Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity of Counting Queries

In the context of statistical databases, the release of accurate statistical information about the collected data often puts at risk the privacy of the individual contributors. The goal of differential privacy is to maximise the utility of a query while protecting the individual records in the database. A natural way to achieve differential privacy is to add statistical noise to the result of the query. In this context, a mechanism for releasing statistical information is thus a trade-off between utility and privacy. In order to balance these two "conflicting" requirements, privacy preserving mechanisms calibrate the added noise to the so-called sensitivity of the query, and thus a precise estimate of the sensitivity of the query is necessary to determine the amplitude of the noise to be added. In this paper, we initiate a systematic study of sensitivity of counting queries over relational databases. We first observe that the sensitivity of a Relational Algebra query with counting is not computable in general, and that while the sensitivity of Conjunctive Queries with counting is computable, it becomes unbounded as soon as the query includes a join. We then consider restricted classes of databases (databases with constraints), and study the problem of computing the sensitivity of a query given such constraints. We are able to establish bounds on the sensitivity of counting conjunctive queries over constrained databases. The kind of constraints studied here are: functional dependencies and cardinality dependencies. The latter is a natural generalisation of functional dependencies that allows us to provide tight bounds on the sensitivity of counting conjunctive queries.
Interaction between otorhinolaryngology and orthodontics: correlation between the nasopharyngeal airway and the craniofacial complex

In terms of pathophysiology, an anatomically narrow airway is a predisposing factor for obstruction of the upper respiratory tract. The correlation between the nasopharyngeal airway and the craniofacial structures is discussed in this context. Thus a mutual interaction between the pharynx and the mandibular position was demonstrated, whereby the transverse dimension of the nasopharynx was significantly larger in patients with prognathism than in patients with retrognathism. The influence of chronic obstruction of the nasal airway on craniofacial development was also discussed. The form-and-function interaction, which ought to explain the causal relationship between nasal obstruction and craniofacial growth, appears to be of a multifactorial rather than a one-dimensional, linear nature. It is not disputed, however, that expanding the maxilla improves not only nasal volume and nasal flow, but also the subjective sensation of patients, although it is not possible to make a prognostic statement about the extent of this improvement because of the differing reactions of individuals. Orthodontic appliances for advancing the mandible can also be successfully used in the treatment of mild obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. This treatment method should be considered particularly for patients who are unwilling to undergo or cannot tolerate CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) treatment.
Application of Nanotechnology in Oil and Gas Industry: Towards Enhanced Oil and Gas Recovery

The global oil demand and the development of advanced techniques have made the regeneration of previously abandoned oilwells economically attractive. As conventional oil recovery methods near their economic limits, a revolutionary new technology is required to harness maximum oil from these stranded oilwells. Due to its potential to manipulate matter at molecular level, nanotechnology promises to dramatically transform oil and gas industry by enabling enhanced oil and gas recovery. Recently, there has been increasing research interest in the applications of nanotechnology in enhanced oil and gas recovery, where the unique aspects of reservoir management, drilling, production, processing and refinery are redesign. Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize the drilling process and accelerate the production of oil and gas by providing a platform that makes their separation in the reservoir more amenable. Nanotechnology can make the industry greener by drastically reducing the oil’s carbon footprint in contrast to oils obtained from conventional methods. In this paper, we review the latest trends in the applications of nanotechnology for enhanced oil and gas recovery. We further present scientific advance and new insight into possible future applications. The paper aims to broaden our understanding of the applications landscape of nanotechnology in oil and gas industry.
Combining fuzzy logic and neural networks in classification of weld defects using ultrasonic time-of-flight diffraction

Ultrasonic TOFD is good at detecting most internal defects, results are available immediately, testing can be performed ‘on site’ – equipment is fully portable, running costs and safety hazards are low. However, TOFD requires experienced operator skills for the interpretation and detection of defects. These days, with advanced technology, ultrasonic testing can be made more accurate, reliable and feasible in most inspection systems(2-7). Although the data acquisition configuration lends itself conveniently to automation, and methods such as robotic scanning and computer-conditioned data acquisition are routinely used, the crucial processes of data processing and interpretation are still performed off-line manually depending heavily on the skills, experience, alertness and consistency of the trained operator. Results typically suffer from inconsistency and errors, particularly when dealing with large volumes of data. In the light of industrial pressure, the recent trend has been to automate the TOFD data interpretation process in software by adding an element of robustness, accuracy and consistency. This can be achieved by advanced image processing and artificial intelligence techniques to discriminate between subtle variations in visual properties of the data, reducing the overall interpretation time, effort and cost. The TOFD image provides important characteristics and patterns in recognition of defect types. However, lack of unique visual defect signature interpretation of volumetric flaws is not trivial. Further, TOFD standards and acceptance criteria introduce their own complexities. The prescribed(1) defect classes are planar flaws, volumetric flaws, thread like flaws and point flaws. In this research, statistical image processing methods and algorithms have given excellent results. In the classification stage three different classifiers are used to demonstrate performance of different methods: neural classifier, fuzzy classifier and neural-fuzzy classifier. The TOFD automatic inspection system can be semi or fully automated(3-4)(8-9) for the flaw detection in the metal structures.
The Status of Child Health Care in an Indigenous People’s Community of a Mindanaon Province

Limited research has focused on child health care within indigenous communities, particularly in Mindanao. This study aimed to assess the state of child health care in the Indigenous People's (IPs) community of Barangay Cablalan, Glan, Sarangani Province, and to explore the associated problems and challenges. Using a convergent mixed methods research design, a survey questionnaire was administered to fifty households for the quantitative data and key informants such as health workers, LGU officials, and POs/NGOs representatives were interviewed for the qualitative data. Documents obtained from concerned offices further enriched the data. The findings of the study show that in children's health care, the respondent families who belong to low-income families have a growing practice of using modern medicine, especially over-the-counter medicines for ordinary illnesses, and at the same time, they also avail of the services of the traditional healers and herbal medications. Likewise, the barangay health centers are currently providing frontline services for children. Problems and challenges are identified, such as the lack and/or delay of medications and facilities, incapacity to pay, and far distance from the barangay health center.
The atmosphere of heaven: the 1799 nitrous oxide researches reconsidered

Thomas Beddoes's and Humphry Davy's accounts of the nitrous oxide experiments carried out at the Pneumatic Institution in 1799 include extravagant descriptions of its mind-altering effects. Many people, both at the time and subsequently, have considered these descriptions to be the product not of the gas but of its subjects’ overheated imaginations. To what extent were these effects ‘all in the mind’ of the experimenters? Modern understandings of nitrous oxide throw new light on this question; but it was also considered, and resolved in different ways, by Beddoes and Davy themselves.
Interactive Data Integration with MappingAssistant

Due to the heterogeneity of distributed systems data integration is a main success factor in real-life business. Applying semantic web technologies for matching data is one successful approach for data integration. Ontoprise uses ontologies as target schema for integrating different sources like databases, text-_les and ontologies. However, the created target ontology and the corresponding mapping-rules might be error-prone. Hence, we developed the conflict resolution framework MappingAssistant which detects wrong rules or facts on the instance level in an interactive way. In this demo we present the MappingAssistant framework and an evaluation which emphasizes that users are used to investigate data on the instance level.
Diagenetic Changes in Long Bones in Central Florida: A Preliminary Macro- and Microscopic Comparison of Sun and Shade Microenvironments

In forensic investigations, the estimation of time since death is of utmost importance when examining decomposing bodies and skeletal remains. Current methodology typically focuses on the gross and macroscopic changes to human remains. Surprisingly, microscopic analysis of diagenetic change has not been fully researched in regards to time since death. The current study involved the analysis of diagenetic change in 15 pig (Sus scrofa) long bones from two microenvironments (sun and shade) in the subtropical environment of Central Florida. While the control bone was not placed in the field, seven bones were placed in the sun microenvironment and seven in the shade microenvironment. One bone was collected from each micro environment every other week for a duration of 14 weeks. The samples were then analyzed for gross and macroscopic taphonomic changes, which included soil staining, hemolysis staining, loss of bone grease, and penetration of hemolysis staining into the bone cortex. Microscope slides were then prepared using thin sections of the 15 long bones. Slides were then stained with Periodic Acid Schiffer's stain and Hemotoxylin and Eosin stain and analyzed for Non-Wedl microscopic focal destruction (MFD), Wedl tunneling, and Haversian canal inclusions using standard light microscopy. While gross and macroscopic changes were not significant due to the short time interval studied, microscopic diagenetic changes that were observed included MFD and Wedl tunneling as early as four and six weeks, respectively. Group A (sun) demonstrated a greater occurrence of diagenetic change and greater diameter of MFD. Additionally, the maximum diameter of MFD steadily increased over time, suggesting a correlation between size of MFD and time since death. This pilot study demonstrates the possibility for future research to establish standards for estimating time since death using microscopic analysis. For example, further research should consider implementing a larger sample size, a longer postmortem interval, additional environments, comparative human samples, and a standardized methodology for preparing and analyzing the histological samples.
The missing link: Predicting connectomes from noisy and partially observed tract tracing data

Our understanding of the wiring map of the brain, known as the connectome, has increased greatly in the last decade, mostly due to technological advancements in neuroimaging techniques and improvements in computational tools to interpret the vast amount of available data. Despite this, with the exception of the C. elegans roundworm, no definitive connectome has been established for any species. In order to obtain this, tracer studies are particularly appealing, as these have proven highly reliable. The downside of tract tracing is that it is costly to perform, and can only be applied ex vivo. In this paper, we suggest that instead of probing all possible connections, hitherto unknown connections may be predicted from the data that is already available. Our approach uses a ‘latent space model’ that embeds the connectivity in an abstract physical space. Regions that are close in the latent space have a high chance of being connected, while regions far apart are most likely disconnected in the connectome. After learning the latent embedding from the connections that we did observe, the latent space allows us to predict connections that have not been probed previously. We apply the methodology to two connectivity data sets of the macaque and we demonstrate that the latent space model is successful in predicting unobserved connectivity, outperforming two alternative baselines in nearly all cases. Furthermore, we show how the latent spatial embedding may be used to integrate multimodal observations (i.e. anterograde and retrograde tracers) for the mouse neocortex. Finally, our probabilistic approach enables us to make explicit which connections are easy to predict and which prove difficult, allowing for informed follow-up studies.
Learning frequent behaviours of the users in Intelligent Environments

Intelligent Environments (IEs) are expected to support people in their daily lives. One of the hidden assumptions in IEs is that they propose a change of perspective in the relationships between humans and technology, shifting from a techno-centered perspective to a human-centered one. Unlike current computing systems where the user has to learn how to use the technology, an IE adapts its behaviour to the user, even anticipating his/her needs, preferences or habits. For that, the environment should learn how to react to the actions and needs of the users, and this should be achieved in an unobtrusive and transparent way. In order to provide personalized and adapted services, it is clear the need of knowing preferences and frequent habits of users. Thus, the ability to learn patterns of behaviour becomes an essential aspect for the successful implementation of IEs. In that sense, a perfect learning system would gain knowledge about everything related to users that would help the environment act intelligently and proactively. The efforts in this research work are focused on discovering frequent behaviours of the users. For that, it has been designed and developed the Learning Frequent Patterns of User Behaviour System (LFPUBS) that, taking into account all the particularities of IEs, learns frequent behaviours of the users. The core of the LFPUBS is the Learning Layer that unlike some other components is independent of the particular environment in which the system is being applied. On the one hand, it includes a language that allows the representation of discovered behaviours in a clear and unambiguous way. On the other hand, coupled with the language, an algorithm that discovers frequent behaviours has been designed and implemented. Finally, LFPUBS was validated using data collected from two real environments. Results obtained in such validation tests showed that LFPUBS was able to discover frequent behaviours of the users.
Chrysin as an Anti-Cancer Agent Exerts Selective Toxicity by Directly Inhibiting Mitochondrial Complex II and V in CLL B-lymphocytes

ABSTRACT We investigated the effect of chrysin on isolated normal and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) B-lymphocytes and their isolated mitochondria. We report that a selective and significant increase in cytotoxicity, intracellular reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial membrane potential collapse, ADP/ATP ratio, caspase 3 activation and finally apoptosis in chrysin-treated CLL B- lymphocytes. Also we determined that chrysin selectively inhibits complex II and ATPases in cancerous mitochondria. In this study we proved that the ability of chrysin to promote apoptosis in CLL B-lymphocytes performed by selectively targeting of mitochondria. Our findings may provide a potential therapeutic approach for using chrysin to target mitochondria in CLL B-lymphocytes.
Using Lake Sediment Cores to Improve Records of Volcanism at Aluto Volcano in the Main Ethiopian Rift

Aluto is a silicic volcano in central Ethiopia, flanked by two large population centers and home to an expanding geothermal power plant. Here we present data from two lake sediment cores sampled 12 and 25 km from the volcano, which record at least 24 distinct eruptions in the Holocene. Tephra layers from the two cores are correlated using a variety of techniques, including major and trace element geochemistry as well as textural and morphological features from scanning electron microscopy‐backscatter electron imaging. The purpose is to provide a Holocene reference section for further tephrostratigraphic studies of the volcano as well as to provide information on eruption frequency. The lake cores suggest that Aluto has had a variable eruption rate, with three eruption clusters in the Holocene at ~3, 6.5, and 11 ka, with small Vulcanian‐to sub‐Plinian eruptions separated by larger, Plinian eruptions. We infer that the smaller tephras are likely the product of pumice cone‐ and dome‐forming eruptions. In addition, modern wind data suggest that the likely direction of an ash cloud from Aluto is to the west and south west, which is toward population centers and is in agreement with thickness data from the cores. We conclude that current records underestimate the volcano's eruptive history and that hazard assessments should be updated accordingly.
MMSE-Based Missing-Feature Reconstruction With Temporal Modeling for Robust Speech Recognition

This paper addresses the problem of feature compensation in the log-spectral domain by using the missing-data (MD) approach to noise robust speech recognition, that is, the log-spectral features can be either almost unaffected by noise or completely masked by it. First, a general MD framework based on minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimation is introduced which exploits the correlation across frequency bands to reconstruct the missing features. This framework allows the derivation of different MD imputation approaches and, in particular, a novel technique taking advantage of truncated Gaussian distributions is presented. While the proposed technique provides excellent results at high and medium signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), its performance diminishes at low SNRs where very few reliable features are available. The reconstruction technique is therefore extended to exploit temporal constraints using two different approaches. In the first approach, time-frequency patches of speech containing a number of consecutive frames are modeled using a Gaussian mixture model (GMM). In the second one, the sequential structure of speech is alternatively modeled by a hidden Markov model (HMM). The proposed techniques are evaluated on Aurora-2 and Aurora-4 databases using both oracle and estimated masks. In both cases, the proposed techniques outperform the recognition performance obtained by the baseline system and other related techniques. Also, the introduction of a temporal modeling turns out to be very effective in reconstructing spectra at low SNRs. In particular, HMMs show the highest capability of accounting for time correlations and, therefore, achieve the best results.
Correlates of Antithrombin, Protein C, Protein S, and TFPI in a Healthy Elderly Cohort

Summary The majority of fatal acute myocardial infarctions occur in the elderly. Since these events are predominantly thrombotic, we studied the cross-sectional associations of the anticoagulant proteins Anti-thrombin, Protein C, Protein S, and Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor (TFPI) in a subgroup (n = 400) of the Cardiovascular Health Study (a study of healthy men and women ≥65 years) free of clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD). We did not observe any strong age-associated trends, although Protein C was lower in older women (p ≤0.001), and TFPI was higher in older men (p ≤0.01). The inhibitors were highly intercorrelated, and were associated with increased levels of inflammation-sensitive proteins (e.g., fibrinogen, plasminogen), lipids (especially total and LDL-cholesterol), and coagulation factors, such as Factors VIIc, IXc, and Xc. None was associated with the procoagulant markers Prothrombin Fragment F1-2 or Fibrinopeptide A. Only TFPI was associated with subclinical atherosclerosis: ankle-arm index and internal carotid artery stenosis, p trend ≤0.01; and carotid wall thickness, p trend ≤0.05. In multivariate analysis the independent predictors of TFPI were levels of fibrinogen; the fibrinolytic marker plasminantiplasmin complex; LDL-cholesterol; and carotid wall thickness (R2 for the model = 0.35). In summary, the inhibitors did not appear to increase with age, and were predominantly associated with inflammation markers and lipids. Since markers of thrombin production do increase with age, we hypothesize that an age-related hemostatic imbalance may ensue, with associated increased thrombotic risk. Only TFPI was associated with subclinical CVD, suggesting that it may more closely reflect endothelial damage. (250)
Harnessing Extracellular microRNAs for Diagnostics and Therapeutics in Acute Systemic Inflammation

Micro-ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) are small sequences of genetic materials that are primarily transcribed from the intronic regions of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNAs), and they are pivotal in regulating messenger RNA (mRNA) expression. miRNAs were first discovered to regulate mRNAs of the same cell in which they were transcribed. Recent studies have unveiled their ability to traverse cells, either encapsulated in vesicles or freely bound to proteins, influencing distant recipient cells. Activities of extracellular miRNAs have been observed during acute inflammation in clinically relevant pathologies, such as sepsis, shock, trauma, and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injuries. This review comprehensively explores the activity of miRNAs during acute inflammation as well as the mechanisms of their extracellular transport and activity. Evaluating the potential of extracellular miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in acute inflammation represents a critical aspect of this review. Finally, this review concludes with novel concepts of miRNA activity in the context of alleviating inflammation, delivering potential future directions to advance the field of miRNA therapeutics.
Reducing Child Poverty with Cash Transfers: A Sure Thing?

Children are disproportionately represented among the income-poor, many suffer from severe deprivation, and their poverty and vulnerability have cumulative and long-term consequences. This article provides a comparative examination of the poverty-reduction effectiveness of cash transfer programmes targeting children, focusing on three types of such programmes: the Child Support Grant in South Africa, family allowances in transition countries, and targeted conditional cash transfer programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean. It finds that, despite differences in design, cash transfer programmes targeting children in poor households are an effective way of reducing poverty.