properly chosen as time-dependent. The generalization of the NILT formulae is also suggested leading to possibility to predict a limiting absolute error. The experimental error analysis is performed in the Matlab program for properly chosen Laplace transforms, and modified usage of Euler transformation to accelerate convergence of infinite series is tested successfully.
Toxicity of crude oil and fuel oil on the embryonic development of the Large Yellow Croaker (Larmichthys crocea)

The lethal and sublethal effects of aquatic organisms by crude or fuel oils has been widely investigated, but the potential impacts of crude oils and fuel oils in the Yangtze River Estuary and East China Sea aquatic environments remain unclear. The toxicity of oils and compounds were measured in the sensitive embryonic development of the Large Yellow Croaker (Larmichthys crocea). The EC50 of hatching rate of embryos of the Large Yellow Croaker by TJ014 and −20 were 112.4 mg/L and 510.8 mg/L, respectively; The LC50 of after hatched of larvae by TJ014 and −20 were 8.5 mg/L and 156.2 mg/L, respectively. Acute exposures lead to the developmental abnormalities such as bradycardia, spinal curvatures, and reducing somite which is convenient and useful to evaluate the toxicity of oil. According to Values of LC50/EC50 and the degree developmental abnormalities could explain the toxicity of TJ014 was larger than −20. Therefore, these results may be provided some useful proofs to analysis the aquatic environmental risk.
On practical Service-Based Computing in distributed embedded automotive systems

The automotive industry is, like several other domains, a source of both challenging problems and innovative technologies of various kinds. One interesting phenomenon in this domain is the extensive interdependencies between the constituent nodes, or ECUs, of its networked embedded system. This in turn leads to extensive interactions between ECUs over the network infrastructure of an automobile.
Stable reduced-order models of generalized dynamical systems using coordinate-transformed Arnoldi algorithms

Model order reduction based on Krylov subspace iterative methods has recently emerged as a major tool for compressing the number of states in linear models used for simulating very large physical systems (VLSI circuits, electromagnetic interactions). There are currently two main methods for accomplishing such a compression: one is based on the nonsymmetric look-ahead Lanczos algorithm that gives a numerically stable procedure for finding Pade approximations, while the other is based on a less well characterized Arnoldi algorithm. In this paper, we show that for certain classes of generalized state-space systems, the reduced-order models produced by a coordinate-transformed Arnoldi algorithm inherit the stability of the original system. Complete Proofs of our results will be given in the final paper.
Diffusion en mode commutation de circuits dans les tores de dimension

in this paper we describe, in the case of short messages, an efficient gossiping algorithm for 3-dimensional torus networks (wrap-around or toroidal meshes) that uses synchronous circuitswitched routing. The algorithm is based on a recursive decomposition of a torus. The algorithm requires an optimal number of rounds and a quasi-optimal number of intermediate switch settings to gossip in an 7i 7i 7i torus. Key-words: circuit-switching, gossiping, torus network, toroiral mesh, linear code theory.
The Bi-Functional Organization of Human Basement Membranes

The current basement membrane (BM) model proposes a single-layered extracellular matrix (ECM) sheet that is predominantly composed of laminins, collagen IVs and proteoglycans. The present data show that BM proteins and their domains are asymmetrically organized providing human BMs with side-specific properties: A) isolated human BMs roll up in a side-specific pattern, with the epithelial side facing outward and the stromal side inward. The rolling is independent of the curvature of the tissue from which the BMs were isolated. B) The epithelial side of BMs is twice as stiff as the stromal side, and C) epithelial cells adhere to the epithelial side of BMs only. Side-selective cell adhesion was also confirmed for BMs from mice and from chick embryos. We propose that the bi-functional organization of BMs is an inherent property of BMs and helps build the basic tissue architecture of metazoans with alternating epithelial and connective tissue layers.
Friend in the Middle (FiM): Tackling de-anonymization in social networks

With the large growth of Online Social Networks (OSNs), several privacy threats have been highlighted, as well as solutions to mitigate them. Most solutions focus on restricting the visibility of users information. However, OSNs also represent a threat for contextual information, such as the OSN structure and how users communicate among each other. Recently proposed deanonymization techniques proved to be effective in re-identifying users in anonymized social network. In this paper, we present Friend in the Middle (FiM): a novel approach to make OSNs more resilient against de-anonymization techniques. Additionally we evaluate and demonstrate throughout experimental results the feasibility and effectiveness of our proposal.
Mapping heuristics for reducing communication cost in parallel machines

An increasingly large number of scientific pursuits use computational resources as their backbone. Applications range from study of molecular behavior, both using classical and quantum physics models, evaluation of physical properties of materials like stress response, to simulations of galaxies and cosmological phenomenon. The insatiable computational requirements of such applications has inspired the development of massively parallel machines, like the recent BlueGene (BG/L) machine from IBM. Parallelism at the scale of tens of thousands of processors is being seen. For example, BG/L will have 64K processors [2] once fully deployed. The main resources in a large parallel machine are its compute nodes and the interconnection network. It is imperative that techniques for efficient and uniform utilization of these resources be developed. The number of tasks running on large machines usually exceed the number of processors. Each task has different computation and communication characteristics from the other. This makes task assignment, a non-trivial problem to solve. Solution involves achieving load-balance among all the processors in the system and reducing the communication latency of the messages in the system. Task assignment problem can be solved in two different ways. Either we achieve load-balance and communication latency reduction together in a single phase or we split our efforts in two phases: achieving load balance in the first phase (partitioning) and reducing communication latency in the second phase (mapping). In this paper, we present a heuristic algorithm for solving the mapping problem (for reducing message latency in the network). The significance of the problem we are solving is motivated in this paragraph. Due to the increasing size of the parallel computers being used, the interconnection network has become the system bottleneck. It is so because the packaging considerations for a large number of processors lead to the choice of a mesh or a torus topology. For example, the primary network in BlueGene/L is a 3D-Torus. Even for a relatively moderate machine size a message might travel a large number of hops. A (16, 16, 16)3D-Torus on 4k processors has a diameter of 24 hops and the average internode distance of 12 hops is also quite high. If packets travel over such large number of hops, the average load on the links increases, which increases contention. Therefore, it is desirable to map communicating objects to nearby processors. Also, task assignment generally doesn’t preserve all the neighbor relations, thus, arising the need to route message through physical paths of varying lengths. This further motivates the as-near-as-possible placement of neighboring tasks.
Runtime Code Generation with JVM and CLR

Modern bytecode execution environments with optimizing just-in-time compilers, such as Sun’s Hotspot Java Virtual Machine, IBM’s Java Virtual Machine, and Microsoft’s Common Language Runtime, provide an infrastructure for generating fast code at runtime. Such runtime code generation can be used for efficient implementation of parametrized algorithms. More generally, with runtime code generation one can introduce an additional binding-time without performance loss. This permits improved performance and improved static correctness guarantees. We report on several experiments with runtime code generation on modern execution platforms. In particular, we show how to introduce C#-style delegates in Java using runtime code generation, to avoid most of the overhead of wrapping and unwrapping method arguments and method results usually incurred by reflective method calls. Furthermore, we give a high-speed implementation of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES, also known as Rijndael) in C# using runtime code generation. Finally, we experiment with sparse matrix multiplication using runtime code generation on both platforms.
Impact of pericardial restraint on right atrial mechanics during acute right ventricular pressure load.

Optimization of right atrial (RA) mechanics is important for maintaining right ventricular (RV) filling and global cardiac output. However, the impact of pericardial restraint on RA function and the compensatory role of the right atrium to changes in RV afterload remain poorly characterized. In eight open-chest sheep, RA elastance (contractility) and chamber stiffness were measured (RA pressure-volume relations) at baseline and during partial pulmonary artery (PA) occlusion. Data were collected before and after pericardiotomy. With the pericardium intact and partial PA occlusion, RA elastance increased by 28% (P < 0.04), whereas RA stiffness tended to rise (P = 0.08). However, after pericardiotomy, there was a significant fall in both RA elastance (54%, P < 0.04) and stiffness (39%, P < 0.04), and subsequent PA occlusion failed to induce a change in elastance (P > 0.19) or stiffness (P > 0.84). After pericardiotomy, RA elastance and stiffness fell dramatically, and the compensatory response of the right atrium to elevated RV afterload was lost. The ability of the right atrium to respond to changes in RV hemodynamics is highly dependent on pericardial integrity.
Binding of Shp2 Tyrosine Phosphatase to FRS2 Is Essential for Fibroblast Growth Factor-Induced PC12 Cell Differentiation

ABSTRACT FRS2 is a lipid-anchored docking protein that plays an important role in linking fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and nerve growth factor receptors with the Ras/mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling pathway. In this report, we demonstrate that FRS2 forms a complex with the N-terminal SH2 domain of the protein tyrosine phosphatase Shp2 in response to FGF stimulation. FGF stimulation induces tyrosine phosphorylation of Shp2, leading to the formation of a complex containing Grb2 and Sos1 molecules. In addition, a mutant FRS2 deficient in both Grb2 and Shp2 binding induces a weak and transient MAP kinase response and fails to induce PC12 cell differentiation in response to FGF stimulation. Furthermore, FGF is unable to induce differentiation of PC12 cells expressing an FRS2 point mutant deficient in Shp2 binding. Finally, we demonstrate that the catalytic activity of Shp2 is essential for sustained activation of MAP kinase and for potentiation of FGF-induced PC12 cell differentiation. These experiments demonstrate that FRS2 recruits Grb2 molecules both directly and indirectly via complex formation with Shp2 and that Shp2 plays an important role in FGF-induced PC12 cell differentiation.