Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A study of collaboration in software design

This paper presents a study of collaboration in software design at a large software company. Ethnographic studies of development teams in the field are relatively rare, so this paper contributes to a small, but growing, body of knowledge about the collaborative activities involved in such design work. Five separate development groups were studied over a six-week period. The methodology included shadowing, interviews and communication event logging. A novel LPDA-based application was used for real-time data collection. The results of the study indicate that designers communicate frequently, using a wide variety of communication and collaboration modalities. Designers prefer general-purpose tools to domain-specific applications. In support of communication, designers frequently change their physical location throughout the day. Finally, designers frequently change the ways in which they communicate, changing their communication modalities and styles.
Fiscal Decentralization, Local Competitions and Sustainability of Medical Insurance Funds：Evidence from China

Local governments are responsible for the management of social medical insurance for urban and rural residents in China. Under the background of fiscal decentralization between the central government and local governments, the strengthening of supervision on medical insurance funds by local governments leads to a reduction in the expenditure of the medical insurance fund, which contributes to its sustainability. By employing the provincial level panel data during 2004–2014, we used a fixed effect model and a spatial autoregression model to investigate whether fiscal decentralization has had a negative influence on the expenditure of China’s new rural cooperative medical system (NCMS) fund. We found that fiscal decentralization has had a significant influence over its per capita expenditure. Our results also indicate that higher fiscal decentralization leads to higher financial aid in the NCMS provided by local governments. Additionally, the expenditure of the NCMS and the local financial aid are influenced by nearby governments. Our results suggest that appropriate fiscal decentralization, which helps to maintain the sustainability of social medical insurance funds, should be encouraged.
Automatic extraction of cartographic information from airborne interferometric SAR data

Automatic classification of regions towards cartographic feature extraction by the airborne AeS-1 instrument is presented. We extract regions corresponding to cartographic features for the classes built-up area, forest, water and open area. Water and built-up area are extracted from the intensity image. The use of a DEM as additional source of information allows to distinguish built-up land and forest from all other classes. The mathematical tools for feature extraction from intensity and DEM data are fractal dimension estimation and mathematical morphology. The classification is done employing a decision tree.
Influence of synoptic patterns on surface ozone variability over the eastern United States from 1980 to 2012

Abstract. We investigate the effect of synoptic-scale weather patterns on observed maximum daily 8-hour average (MDA8) surface ozone over the eastern United States during 1980–2012 in summer (June–August, JJA). Zonally averaged, the relative standard deviation (SD) of daily MDA8 JJA ozone shows a bimodal structure, with peaks at 28–32 and 40–45° N, and we show that those regions are most influenced by the variability in daily weather. We apply empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) to understand the causes of this structure. The first three leading EOF patterns explain 53 % of the total variance in detrended surface ozone, displaying (1) a widespread response of ozone in the eastern United States associated with north–south movement of jet wind latitude, (2) a north–south pattern linked to the Bermuda High system when its west boundary is located along the east coast, and (3) an east–west pattern characteristic of a westward extension of the Bermuda High and an enhanced Great Plains low level jet (GPLLJ). The northern peak of ozone relative SD can be explained by polar jet activity, while the southern peak appears related to variability in the Bermuda High and GPLLJ. We define a new metric polar jet frequency as the total number of days the jet traverses the Midwest and northeast each summer. In the Midwest and northeast, we find that the correlation coefficient r between detrended mean JJA MDA8 ozone and the polar jet frequency ranges between −0.76 and −0.93 over 1980–2012 depending on the time period selected, suggesting that polar jet frequency could provide a simple metric to predict ozone variability in future climate regimes. In the southeast, the influence of the Bermuda High on mean JJA MDA8 ozone depends on the location of its west edge. For those summers when the average position of the west edge is located west of ~ 85.4° W, a westward shift in the Bermuda High west edge increases ozone in the southeast by ~ 1 ppbv deg−1 in longitude. For all summers, a northward shift in the Bermuda High west edge increases ozone over the entire eastern United States by 1–2 ppbv deg−1 in latitude. None of the synoptic patterns identified in this study show a significant trend from 1980 to 2012, confirming that the observed ozone decrease over the eastern United States during this time period is mainly caused by emission controls. Our work underscores the impact of synoptic patterns on ozone variability and suggests that a combination of changing local and synoptic meteorology together with trends in background ozone will determine the influence of climate change on US ozone air quality in future decades. The observed relationships of US surface ozone and synoptic circulations in this study can also be used to validate models of atmospheric chemistry.
FABRICATION OF Al2O3-Ni GRADED COMPOSITES BY CENTRIFUGAL CASTING IN AN ULTRACENTRIFUGE

The work explored the possibility of producing Al2O3-Ni gradient composites using non-absorbent molds in a high-speed centrifuge. As a result of the centrifugal force, the mass was compacted and the solvent was separated from the solid part. The influence of rotational speed and the change in the solid phase content in the slurry on the obtained microstructure of the composites was investigated. The produced composites were characterized on the basis of macroscopic observations of the obtained samples immediately after the casting process (green body) and after the sintering process. To determine the gradient of the metallic phase, the observations were made on cross sections of the samples. Densification of the sinters was determined by the Archimedes method. The obtained results showed that using an appropriate correlation of technological parameters, i.e. rotational speed and solid phase content in the slurry, enables the fabrication of Al2O3-Ni composites with a microstructure gradient by the centrifugal casting method using non-absorbent forms. It was found that with an increase in the solid phase content in the mass, a clear boundary is formed which separates the area containing only ceramic (Al2O3) and metallic (Ni) particles.
Many-to-many graph matching via metric embedding

Graph matching is an important component in many object recognition algorithms. Although most graph matching algorithms seek a one-to-one correspondence between nodes, it is often the case that a more meaningful correspondence exists between a cluster of nodes in one graph and a cluster of nodes in the other. We present a matching algorithm that establishes many-to-many correspondences between nodes of noisy, vertex-labeled weighted graphs. The algorithm is based on recent developments in efficient low-distortion metric embedding of graphs into normed vector spaces. By embedding weighted graphs into normed vector spaces, we reduce the problem of many-to-many graph matching to that of computing a distribution-based distance measure between graph embeddings. We use a specific measure, the earth mover's distance, to compute distances between sets of weighted vectors. Empirical evaluation of the algorithm on an extensive set of recognition trials demonstrates both the robustness and efficiency of the overall approach.
miR-30 a inhibits breast cancer progression through the Wnt / β-catenin pathway

Background: miR-30a is a microRNA associated with the progression of malignant tumors such as gastric cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer, and can regulate the proliferation and migration of breast cancer (BC) cells in vitro. However, its expression, function, clinical significance and relationship with the Wnt/βcatenin pathway in human BC were still unclear. Methods: Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) were used to measure the expressions of miR-30a and β-catenin in 114 pairs of human BC tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues which were collected from March 2014 to October 2015. The effect of miR-30a on the expression of β-catenin was studied in the MCF-7 cells in vitro. Results: The expression levels of miR-30a in human BC tumor tissues were significantly lower than they were in the adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.001), and significantly higher in β-catenin protein (P < 0.001), but there was no significant different in β-catenin mRNA (P = 0.3816). The immunohistochemistry results showed that β-catenin protein was only expressed on the cell membrane in paracancerous normal tissues, but β-catenin protein was expressed on the cell membrane and cytoplasm in BC tumor cells. In addition, there was a significantly negative correlation (r = -0.816, P < 0.001) between the expression miR-30a and β-catenin protein in BC tissues. The age of onset, PR expression, ER expression, and HER-2 expression of the BC patients were not related to miR-30a or β-catenin protein expression (P > 0.05). Tumor diameter, histological grade, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and the prognosis of BC patients (P < 0.05) were significantly related to miR-30a or β-catenin protein expression. In MCF-7 cells, miR-30a regulated the accumulation of β-catenin protein by inhibiting the expression of BCL9 in BC cells. Conclusion: miR-30a was lowly expressed in breast cancer tissues and highly in β-catenin protein, and miR-30a might block the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by inhibiting the accumulation of β-catenin, and then inhibiting breast cancer progression.
SeismoPen: Pulse Recognition via a Smart Pen

We propose SeismoPen, an enhanced ballpoint pen, which is capable of calculating the patient's heart rate. This is enabled when being pressed the pen towards the patient's throat so it can sense and analyze the seismographic micro-eruption caused by the pulsing blood. We developed a suitable algorithm and tested three sensor setups in which we attached (1) a force-sensing resistor (FSR), (2) an accelerometer, and (3) a piezoelectric transducer to the pen's head. We also conducted a user study, which resulted in suggesting SeismoPen to be potentially more accepted by users, since it is less obtrusive than alternative measurement methods. In contrast to medical devices, this simple pen looks less perilous and potentially reduces the risk of triggering symptoms of a white coat hypertension.
Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) Density in Central Amazonia

Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) are presumed to be the most abundant of the wild cats throughout their distribution range and to play an important role in the dynamics of sympatric small-felid populations. However, ocelot ecological information is limited, particularly for the Amazon. We conducted three camera-trap surveys during three consecutive dry seasons to estimate ocelot density in Amanã Reserve, Central Amazonia, Brazil. We implemented a spatial capture-recapture (SCR) model that shared detection parameters among surveys. A total effort of 7020 camera-trap days resulted in 93 independent ocelot records. The estimate of ocelot density in Amanã Reserve (24.84 ± SE 6.27 ocelots per 100 km2) was lower than at other sites in the Amazon and also lower than that expected from a correlation of density with latitude and rainfall. We also discuss the importance of using common parameters for survey scenarios with low recapture rates. This is the first density estimate for ocelots in the Brazilian Amazon, which is an important stronghold for the species.
Complete and specific inhibition of adult lymphatic regeneration by a novel VEGFR-3 neutralizing antibody.

BACKGROUND New lymphatic growth may contribute to tumor metastasis. Activation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR-3) by its ligands VEGF-C and -D is necessary for embryonic and tumor lymphangiogenesis. However, the exact role of VEGFR-3 signaling in adult lymphangiogenesis and in lymphatic vessel survival and regeneration is unclear. METHODS A novel rat monoclonal antibody to murine VEGFR-3, mF4-31C1, which potently antagonizes the binding of VEGF-C to VEGFR-3, was developed. We tested the effects of systemic mF4-31C1 administration in a mouse tail skin model of lymphatic regeneration, either with or without local overexpression of VEGF-C, and we observed lymphatic and blood vessel regeneration over time using microlymphangiography and immunostaining. RESULTS Normal mice regenerated complete and functional lymphatic vessels within 60 days of surgery. In athymic mice implanted with VEGF-C-overexpressing human breast carcinoma cells, lymphatic regeneration took place over 25 days and resulted in hyperplastic vessels. Under either condition, no lymphatic regeneration occurred in mice receiving mF4-31C1 during the regeneration period. Blood angiogenesis and preexisting lymphatic vessels were unaffected, both in morphology and in function. CONCLUSIONS Blocking VEGFR-3 completely and specifically prevented both physiologically normal and tumor VEGF-C-enhanced lymphangiogenesis in the adult mouse but had no effect on either blood angiogenesis or the survival or function of existing lymphatic vessels. Thus, targeting VEGFR-3 with specific inhibitors may block new lymphatic growth exclusively.
The physics of pulses in gamma‐ray bursts: emission processes, temporal profiles and time‐lags

We present a simple, semi-analytical model to explain gamma-ray burst temporal and spectral properties in the context of the internal shock model. Each individual pulse in the temporal profiles is produced by the deceleration of fast moving material by a comparatively slower layer within a relativistic wind. The spectral evolution of synthetic pulses is first obtained with standard equipartition assumptions to estimate the post-shock magnetic field and the electron Lorentz factor. We find Ep t - δ with δ = 7/2, which is much steeper than the observed slopes δ o b s ? 1.5. We therefore consider the possibility that the equipartition parameters depend on the shock strength and post-shock density. We then obtain a much better agreement with the observations and our synthetic pulses satisfy both the hardness-intensity and hardness-fluence correlations. We also compute time-lags between profiles in different energy channels and we find that they decrease with increasing hardness. Finally, we compare our predicted time-lag-luminosity relation with the result of Norris, Marani & Bonnell obtained from six bursts with known redshift.
FUEL TREATMENT FOR FOREST RESILIENCE AND CLIMATE MITIGATION: A CRITICAL REVIEW FOR CONIFEROUS FORESTS OF CALIFORNIA

iii HIGHLIGHTS . iv TABLE OF CONTENTS . v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . 1 1: Introduction . 3 1.1 Background . 3 1.2 Goals and Objectives . 4 2: Review of Literature by Research Question . 8 2.1 Overview of Carbon in California Forest Ecosystems . 8 2.1.1 Forest Carbon Pools . 8 2.1.2. Totals . 8 2.1. 3 Standing Live and Dead Trees, Understory Vegetation . 10 2.1. 4 Down Dead Wood . 10 2.1. 5 Forest Floor . 11 2.1. 6 Soil Organic Matter . 11 2.1. 7 Summary . 12 2.2 Fuel Treatment Efficacy under Severe Weather Conditions . 12 2.2.1 Summary . 15 2.3 Impact of Fuel Treatment on Potential Stand Level Carbon Sequestration . 16 2.3. 1 Summary . 20 2.4 The Efficacy of Different Fuel Treatments over Time . 20 2.4. 1 Summary . 22 2.5 Impact of Different Types of Wood and Biomass on Overall Carbon Balance . 22 2.5. 1 Decomposition of biomass within forests . 23 2.5. 2 Decomposition of harvested wood products . 23
Steganography in Arabic Text Using Zero Width and Kashidha Letters

The need for secure communication methods has significantly increased with the explosive growth of the internet and mobile communications. The usage of text documents has doubled several times over the past years especially with mobile devices. In this paper we propose a new steganography algorithm for Arabic text. The algorithm employs some letters that can be joined with other letters. These letters are the extension letter, Kashida and Zero width character. The extension letter, Kashida, does not have any change in the word meaning if joined to other letters. Also, the Zero width character (Ctrl+ Shift +1) does not change the meaning. The new proposed algorithm, Zero Width and Kashidha Letters (ZKS), mitigate the possibility to be discovered by steganoanalysis through using parallel connection and permutation function.
A Verified Translation from Circus to CSP M

We are proposing the implementation of a verified tool capable of translating Circus programs into CSPM allowing the user to perform model checking using existing tools such as FDR. In this paper, we discuss some existing strategies for a manual translation and then we summarise the steps required in order to produce and verify the implementation of a translation tool.
Phylogenetics of modern birds in the era of genomics

In the 14 years since the first higher-level bird phylogenies based on DNA sequence data, avian phylogenetics has witnessed the advent and maturation of the genomics era, the completion of the chicken genome and a suite of technologies that promise to add considerably to the agenda of avian phylogenetics. In this review, we summarize current approaches and data characteristics of recent higher-level bird studies and suggest a number of as yet untested molecular and analytical approaches for the unfolding tree of life for birds. A variety of comparative genomics strategies, including adoption of objective quality scores for sequence data, analysis of contiguous DNA sequences provided by large-insert genomic libraries, and the systematic use of retroposon insertions and other rare genomic changes all promise an integrated phylogenetics that is solidly grounded in genome evolution. The avian genome is an excellent testing ground for such approaches because of the more balanced representation of single-copy and repetitive DNA regions than in mammals. Although comparative genomics has a number of obvious uses in avian phylogenetics, its application to large numbers of taxa poses a number of methodological and infrastructural challenges, and can be greatly facilitated by a ‘community genomics’ approach in which the modest sequencing throughputs of single PI laboratories are pooled to produce larger, complementary datasets. Although the polymerase chain reaction era of avian phylogenetics is far from complete, the comparative genomics era—with its ability to vastly increase the number and type of molecular characters and to provide a genomic context for these characters—will usher in a host of new perspectives and opportunities for integrating genome evolution and avian phylogenetics.
Supporting Test Suite Evolution through Test Case Adaptation

Software systems evolve during development and maintenance, and many test cases designed for the early versions of the system become obsolete during the software lifecycle. Repairing test cases that do not compile due to changes in the code under test and generating new test cases to test the changed code is an expensive and time consuming activity that could benefit from automated approaches. In this paper we propose an approach for automatically repairing and generating test cases during software evolution. Differently from existing approaches to test case generation, our approach uses information available in existing test cases, defines a set of heuristics to repair test cases invalidated by changes in the software, and generate new test cases for evolved software. The results obtained with a prototype implementation of the technique show that the approach can effectively maintain evolving test suites, and perform well compared to competing approaches.
The interaction between the Bank of England's forecasts and policy, and the outturn

There are long, (and often variable), lags between a change in interest rates and its effect on real output and inflation. Hence policy should be based on forecasts, (King 2000). So the eventual out-turn, e.g. for output and inflation, is a complex combination of the skills of the forecaster, the response of the policy-makers to the forecasts (and to their other, possibly private, sources of information), and the impact of shocks which were unforeseen at the time of the forecast. The aim of this paper is to try to disentangle this mixture in the particular case of the Bank of England, and thereby to assess the skills of the forecasters, the adequacy of the response of the monetary authorities, and the time path of shocks which were unanticipated at the time of the original forecasts.
Distributed matrix factorization with mapreduce using a series of broadcast-joins

The efficient, distributed factorization of large matrices on clusters of commodity machines is crucial to applying latent factor models in industrial-scale recommender systems. We propose an efficient, data-parallel low-rank matrix factorization with Alternating Least Squares which uses a series of broadcast-joins that can be efficiently executed with MapReduce. We empirically show that the performance of our solution is suitable for real-world use cases. We present experiments on two publicly available datasets and on a synthetic dataset termed Bigflix, generated from the Netflix dataset. Bigflix contains 25 million users and more than 5 billion ratings, mimicking data sizes recently reported as Netflix' production workload. We demonstrate that our approach is able to run an iteration of Alternating Least Squares in six minutes on this dataset. Our implementation has been contributed to the open source machine learning library Apache Mahout.
Stable three-axis nuclear-spin gyroscope in diamond

We propose a sensitive and stable three-axis gyroscope in diamond. We achieve high sensitivity by exploiting the long coherence time of the N14 nuclear spin associated with the Nitrogen-Vacancy center in diamond, and the efficient polarization and measurement of its electronic spin. While the gyroscope is based on a simple Ramsey interferometry scheme, we use coherent control of the quantum sensor to improve its coherence time as well as its robustness against long-time drifts, thus achieving a very robust device with a resolution of 0.5mdeg/s/(Hz mm^3)^(1/2). In addition, we exploit the four axes of delocalization of the Nitrogen-Vacancy center to measure not only the rate of rotation, but also its direction, thus obtaining a compact three-axis gyroscope.