Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of survivin protein in pterygium and relationship with oxidative DNA damage

Ultraviolet radiation is known to cause oxidative DNA damage and is thought to be a major factor implicated in the pathogenesis of pterygium. Among all the photo‐oxidative DNA products, the 8‐hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG) is regarded a sensitive and stable biomarker for evaluating the degree of DNA damage. The protein p53 is a major cell stress regulator that acts to integrate signals from a wide range of cellular stresses. UV radiation has a carcinogenic effect resulting in DNA damaged cells with loss of normal growth control. This assumption is supported by the association between UV‐B exposure and activation of survivin, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family (IAP), highly up‐regulated in almost all types of human malignancy. In this study we demonstrate, for the first time in pterygium, the immunohistochemical presence of survivin, and investigate the correlation between survivin, p53 and 8‐OHdG. Our results demonstrate that oxidative stress could lead to a significant activation of survivin expression, suggesting that this might be an important event in the development of pterygium, inducing and supporting a hyperproliferative condition. Survivin expression in pterygium would counteract UV‐B‐induced apoptosis and would cooperate with loss of p53. The co‐operation between survivin and functional loss of p53 might provide a general mechanism for aberrant inhibition of apoptosis that could be responsible for the development of pterygium and its possible progression to neoplasia.
Distances to Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars Using Red Clump Stars

We identify "red clump stars"—core helium-burning giants—among 2MASS stars and use them to measure the run of reddening with distance in the direction of each of the Galactic anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs). We combine this with extinction estimates from X-ray spectroscopy to infer distances and find that the locations of all AXPs are consistent with being in Galactic spiral arms. We also find that the 2-10 keV luminosities implied by our distances are remarkably similar for all AXPs, being all around ~1.3 × 1035 ergs s-1. Furthermore, using our distances to estimate effective blackbody-emitting radii, we find that the radii are tightly anticorrelated with pulsed fraction and somewhat less tightly anticorrelated with blackbody temperature. We find no obvious relationship of any property with the dipole magnetic field strength inferred from the spin-down rate.
Mapreduce: Incremental Iterative Mapreduce

Cloud intelligence applications often perform iterative computations (e.g., PageRank) on constantly changing data sets (e.g., Web graph). While previous studies extend MapReduce for efficient iterative computations, it is too expensive to perform an entirely new large-scale MapReduce iterative job to timely accommodate new changes to the underlying data sets. In this paper, we propose i 2 MapReduce to support incremental iterative computation. We observe that in many cases, the changes impact only a very small fraction of the data sets, and the newly iteratively converged state is quite close to the previously converged state. i 2 MapReduce exploits this observation to save re-computation by starting from the previously converged state, and by performing incremental updates on the changing data. Our preliminary result is quite promising. i 2 MapReduce sees significant performance improvement over re-computing iterative jobs in MapReduce.
Investigating the role of self-efficacy in development of household jobs of rural women (Case Study: Bawi county)

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of self-efficacy in the development of rural women's household jobs in Bawi county. This research is descriptive-correlational. The population of this study included all entrepreneur rural women in household jobs in Bawi county (N=185). Using Morgan &krejcie table, sample size was estimated as 120. The main tool to collect information was a questionnaire. The results showed that 11.7 percent of the respondents had low levels of self-efficacy, 79.2 were at an average level and only 9.2 were at high levels of self-efficacy. There was a significant negative relationship between age, number of children, obstacles and limitations and social values with self-efficacy of women. There was a significant positive correlation between Training and the number of Training courses with self-efficacy. Developing self-efficacy training programs, entrepreneurship programs focusing on young people and single people, and creating diversity are recommended for increasing self-efficacy among rural women with household jobs.
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms Dis Aquat Org Epizoic Amoebae from the Gills of Turbot Scophthalmus Maximus

Species of amoebae belonging to the genera Platyamoeba Page, 1969, Vannella Bovee, 1965 and Flabellula Schaeffer, 1926 were found to accompany Paramoeba sp. , the agent of amoebic gill disease (AGD), in cl~nically diseased turbots. The same community of epizoic gymnamoebae was found on the gills of turbots which revealed no gill abnormalities but slight behavioral signs indicat~ve of sub-optimal health status. The assemblage of the above-mentioned free-living amoebae capable of colonizing gill tissue of turbots was supplemented with species recognized in samples fixed from primary isolates for transmission electron microscopy. The pathogenic potential of epizoic gill amoebae in turbots is discussed.
High voltage switch using series-connected IGBTs with simple auxiliary circuit

There is much need for high voltage solid-state-switches in a broad area of applications. To get a high voltage switch, the series-connection of a solid state device is usually used. The main problem in such high voltage switches is to guarantee the voltage balance across the device both at a static and dynamic transient state. This paper presents a simple and reliable voltage-balancing scheme of the high voltage switch stack using series-connected IGBTs. With the proposed method, using a simple voltage balancing circuit, high-voltage semiconductor switches are realized with working voltages of several orders of kilo-volts. The operation principle of the proposed circuit is explained and analyzed. Transient and static voltage balancing is tested on an experimental 20 kV/400 A switch with sixteen series-connected IGBT modules.
Regional variance analysis of innovation output in China

In order to study regional technological innovation output capability for an overall understanding, this paper finds the technological innovation output can be decomposed into two kinds through factor analysis: short-term S&T application output and independent innovation output. To find the regional differences in these two outputs, the paper Building a scientific measurement of regional S&T supply and demand model based on the analysis of the influence factors of the innovation output, by which the basic situation of regional S&T supply and demand in China is estimated. Finally, the relationship between regional innovation out and S&T supply and demand characteristics is found by an empirical analysis. The empirical results show that the independent innovation output in China is strongly correlated to the high S&T supply, but is not to the local S&T demand, indicating the development of regional S&T has not yet entered the demand-driven stage. In the short-term S&T applications, such as technology trade, technology transfer, there is no significant difference across regions. The universal problem need to solve is how to strengthen the technology market mechanisms to promote virtuous circle of R&D and application.
"I can't get no sleep": discussing #insomnia on twitter

Emerging research has shown that social media services are being used as tools to disclose a range of personal health information. To explore the role of social media in the discussion of mental health issues, and with particular reference to insomnia and sleep disorders, a corpus of 18,901 messages - or Tweets - posted to the microblogging social media service Twitter were analysed using a mixed methods approach. We present a content analysis which revealed that Tweets that contained the word "insomnia" contained significantly more negative health information than a random sample, strongly suggesting that individuals were making disclosures about their sleep disorder. A subsequent thematic analysis then revealed two themes: coping with insomnia, and describing the experience of insomnia. We discuss these themes as well as the implications of our research for those in the interaction design community interested in integrating online social media systems in health interventions.
Hydroxyethyl Starch Exhibits Antiinflammatory Effects in the Intestines of Endotoxemic Rats

We performed the present in vivo study to investigate the effect of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) on intestinal production of inflammatory mediators and activation of transcription factors during endotoxemia. Rats with endotoxemia induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (5 mg/kg, IV) were treated with HES (16 mL/kg, IV) or saline (64 mL/kg, IV). At 2, 3, or 6 h after the LPS challenge, the rat ileal tissues were collected. Various ileal inflammatory mediator levels (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin [IL]-6, cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1, and IL-10), inflammatory mediator messenger RNAs (mRNAs), activities of nuclear factor (NF)-&kgr;B and activator protein (AP)-1, and ileal myeloperoxidase-positive cells were determined in each group. HES significantly reduced the increased intestinal levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1, and the mRNAs in the endotoxemic rats. Similarly, HES could decrease the myeloperoxidase-positive cells induced by LPS and also inhibit ileal NF-&kgr;B and AP-1 activations. Our results suggest that during endotoxemia HES may down-regulate intestinal inflammatory mediator production, and this antiinflammatory effect of HES may act through suppression of NF-&kgr;B and AP-1 activations.
Robust Grid Adaptation for Efficient Uncertainty Quantification

the meshes to obtain more accurate solutions at each sample point in stochastic space, such a procedure can be both cumbersomeandcomputationally expensive. Toimprove theefficiencyof this process,anew robust gridadaptation technique is proposed that is aimed at minimizing the numerical error over a range of variations of the uncertain parameters of interest about a nominal state. Using this approach, it is possible to generate computational grids that are insensitive to small variations of the uncertain parameters that can both locally and globally change the solution and, as a result, the error distribution. This is in contrast with classical adjoint techniques, which seek to adapt the gridwiththeaimofminimizingnumericalerrorsforaspecific flowcondition(andgeometry). Itisdemonstratedthat flow computations on these robust grids result in low numerical errors under the expected range of variations of the uncertain input parameters. The effectiveness of this strategy is demonstrated in problems involving the Poisson equation and the Euler equations at transonic and supersonic/hypersonic speeds.
Opportunities for Moodle data and learning intelligence in Virtual Environments

Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) have increased immensely in their popularity worldwide. In the UK, every higher educational institution is using one or more VLEs to assist teaching. Because of the growing number of online interactions with these environments, students are leaving trails of information regarding their online activities. This data is descriptive of students' behavior and has the potential of becoming a goldmine of educational data.
Inverse scattering at a fixed energy for long-range potentials

In this paper we consider the inverse scattering problem at a fixed energy for the Schrodinger equation with a long-range potential in $R^d, d\geq 3$. We prove that the long-range part can be uniquely reconstructed from the leading forward singularity of the scattering amplitude at some positive energy.
The Flavodiiron Protein Flv3 Functions as a Homo-Oligomer During Stress Acclimation and is Distinct from the Flv1/Flv3 Hetero-Oligomer Specific to the O2 Photoreduction Pathway

The flavodiiron proteins (FDPs) Flv1 and Flv3 in cyanobacteria function in photoreduction of O2 to H2O, without concomitant formation of reactive oxygen species, known as the Mehler-like reaction. Both Flv1 and Flv3 are essential for growth under fluctuating light (FL) intensities, providing protection for PSI. Here we compared the global transcript profiles of the wild type (WT), Δflv1 and Δflv1/Δflv3 grown under constant light (GL) and FL. In the WT, FL induced the largest down-regulation in transcripts involved in carbon-concentrating mechanisms (CCMs), while those of the nitrogen assimilation pathways increased as compared with GL. Already under GL the Δflv1/Δflv3 double mutant demonstrated a partial down-regulation of transcripts for CCM and nitrogen metabolism, while in FL conditions the transcripts for nitrogen assimilation were strongly down-regulated. Many alterations were specific only for Δflv1/Δflv3, and not detected in Δflv1, suggesting that certain transcripts are affected primarily because of the lack of flv3. By constructing the strains overproducing solely either Flv1 or Flv3, we demonstrate that the homo-oligomers of these proteins also function in acclimation of cells to FL, by catalyzing reactions with as yet unidentified components, while the presence of both Flv1 and Flv3 is a prerequisite for the Mehler-like reaction and thus the electron transfer to O2. Considering the low expression of flv1, it is unlikely that the Flv1 homo-oligomer is present in the WT.
Cs 395t: Celebrity Look-alikes *

This project explores the problem of finding the celebrity who most resembles the individual in a given photo. This problem is more general than face recognition (and therefore more challenging). I first compare the performance of an Eigenfaces-like model with Active Appearance Models to determine which is more suitable for this task. Then I compare Fischer’s Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), a traditional approach to face recognition, with Holub et al.’s perceptual map (PMap), which is specifically designed to measure face similarity across individuals. The results indicate that this problem is far from solved.
On the ergodic secrecy capacity of MIMO wiretap channels with statistical CSI

Wireless security has become an important issue for modern wireless networks. Due to the broadcast nature of wireless channels possibility of eavesdropping the transmission is provided for non-legitimate receivers. In the present paper, we consider a multi-antenna wiretap channel in a fast-fading environment with only statistical channel state information available at the receiver. The overall performance of such channel is characterized by the ergodic secrecy capacity, which, in general, cannot be characterized explicitly. Nevertheless, based on the assumption that the numbers of antennas at legitimate terminals and the number of eavesdroppers grow large without bound, we derive a deterministic approximation for the achievable ergodic secrecy rate under arbitrary channel inputs. The obtained large-system approximation matches well with the actual simulated secrecy rates, revealing some interesting behavior of the secrecy rates in the given scenario.
Visualisations of Large Object-Oriented

The use of ternary diagrams to represent normalised call graph directions permit the succinct visualisations of object-oriented (OO) systems. Important features of such diagrams include (i) the ability to compare diierent object-oriented applications; and (ii) the potential ability to make value judgments about partially completed systems. Ternary diagrams also permit an overview of very large graphs. For example, we present here a visualisation of ve OO applications comprising 1,643 vertices and 194,451 edges.
Intentional Programming - Innovation in the Legacy Age

Even as the software industry learns to deliver higher quality programs and on more predictable schedules, we feel dissatisfied. We feel that the promise of software is so much greater thant what has been actually achieved, especially in the reuse area. We feel ashamed every time we see that on the hardware side Moore’s law has worked for yet another 18 months and for yet another factor of two in performance.
The use of metacognitive learning strategies and their influence on speaking proficiency of third-year students from the english teaching major at the Department of Foreing Languajes of The University of El Salvador during the year 2014

This research deals with the use of the metacognitive learning strategies and their influence in the development of speaking proficiency of the students learning English as a foreign language. Previous studies about metacognition, suggest that it is possible to reach a higher level of speaking proficiency if the metacognitive strategies are used. The main goal of this study was to measure if the English language students at the Department of Foreign Languages at the University of El Salvador to improve their spe aking proficiency when they use the metacognitive strategies. The design of this study is correlational-causal, the researchers just look to see if there is any relationship between the variables under study, besides that the researchers used a questionnaire (strategy inventory for language learning SILL) and an interview guide called spiral development to collect all the data to analyze the results. The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software was used, in order to analyze the results and come up with the main findings and conclusions of the study. The findings revealed that the development of the speaking proficiency in the case of the English languages students from the University of El Salvador, not all the time depends on the use of the metacognitive strategies . However, in different education contexts the use of metacognitive strategies has been proved that they have a positive impact in the development of speaking proficiency.
The X-Ray Luminosity Function and Gas Mass Function for Optically Selected Poor and Rich Clusters of Galaxies

We present the first X-ray luminosity function (XLF) for an optically selected sample of 49 nearby poor clusters of galaxies and a sample of 67 Abell clusters with z ≤ 0.15. We have extended the measured cluster XLF by more than a factor of 10 in X-ray luminosity. Our poor cluster sample was drawn from an optical catalog of groups with 0.01 ≤ z ≤ 0.03 composed of Zwicky galaxies. The X-ray emission was measured from the ROSAT all-sky survey. About 45% of the poor clusters were detected, with 0.5-2.0 keV luminosities from 1.7 to 65 × 1041 h-2 ergs s-1. These are among the X-ray brightest, optically selected poor clusters in the northern hemisphere. For this sample, the poor cluster XLF was found to be a smooth extrapolation of the rich cluster XLF. A new Hydro/N-body simulation of a hot + cold dark matter model with Ωtotal = 1, Ων = 0.2, and a baryon fraction of 7.5% was used to model and understand our observational selection effects. We found that the observed cluster gas mass function was consistent with our model.
Chondroitin sulfate-derived disaccharide protects retinal cells from elevated intraocular pressure in aged and immunocompromised rats.

PURPOSE A disaccharide (DS) derived from the naturally occurring compound chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) was recently shown to have neuroprotective activity. The authors examined the ability of this compound (CSPG-DS) to protect retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) from death caused by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). METHODS With the use of chronic and acute models of elevated IOP, the authors examined the effects of CSPG-DS on RGC survival in adult ( approximately 2 months old), aged (10-12 months old), and immunocompromised Lewis rats. Systemic, topical, and oral routes of administration were examined. RESULTS CSPG-DS protected RGCs from IOP-induced death. Treatment was effective in all three examined rat populations (normal adult, aged, and immunocompromised rats) and with all routes of administration, possibly in part through its control of microglial activity. CONCLUSIONS Results point to the therapeutic potential of CSPG-DS for glaucoma, particularly in elderly populations for whom disease prevalence is high.
RoboCup@Home: Demonstrating Everyday Manipulation Skills in RoboCup@Home

As benchmarking robotics research is inherently difficult, robot competitions are increasingly popular. They bring together researchers, students, and enthusiasts who are in the pursuit of a technological challenge. Prominent examples for such competitions include the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA's) Grand and Urban Challenges [1], the International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC) [2], the European Land-Robot Trial (ELROB) [3], and, last but not least, RoboCup [4], [5].
Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern and Their Beta-Lactamase Encoding Genes among Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains Isolated from Cancer Patients

This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of metallo-β-lactamases (MBL) and extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) in P. aeruginosa isolates collected from two different hospitals in Cairo, Egypt. Antibiotic susceptibility testing and phenotypic screening for ESBLs and MBLs were performed on 122 P. aeruginosa isolates collected in the period from January 2011 to March 2012. MICs were determined. ESBLs and MBLs genes were sought by PCR. The resistant rate to imipenem was 39.34%. The resistance rates for P. aeruginosa to cefuroxime, cefoperazone, ceftazidime, aztreonam, and piperacillin/tazobactam were 87.7%, 80.3%, 60.6%, 45.1%, and 25.4%, respectively. Out of 122 P. aeruginosa, 27% and 7.4% were MBL and ESBL, respectively. The prevalence of bla VIM-2, bla OXA-10-, bla VEB-1, bla NDM-, and bla IMP-1-like genes were found in 58.3%, 41.7%, 10.4%, 4.2%, and 2.1%, respectively. GIM-, SPM-, SIM-, and OXA-2-like genes were not detected in this study. OXA-10-like gene was concomitant with VIM-2 and/or VEB. Twelve isolates harbored both OXA-10 and VIM-2; two isolates carried both OXA-10 and VEB. Only one strain contained OXA-10, VIM-2, and VEB. In conclusion, bla VIM-2- and bla OXA-10-like genes were the most prevalent genes in P. aeruginosa in Egypt. To our knowledge, this is the first report of bla VIM-2, bla IMP-1, bla NDM, and bla OXA-10 in P. aeruginosa in Egypt.
Fault-Tolerant Event Detection Using Two Thresholds in Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper presents a fault-tolerant event detection scheme for wireless sensor networks. Unlike others using a single threshold, the proposed scheme employs two thresholds to cope with the trade-off between event detection accuracy and false alarm rate. An extremely low false alarm rate can be achieved by using a high threshold, while high detection accuracy is obtained by using a low threshold. A sensor node is determined to be in an event region if it passes the high threshold. It can also be determined to be in the region, as long as it passes the low threshold and has a neighbor that passes the high threshold. The dissemination of a local decision to neighboring nodes is made only once to minimize the communication overhead. A moving average filter with a threshold is employed to reduce the impact of transient faults in sensor readings. Computer simulation shows that the proposed scheme also achieves acceptable performance in detecting event regions without computational overhead.