Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fine-Grained Metrics of Cohesion Lack for Service Interfaces

A design issue that often appears in real-world services is that their interfaces are not cohesive, i.e., they consist of many and possibly unrelated operations. This issue may complicate the comprehension of the services functionalities and the maintenance of the applications that use them. Currently, the state of the art on case studies that focus on the evaluation of the cohesion of services offered by major service providers is limited, while research efforts on corresponding cohesion metrics are at a quite early stage. In particular, there exist coarse-grained metrics of cohesion lack, which consider that the operations of a service interface are related if the types of certain of their input/output data exactly match. The problem in this approach is that operations which operate on data characterized by similar, but not exactly matching, types are treated as being totally unrelated. Consequently, the aforementioned metrics may overestimate the cohesion lack of service interfaces. In this paper, we undertake a more elaborate approach to evaluate a set of real world services provided by Amazon. Specifically, we propose two fine-grained metrics of cohesion lack, which are defined with respect to the structural similarity of the input/output data types of interface operations. The proposed metrics are formally defined and analytically assessed with respect to fundamental properties of software metrics. Finally we report the results from our case study.
Spotting Words in Latin , Devanagari and Arabic Scripts

A system for spotting words in scanned document images in three scripts, Devanagari, Arabic and Latin is described. Three main components of the system are a word segmenter, a shape based matcher for words and a search interface. The user gives a query which can be either a word image or text. The candidate words that are searched in the documents are retrieved and ranked, where the ranking criterion is a similarity score between the query and the candidate words based on global word shape features. This renders the word spotting technique to be independent of the script used. The performance of system is seen to be better for printed text as compared to handwritten. For handwritten English, a precision of 60% was obtained at a recall of 50%. An alternate approach comprising of prototype selection and word matching, that yields a better performance for handwritten documents is also discussed. For printed Sanskrit documents, a precision as high as 90% was obtained at a Recall of 50%.
Capsular polysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides from two Bacteroides fragilis reference strains: chemical and immunochemical characterization

Fermentor growth of Bacteroides fragilis under controlled conditions in a complex medium containing 1% glucose and 10% fetal calf serum resulted in high yields of bacteria. After hot phenol-water extraction of the organisms, capsular polysaccharide was isolated from the aqueous phase and purified by Sephacryl S-300 chromatography in a buffer with 3% sodium deoxycholate. Lipopolysaccharide was isolated by phenol-chloroform-light petroleum ether extraction. The capsular polysaccharide from B. fragilis strain NCTC 9343 contained six sugars: L-fucose, D-galactose, D- and L-quinovosamine, D-glucosamine, and galacturonic acid. The capsule of strain ATCC 23745 also contained D-glucose, L-fucosamine, L-rhamnosamine, and a 3-amino-3,6-dideoxyhexose but lacked D-quinovosamine. The latter capsule also contained alanine (4%). The capsular polysaccharides were different immunochemically by ELISA inhibition. The lipopolysaccharide of both strains contained the same sugars (L-rhamnose, D-glucose, D-galactose, and D-glucosamine) and fatty acids (13-methyl-tetradecanoic and 3-hydroxy-hexadecanoic and 3-hydroxy-15 methyl-hexadecanoic as major constituents) and were identical by ELISA inhibition.
Berry flavonoids and phenolics: bioavailability and evidence of protective effects

Berries contain vitamin C and are also a rich source of phytochemicals, especially anthocyanins which occur along with other classes of phenolic compounds, including ellagitannins, flavan-3-ols, procyanidins, flavonols and hydroxybenzoate derivatives. This review examines studies with both human subjects and animals on the absorption of these compounds, and their glucuronide, sulphate and methylated metabolites, into the circulatory system from the gastrointestinal tract and the evidence for their localisation within the body in organs such as the brain and eyes. The involvement of the colonic microflora in catabolising dietary flavonoids that pass from the small to the large intestine is discussed along with the potential fate and role of the resultant phenolic acids that can be produced in substantial quantities. The in vitro and in vivo bioactivities of these polyphenol metabolites and catabolites are assessed, and the current evidence for their involvement in the protective effects of dietary polyphenols, within the gastrointestinal tract and other parts of the body to which they are transported by the circulatory system, is reviewed.
Stabilization of Planar Collective Motion: All-to-All Communication

This paper proposes a design methodology to stabilize isolated relative equilibria in a model of all-to-all coupled identical particles moving in the plane at unit speed. Isolated relative equilibria correspond to either parallel motion of all particles with fixed relative spacing or to circular motion of all particles with fixed relative phases. The stabilizing feedbacks derive from Lyapunov functions that prove exponential stability and suggest almost global convergence properties. The results of the paper provide a low-order parametric family of stabilizable collectives that offer a set of primitives for the design of higher-level tasks at the group level
Expression of the cell‐cell adhesion molecule β‐catenin in colorectal carcinomas and their metastases

To study the dynamic events leading to impaired cell‐cell adhesion upon transition to the invasive phenotype of colorectal cancer (CRC), we examined three distinct β‐catenin expression patterns (membranous, cytoplasmic, and nuclear) in the paired samples of the primary tumours (P) and their metastatic lesions (M). β‐catenin expression was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 33 pairs of the primary CRC and their metastases. In a pair‐wise (P‐M) comparison, the membranous index (MI) was significantly different between P and M (p=0.036, Wilcoxon Signed‐Ranks test), while cytoplasmic index (CI) and nuclear index (NI) values did not significantly deviate between P and M. MI in primary tumours was inversely related to the patient's age (p=0.04) and tumour grade (p=0.03), while patients with low MI in M had a high rate of metastasis at diagnosis (p=0.06). CI in P was lower in patients with LN involvement (p=0.02) and in advanced tumour stage (p=0.002). Tumours of the ascending colon had the highest CI in their M (p=0.04). Interestingly, high MI of the M lesions was a significant predictor of favourable overall survival (OS) in univariate (Kaplan‐Meier) survival analysis (p=0.035). In conclusion, significant aberrations in β‐catenin expression probably take place in CRC cells during the development of metastatic phenotype, but a change from membrane expression to cytoplamic and/or nuclear expression is not a prerequisite for metastasis in all cases.
ACID/HNN: clustering hierarchies of neural networks for context-dependent connectionist acoustic modeling

We present the ACID/HNN framework, a principled approach to hierarchical connectionist acoustic modeling in large vocabulary conversational speech recognition (LVCSR). Our approach consists of an agglomerative clustering algorithm based on information divergence (ACID) to automatically design and robustly estimate hierarchies of neural networks (HNN) for arbitrarily large sets of context-dependent decision tree clustered HMM states. We argue that a hierarchical approach is crucial in applying locally discriminative connectionist models to the typically very large state spaces observed in LVCSR systems. We evaluate the ACID/HNN framework on the Switchboard conversational telephone speech corpus. Furthermore, we focus on the benefits of the proposed connectionist acoustic model, namely exploiting the hierarchical structure for speaker adaptation and decoding speed-up algorithms.
An Explanation for the soft X-ray excess in AGN

We present a large sample of type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGN) spectra taken with XMM-Newton, and fit them with both the conventional model (a power law and black body) and the relativistically-blurred photoionized disc reflection model of Ross & Fabian (2005). We find the disc reflection model is a better fit. The disc reflection model successfully reproduces the continuum shape, including the soft excess, of all the sources. The model also reproduces many features that would conventionally be interpreted as absorption edges. We are able to use the model to infer the properties of the sources, specifically that the majority of black holes in the sample are strongly rotating, and that there is a deficit in sources with an inclination > 70 ◦ . We conclude that the disc reflection model is an important tool in the study of AGN X-ray spectra.
Community capitals and ecotourism for enhancing Amazonian forest livelihoods

This article examines ‘whether’ and ‘how’ ecotourism functions to strengthen Amazonian livelihoods in remote areas and community capitals as well helping to protect the environment in rural planning and development. It focuses on the role of ecotourism as a possible enhancer of human, social and natural capitals in the Maripá community. Capitals are believed to be the mainstay for group-oriented practices, harmony, dissemination of knowledge, and maintenance of a healthy and sustainable environment. The decision of making ecotourism an avenue for regional planning and development can work better if communities make ecotourism a collective enterprise, producing collective socio-economic and environmental advantages. As a conceptual follow-up to ‘community capitals’, the authors introduce and discuss a hypothetical cycle of anxiety and elation situation in (eco)tourism development. The article is qualitatively oriented, based on participant observations and open interviews that occurred during a three-month field trip in 2005. Updates were done until November 2010. The analysis is centered on Central Amazonia, particularly on the Puxirum ecotourism project in the Arapiuns-Tapajós region.
Predictors of Adherence to Glatiramer Acetate Therapy in Individuals with Self‐Reported Progressive Forms of Multiple Sclerosis*

&NA; The purpose of this study was to evaluate psychological, biophysical, and sociodemographic variables as predictors of adherence to glatiramer acetate (Copaxone) therapy in individuals with self‐reported progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The literature lends support for self‐efficacy, self‐esteem, hope, and disability to be predictors of adherence. Therefore the hypotheses for this study were (a) higher self‐efficacy will be a significant predictor of adherence, (b) higher self‐esteem will be a significant predictor of adherence, (c) higher hope will be a significant predictor of adherence, and (d) a lower level of disability will be a significant predictor of adherence. The MS Self‐Efficacy Scale (MSSE), Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale, Herth Hope Index, and Performance Scales; a sociodemographic questionnaire; and an information sheet regarding consent to participate in the study were mailed to 1,200 potential participants. A total of 594 individuals responded, and for the evaluation of predictors of adherence in individuals with self‐reported progressive forms of MS, 199 met the criteria. Logistic regression analysis revealed four significant predictors of adherence: the MSSE Control subscale, MSSE Function subscale, perceived support of the physician, and perceived support of the spouse. The higher the score on the MSSE Control subscale, the more likely the individual will adhere to glatiramer acetate therapy. The higher the score on the MSSE Function subscale, the more likely the individual will adhere to glatiramer acetate therapy. The MSSE Control and Function subscales show promise of being useful to predict adherence.
Scuba Diving in Blue Water: A Window on Ecology and Evolution in the Epipelagic Ocean

Conventional methods of zooplankton sampling have serious limitations for the study of softbodied gelatinous animals, which are easily damaged or destroyed in nets and trawls. An alternative approach is scuba diving in the upper waters of the open ocean to make observations, measurements, and collections in situ. With appropriate safety measures, this method has proved highly effective in revealing natural behavior of a variety of animals, as well as in allowing collection of live specimens for experimental work or detailed taxonomic examination. Simple precautions and protocols have allowed bluewater diving to be conducted safely and productively for the last 40 years. It has provided insight into both the biology of individual species and the structure and functioning of epipelagic communities in tropical, temperate, and polar oceans. It has further revealed the occurrence and effects of nonliving material like marine snow, as well as the microstructure created by density layers and convergences. The direct experience of the water column environment that bluewater diving can provide is a valuable key to understanding the lives of its inhabitants.
Thermostabilization and Thermosensitization of Herpesvirus

Wallis, Craig (Baylor University College of Medicine, Houston, Tex.), and Joseph L. Melnick. Thermostabilization and thermosensitization of herpesvirus. J. Bacteriol. 90:1632–1637. 1965. —Herpesvirus, long considered as one of the most thermolabile of viruses, was stabilized by 1 m Na2SO4 or Na2HPO4 so that it withstood heating at 50 C, but the virus was not protected by 1 m MgCl2, MgSO4, or KH2PO4, or 2 m KCl or NaCl; 1 m Na2SO4 also stabilized herpesvirus at 25 and 37 C. In contrast, herpesvirus was made extremely thermosensitive in the presence of isotonic salt concentrations or of isotonic tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane buffer, especially at pH 7.2 or above. Partially purified virus was relatively thermostable when suspended in distilled water at pH 7.2, but in Earle's salt solution the virus immediately became thermosensitive. As found in tissue culture harvests, herpesvirus was thermolabile, but the virus was rendered stable at 50 C by simple dilution in distilled water. Protection by proteins or amino acids, generally accepted as virus-stabilizing agents, did not seem to be the result of a direct effect upon herpesvirus. The present data suggest that the added proteins counteract in part thermosensitizing effects of the salts contained in the virus harvest.
HyMeX, les campagnes de mesures : focus sur les événements extrêmes en Méditerranée

Les risques hydrometeorologiques sont au coeur du programme de recherche HyMeX sur le cycle de l'eau en Mediterranee. HyMeX a pour ambition d'ameliorer leur prevision, de mieux connaitre leur variabilite a l'echelle pluriannuelle et de renseigner sur leur evolution, dans le contexte du changement climatique. A cette fin, deux campagnes de mesures dediees a ces evenements extremes (SOP1 : pluies intenses et crues rapides ; SOP2 : vents forts et formation d'eaux denses) sont organisees en Mediterranee nord-occidentale, entre septembre 2012 et mars 2013.
Learning Goal Oriented Bayesian Networks for Telecommunications Risk Management

This paper discusses issues related to Bayesian network model learning for unbalanced binary classification tasks. In general, the primary focus of current research on Bayesian network learning systems ( e.g., K2 and its variants) is on the creation of the Bayesian network structure that fits the database best. It turns out that when applied with a specific purpose in mind, such as classification, the performance of these network models may be very poor. We demonstrate that Bayesian network models should be created to meet the specific goal or purpose intended for the model. We first present a goal-oriented algorithm for constructing Bayesian networks for predicting uncollectibles in telecommunications risk-management datasets. Second, we argue and demonstrate that current Bayesian network learning methods may fail to perform satisfactorily in real life applications since they do not learn models tailored to a specific goal or purpose. Third, we discuss the performance of “goal oriented” K2 and its variant.
GM-CSF Production by Tumor Cells Is Associated with Improved Survival in Colorectal Cancer

Purpose: Colorectal cancer infiltration by CD16+ myeloid cells correlates with improved prognosis. We addressed mechanistic clues and gene and protein expression of cytokines potentially associated with macrophage polarization. Experimental Design: GM-CSF or M-CSF–stimulated peripheral blood CD14+ cells from healthy donors were cocultured with colorectal cancer cells. Tumor cell proliferation was assessed by 3H-thymidine incorporation. Expression of cytokine genes in colorectal cancer and autologous healthy mucosa was tested by quantitative, real-time PCR. A tumor microarray (TMA) including >1,200 colorectal cancer specimens was stained with GM-CSF- and M-CSF–specific antibodies. Clinicopathological features and overall survival were analyzed. Results: GM-CSF induced CD16 expression in 66% ± 8% of monocytes, as compared with 28% ± 1% in cells stimulated by M-CSF (P = 0.011). GM-CSF but not M-CSF–stimulated macrophages significantly (P < 0.02) inhibited colorectal cancer cell proliferation. GM-CSF gene was expressed to significantly (n = 45, P < 0.0001) higher extents in colorectal cancer than in healthy mucosa, whereas M-CSF gene expression was similar in healthy mucosa and colorectal cancer. Accordingly, IL1β and IL23 genes, typically expressed by M1 macrophages, were expressed to significantly (P < 0.001) higher extents in colorectal cancer than in healthy mucosa. TMA staining revealed that GM-CSF production by tumor cells is associated with lower T stage (P = 0.02), “pushing” growth pattern (P = 0.004) and significantly (P = 0.0002) longer survival in mismatch-repair proficient colorectal cancer. Favorable prognostic effect of GM-CSF production by colorectal cancer cells was confirmed by multivariate analysis and was independent from CD16+ and CD8+ cell colorectal cancer infiltration. M-CSF expression had no significant prognostic relevance. Conclusions: GM-CSF production by tumor cells is an independent favorable prognostic factor in colorectal cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 20(12); 3094–106. ©2014 AACR.
Optimal Combination of the Binocular Cues to 3D Motion.

PURPOSE Perception necessarily entails combining separate sensory estimates into a single coherent whole. The perception of three-dimensional (3D) motion, for instance, can rely on two binocular cues: one related to the change in binocular disparity over time (CD) and the other related to interocular velocity differences (IOVD). Although previous work has shown that neither cue is strictly necessary for the perception of 3D motion, observers are able to judge 3D motion in displays in which one or the other cue has been eliminated, it is unclear whether or how the two cues are combined in situations in which both are present. METHODS We tested the visual performance of a sample of 81 individuals (Mage = 20.34, 49 females) in four main conditions that measured, respectively, static stereoacuity, CD, IOVD, and combined CD+IOVD sensitivity. RESULTS We show that the sensitivity to the two binocular cues to 3D motion varies substantially across observers (CD: Md' = 1.01, SDd' = 1.1; IOVD: Md' = 1.16, SDd' = 1.03). Furthermore, sensitivity to the two cues was independent across observers (r[48] = 0.12, P = 0.42). Importantly, however, observed CD+IOVD performance was well-predicted based on the assumption that each observer combines the two cues in a statistically optimal fashion (r[79] = 0.75, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide an explanation for the previously puzzling variability found in 3D perception across observers and laboratories, with some results suggesting that motion-in-depth percepts are largely determined by changes in binocular disparity, whereas others indicate that interocular velocity differences are key. Our results underline the existence of two complementary binocular mechanisms underlying 3D motion perception, with observers relying on these two mechanisms to different extents depending on their individual sensitivity.
Time-dependent interaction between subduction dynamics and phase transition kinetics

SUMMARY Numerical subduction models are presented that account for the kinetics of the olivine–spinel transformation and the equilibrium transformation of spinel into perovskite and magnesiowustite. Temperature-, depth- and stress-dependent rheology is used. Buoyancy due to temperature and the olivine, spinel, and magnesiowustite/perovskite phases leads to free subduction into the transition zone, and retarded penetration into the lower mantle. A dynamic feed back mechanism is found between the different buoyancy forces, the kinetics of the phase transition and the release of latent heat. This mechanism modulates the ‘parachute’-effect of the metastable olivine (MO) in a subducting slab and leads to characteristic temporal variations of the depth of MO and, with a time delay, variations of the subduction velocity. Time periods are of the order of 3–4 Myr. This mechanism allows to explain variations of the depths of the deepest earthquakes in otherwise similar subduction zones. Further conclusions are as follows. The maximum depth of MO increases roughly linearly with lithospheric thickness, and the maximum depth may reach as deep as 720–750 km. Different subduction zones may represent different stages of ‘velocity–depth phase loops’ of MO.
On global tracking control of a VTOL aircraft without velocity measurements

This note develops a nonlinear output-feedback controller to force a nonminimum phase, underactuated vertical take-off and landing aircraft to globally asymptotically track a reference trajectory generated by a reference model. The control development is based on a global exponential observer, some global coordinate transformations, Lyapunov's direct method and an extension of the backstepping technique. Interestingly, the proposed methodology also yields new results for the previously studied problems of stabilization and output tracking or regulation. Numerical simulations illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
Studying a Population Undergoing Nutrition Transition: A Practical Case Study of Dietary Assessment in Urban South African Adolescents

The South African Medical Research Council food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and protocol was used to determine food intake in 83 adolescents from the Birth To Twenty study. The FFQ was piloted on a small group (n = 8). Specific problems which resulted in overestimation of energy intake were identified. The protocol was modified and administered to the remainder of the adolescents and their caregivers. Reasonable energy intakes were obtained, and time spent completing the FFQ was reduced. The modified protocol was more successful in determining habitual food intake although it would benefit from validation against other dietary intake techniques.