Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Visual Research Methods in the Social Sciences: Awakening Visions

to be found in the tiny section (a mere four items) called ‘‘Laughing at Religion’’. There are proportionately fewer of this high quality to be found among the eleven items in Part 1 on ‘‘Religious Laughter’’. It is clearly better to laugh at than laugh with. The weakness of many chapters is that their authors know nothing of the detailed modern studies of humour by anthropologists, folklorists, psychologists, and sociologists and rely heavily on the outmoded and value-laden speculative theories of Hobbes, Bergson, Spencer, Freud, Lessing, Hutcheson, Koestler, etc., which they apply uncritically to a vague and often contextless entity called ‘humour’. Hence we get such absurd propositions as ‘‘Humour has a hermeneutic purpose . the humorist, like the scientist in his laboratory wishes to reveal the world (as well the individual’s world as our shared world) as it is sharply and accurately’’ (30). Of what proportion of humour and humorists is this true? Does the parallel between humorist and scientist make any sense at all? The same writer treats jokes as if they had fixed texts and single meanings. In reality the wording of a joke changes with every telling and so do its implications, which very much depend on context and on the (sometimes arbitrary) gloss that the speaker or the recorder of the joke adds to it. Johan Taels entitles his chapter ‘‘Humour as Practical Wisdom’’. It isn’t. Humour can be pressed into the service of practical wisdom, but only by holding it within an imposed serious frame. Regrettably, this kind of elementary error also permeates many of the other chapters. These authors’ analyses are also warped by their insistence on denouncing the use of mocking forms of humour in religious controversy. They fail to see that this prissy view is a product of the secular relativism of liberals (in the American sense of the term), which is the very antithesis of religion. Historically, having a strong faith implies scorn for those who dissent and this often gives rise to a humour of superiority. Why should we deny the validity of the spirituality of those who are dogmatic and fervent to the point where their humour shows a disdain for the sensibilities of non-believers or the believers in a rival religion? Humour is often nasty without ceasing to be funny and religion is often nasty without ceasing to be genuine.
Can We Use Programmer's Knowledge? Fixing Parameter Configuration Errors in Hadoop through Analyzing Q&amp;A Sites

Configuration errors are common in software systems, especially in cloud systems with plenty of components and configuration files. In this paper, we propose a fully automatic approach to fixing parameter configuration errors via analyzing Q&A sites. We analyze the pages and retrieve a list of question answers. Then we generate edit scripts through answer posts in question pages automatically. Experiment results show that our approach is able to generate fixing scripts, and these scripts can accurately reflect solutions buried in natural language of answer posts with 83.60% ratio.
A Robust Classifier Ensemble for Improving the Performance of Classification

Usage of recognition systems has found many applications in almost all fields. Generally in design of multiple classifier systems, the more diverse the results of the classifiers, the more appropriate the aggregated result. While most of classification algorithms have obtained a good performance for specific problems they have not enough robustness for other problems. Combination of multiple classifiers can be considered as a general solution method for pattern recognition problems. It has been shown that combination of multiple classifiers can usually operate better than a single classifier system provided that its components are independent or their components have diverse outputs. It has been shown that the necessary diversity for the ensemble can be achieved by manipulation of dataset features, manipulation of data points in dataset, different sub-samplings of dataset, and usage of different classification algorithms. We also propose a new method of creating this diversity. We use Linear Discriminant Analysis to manipulate the data points in dataset. The ensemble created by proposed method may not always outperform any of its members, it always possesses the diversity needed for creation of an ensemble, and consequently it always outperforms the simple classifier systems.
Influencing Individually: Fusing Personalization and Persuasion

Personalized technologies aim to enhance user experience by taking into account users’ interests, preferences, and other relevant information. Persuasive technologies aim to modify user attitudes, intentions, or behavior through computer-human dialogue and social influence. While both personalized and persuasive technologies influence user interaction and behavior, we posit that this influence could be significantly increased if the two technologies were combined to create personalized and persuasive systems. For example, the persuasive power of a one-size-fits-all persuasive intervention could be enhanced by considering the users being influenced and their susceptibility to the persuasion being offered. Likewise, personalized technologies could cash in on increased success, in terms of user satisfaction, revenue, and user experience, if their services used persuasive techniques. Hence, the coupling of personalization and persuasion has the potential to enhance the impact of both technologies. This new, developing area clearly offers mutual benefits to both research areas, as we illustrate in this special issue.
What makes the lac-pathway switch: identifying the fluctuations that trigger phenotype switching in gene regulatory systems

Multistable gene regulatory systems sustain different levels of gene expression under identical external conditions. Such multistability is used to encode phenotypic states in processes including nutrient uptake and persistence in bacteria, fate selection in viral infection, cell-cycle control and development. Stochastic switching between different phenotypes can occur as the result of random fluctuations in molecular copy numbers of mRNA and proteins arising in transcription, translation, transport and binding. However, which component of a pathway triggers such a transition is generally not known. By linking single-cell experiments on the lactose-uptake pathway in E. coli to molecular simulations, we devise a general method to pinpoint the particular fluctuation driving phenotype switching and apply this method to the transition between the uninduced and induced states of the lac-genes. We find that the transition to the induced state is not caused only by the single event of lac-repressor unbinding, but depends crucially on the time period over which the repressor remains unbound from the lac-operon. We confirm this notion in strains with a high expression level of the lac-repressor (leading to shorter periods over which the lac-operon remains unbound), which show a reduced switching rate. Our techniques apply to multistable gene regulatory systems in general and allow to identify the molecular mechanisms behind stochastic transitions in gene regulatory circuits.
Signal Attenuation-aware Clustering in Wireless Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Due to the dynamic nature of wireless mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), clustering is recognized as a promising solution for enhancing the scalability of MANETs against frequent topology changes. Numerous techniques have been proposed to achieve resistant-to-mobility and energy conservation of the network. Most of the existing clustering algorithms assume an ideal network environment with no signal strength attenuation. Therefore, these works fail to scale well in realistic MANETs. In this paper, we present a novel weighted clustering approach in which using received signal strength as an important clustering criterion. By modeling signal attenuation scenarios, the proposed algorithm parameterizes clustering criteria to estimate the quality value of a mobile node. A mobile node with maximum quality value has high probability to play as a clusterhead. Furthermore, we offer an efficient event driven mechanism to handle the dynamic topology of network. We compare the results of SECA with two other well-known clustering approaches; MCFA and GDMAC by using different performance metrics. Simulation results show that SECA is an efficient approach for clustering in realistic network environments and has a good performance in comparison with the other two approaches.
Clarifying Distance Education Roles and Competencies: Exploring Similarities and Differences Between Professional and Student-Practitioner Perspectives

The authors utilized a Delphi technique to explore roles and competencies as identified and ranked by 106 upper level graduate student-practitioners from eleven academic programs specializing in distance education. Responses were compared to two previous studies utilizing distance education expert/scholar respondents. Although the roles identified were similar to previous studies, the highest rated competencies in the current study emphasized technical expertise to a greater degree than did the previous practitioner/scholar studies. Results included consensus on fourteen distance education roles and twenty-one core competencies.
The sustained inward current and inward rectifier K+ current in pacemaker cells dissociated from rat sinoatrial node

1 Myocytes were dissociated from the sinoatrial (SA) node of rat heart using a new enzymatic dissociation technique. Only a small number of isolated SA node myocytes showed regular rhythmic contractions and spontaneous action potentials, and these were used in the present study. 2 The spontaneous action potential was resistant to TTX, and the action potential parameters were similar to those of rabbit and guinea‐pig pacemaker cells. Major time‐ and voltage‐dependent currents were the delayed rectifier K+ current IKr, the L‐type Ca2+ current ICa,L and the sodium current INa. The hyperpolarization‐activated cation current (If) was recorded from ≈50 % of the cells with hyperpolarization beyond ‐90 mV. 3 The instantaneous current jump at the onset of a hyperpolarizing pulse showed inward rectification and was largely blocked by Ba2+. This Ba2+‐sensitive current corresponded well to the inward rectifier K+ current (IK1), although it was much smaller in amplitude than in the ventricle. 4 A sustained inward current was activated on depolarization from ‐80 mV to the voltage range of slow diastolic depolarization. The current was blocked by nicardipine, enlarged by isoprenaline and was insensitive to removal of external Ca2+. These characteristics were similar to the sustained inward current, Ist, previously described in the rabbit and guinea‐pig SA node cells. 5 The role of Ist was considered by constructing empirical equations, which were applied to the experimental record of the action potential. It is demonstrated that the voltage‐dependent activation of Ist constitutes a positive feedback loop with the depolarization of the membrane.
Changing trends: An overview of breast cancer incidence and mortality

The incidence of breast cancer rose about 1% per year between 1940 and 1980 according to data in the Connecticut Tumor Registry. A sharp increase of 32% was reported between 1980 and 1987 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute. Data from this program shows that the increase in incidence was due to localized cases and cancers of less than 2 cm in greatest dimension. In addition, a sharp increase in carcinoma in situ was observed. The increase in breast cancer incidence coincides with an increased use of mammography in asymptomatic women in the 1980s. Mortality from breast cancer has changed little since the 1930s, but the increases in localized and small‐size tumors and decreases in the rate of tumors of 3 cm or larger at diagnosis indicates that breast cancer mortality may start to decrease. Evidence from provisional breast cancer monthly mortality data suggests that there was a 3–6% drop in 1991 compared to 1990.
Attenuating heat-induced cellular autophagy, apoptosis and damage in H9c2 cardiomyocytes by pre-inducing HSP70 with heat shock preconditioning

Abstract Purpose: We sought to assess whether heat-induced autophagy, apoptosis and cell damage in H9c2 cells can be affected by pre-inducing HSP70 (heat shock protein 70). Materials and methods: Cell viability was determined using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide staining and a lactate dehydrogenase assay. Apoptosis was evidenced using both flow cytometry and counting caspase-3 positive cells, whereas autophagy was evidenced by the increased LC3-II expression and lysosomal activity. Results: The viability of H9c2 cells was temperature-dependently (40–44 °C) and time-dependently (90–180 min) significantly (p < 0.05) reduced by severe heat, which caused cell damage, apoptosis and autophagy. Heat-induced cell injury could be attenuated by pretreatment with 3-methylademine (an autophagy inhibitor) or Z-DEVD-FMK (a caspase-3 inhibitor). Neither apoptosis nor autophagy over the levels found in normothermic controls was induced in heat-shock preconditioned controls (no subsequent heat injury). The beneficial effects of mild heat preconditioning (preventing heat-induced cell damage, apoptosis and autophagy) were significantly attenuated by inhibiting HSP70 overexpression with triptolide (Tripterygium wilfordii) pretreatment. Conclusion: We conclude that pre-inducing HSP70 attenuates heat-stimulated cell autophagy, apoptosis and damage in the heart. However, this requires in vivo confirmation.
Embodied Music Cognition and Mediation Technology: A critical review

During the past few decades, one of the core issues in the debate on human musicality has become explaining how we understand, or make sense of the musical material. Embodied music cognition and mediation technology1 was written by Marc Leman with the aim to clarify this sense-giving process focusing on the cognitive relationship, in the broadest sense, that ties musical subjects and objects. His approach assumes that the (musical) mind results from an embodied interaction with music: The human body can be seen as a biologically designed mediator that transfers physical energy up to a level of action-oriented meanings, to a mental level in which experiences, values, and intentions form the basic components of music signification. The reverse process is also possible: that the human body transfers an idea, or mental representation, into a material or energetic form. (p. xiii) This perspective has been developed according to the previous literature in different disciplines such as psychology, neuroscience, musicology and cognitive science. We will discuss later the peculiar way Leman tackles the problem of musical understanding, as well as its internal and external coherence. For now, we will explore some implications and sub-problems that arise from the adoption of an embodied approach to the study of musical experience.
Test Set Minimization for Sequential VLSI Circuits Under Power or Time Constraints

This paper deals with two problems arising during the testing of sequential VLSI circuits, namely the test sequence compaction problem and the power minimization problem. Here is presented a unified model for both problems and is developed a common algorithmic framework to solve either one of these two problems. In this framework a fast and efficient heuristic subsequence selection method is implemented that constructs a good initial solution with the aid of a gain metric. Then, continuing from this initial solution, an exact Branch and Bound algorithm is employed to search for an optimal solution, specifically tailored for these problems so as to speed up the search process. Experimental results that are presented, comparing the proposed algorithm with other solvers from literature, show the effectiveness of the proposed method. Key-Words: Sequential Digital Circuits, Sequence Compaction, Test Generation, Set Cover methods.
Multi-joint gripper with stiffness Adjuster

This paper proposes a multi-joint-gripper that achieves envelope grasping of unknown shape objects. Proposed mechanism is based on a chain of Planetary Gear Systems (PGS) controlled by only one motor. It also has a Variable Stiffness Mechanism (VSM) that controls joint stiffness to relieve interfering effects suffered from external or internal force/torque and to achieve a dexterous grasping. The experiments elucidate that the developed gripper achieves envelop grasping; the posture of the gripper automatically fits the shape of the object with no sensory feedback. And they also show that the VSM effectively works to relieve external interfering. This paper shows the detail of the mechanism and the experiments of its motion.
DCF/USDMA: Enhanced DCF for uplink SDMA transmissions in WLANs

The traditional IEEE 802.11 DCF allows only one node to access the channel each time. In order to take the benefit of multiple simultaneous uplink transmissions when the AP is equipped with multiple antennas, a new MAC protocol called DCF/USDMA is presented in this paper. DCF/USDMA extends the IEEE 802.11 Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) by introducing a second contention round, which is used to accommodate the multiple simultaneous transmissions from multiple stations. Results show that the DCF/USDMA protocol is able to achieve a significant performance gain compared to that of the conventional DCF, the analysis of which also provides some insights about how the different parameters that control the DCF/USDMA operation can be optimized.
PPDB 2.0: Supplementary Material

• ContainsX – a binary feature that indicates whether the nonterminal symbol X is used in this rule. X is the symbol used in Hiero grammars (Chiang, 2007), and is sometimes used by our syntactic SCFGs when we are unable to assign a linguistically motivated nonterminal. • Equivalence – predicted probability that the paraphrase pair represents semantic equivalence (e1 entails e2 and e2 entails e1), according to model used in Pavlick et al. (2015).
Possible changes to arable crop yields by 2050

By 2050, the world population is likely to be 9.1 billion, the CO2 concentration 550 ppm, the ozone concentration 60 ppb and the climate warmer by ca 2°C. In these conditions, what contribution can increased crop yield make to feeding the world? CO2 enrichment is likely to increase yields of most crops by approximately 13 per cent but leave yields of C4 crops unchanged. It will tend to reduce water consumption by all crops, but this effect will be approximately cancelled out by the effect of the increased temperature on evaporation rates. In many places increased temperature will provide opportunities to manipulate agronomy to improve crop performance. Ozone concentration increases will decrease yields by 5 per cent or more. Plant breeders will probably be able to increase yields considerably in the CO2-enriched environment of the future, and most weeds and airborne pests and diseases should remain controllable, so long as policy changes do not remove too many types of crop-protection chemicals. However, soil-borne pathogens are likely to be an increasing problem when warmer weather will increase their multiplication rates; control is likely to need a transgenic approach to breeding for resistance. There is a large gap between achievable yields and those delivered by farmers, even in the most efficient agricultural systems. A gap is inevitable, but there are large differences between farmers, even between those who have used the same resources. If this gap is closed and accompanied by improvements in potential yields then there is a good prospect that crop production will increase by approximately 50 per cent or more by 2050 without extra land. However, the demands for land to produce bio-energy have not been factored into these calculations.
Targeting histone methylation for colorectal cancer

As a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, colorectal cancer (CRC) results from accumulation of both genetic and epigenetic alterations. Disruption of epigenetic regulation in CRC, particularly aberrant histone methylation mediated by histone methyltransferases (HMTs) and demethylases (HDMs), have drawn increasing interest in recent years. In this paper, we aim to review the roles of histone methylation and associated enzymes in the pathogenesis of CRC, and the development of small-molecule modulators to regulate histone methylation for treating CRC. Multiple levels of evidence suggest that aberrant histone methylations play important roles in CRC. More than 20 histone-methylation enzymes are found to be clinically relevant to CRC, including 17 oncoproteins and 8 tumor suppressors. Inhibitors of EZH2 and DOT1L have demonstrated promising therapeutic effects in preclinical CRC treatment. Potent and selective chemical probes of histone-methylation enzymes are required for validation of their functional roles in carcinogenesis and clinical translations as CRC therapies. With EZH2 inhibitor EPZ-6438 entering into phase I/II trials for advanced solid tumors, histone methylation is emerging as a promising target for CRC.
Periosteum as a source of mesenchymal stem cells: the effects of TGF-β3 on chondrogenesis

INTRODUCTION: Numerous experimental efforts have been undertaken to induce the healing of lesions within articular cartilage by re-establishing competent repair tissue. Adult mesenchymal stem cells have attracted attention as a source of cells for cartilage tissue engineering. The purpose of this study was to investigate chondrogenesis employing periosteal mesenchymal cells. METHODS: Periosteum was harvested from patients who underwent orthopedic surgeries. Mesenchymal stem cells were characterized through flow cytometry using specific antibodies. The stem cells were divided into four groups. Two groups were stimulated with transforming growth factor β3 (TGF-β3), of which one group was cultivated in a monolayer culture and the other was cultured in a micromass culture. The remaining two groups were cultivated in monolayer or micromass cultures in the absence of TGF-β3. Cell differentiation was verified through quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and using western blot analysis. RESULT: In the groups cultured without TGF-β3, only the cells maintained in the micromass culture expressed type II collagen. Both the monolayer and the micromass groups that were stimulated with TGF-β3 expressed type II collagen, which was observed in both quantitative RT-PCR and western blot analysis. The expression of type II collagen was significantly greater in the micromass system than in the monolayer system. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate that the interactions between the cells in the micromass culture system can regulate the proliferation and differentiation of periosteal mesenchymal cells during chondrogenesis and that this effect is enhanced by TGF-β3.
Factors associated with clinical inertia: an integrative review

Failure to initiate or intensify therapy according to evidence-based guidelines is increasingly being acknowledged as a phenomenon that contributes to inadequate management of chronic conditions, and is referred to as clinical inertia. However, the number and complexity of factors associated with the clinical reasoning that underlies the decision-making processes in medicine calls for a critical examination of the consistency of the concept. Indeed, in the absence of information on and justification of treatment decisions that were made, clinical inertia may be only apparent, and actually reflect good clinical practice. This integrative review seeks to address the factors generally associated with clinical inaction, in order to better delineate the concept of true clinical inertia.