Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A socio- and locality-aware overlay for user-centric networking

The recent success of online social networks hints at the general interest in socio-aware, user-centric networking applications. At the same time, mobile consumer devices are becoming both more powerful and more widespread. As an implication of these trends, user-centric networking can be realized directly between the users' devices, i.e. without depending on a server-based infrastructure. In this paper, we propose a novel hybrid overlay to facilitate the direct communication between user devices and enable the deployment of complex user-centric applications in a fully decentralized manner. In contrast to traditional overlay designs, our approach leverages social context to achieve a high interconnection between the devices of befriended users. Our overlay ensures the locality of user traffic and supports the delivery of messages to devices that are unavailable at the time of sending. Simulation results show that our approach achieves close to optimal latencies and is scalable in terms of network size.
The Search for Gluinos with Atlas at LHC

Prospects for ATLAS observation of a SUSY-like signal from two gluinos are investigated within a certain region of the mSUGRA parameter space, where the cross section of the two gluinos production via gluon-gluon fusion is estimated at a rather high level of 13 pb. The event selection trigger uses a very clear signature of the process (4 jets + 4 muons + up to 4 secondary vertices topology) when final decay products of each gluino are b-anti-b and muon-anti-muon pairs and the lightest SUSY particle, the neutralino. Rather high transverse missing energy carried away by two neutralinos is an essential signature of the event and also allows the relevant Standard Model background to be reduced significantly. The generation and reconstruction processes are performed by means of the ATLAS common software framework ATHENA.
Competitive electricity markets : design, implementation, performance

After 2 decades, policymakers and regulators agree that electricity market reform, liberalization and privatization remains partly art. Moreover, the international experience suggests that in nearly all cases, initial market reform leads to unintended consequences or introduces new risks, which must be addressed in subsequent "reform of the reforms. This volume describes the evolution of the market reform process including a number of challenging issues such as infrastructure investment, resource adequacy, capacity and demand participation, market power, distributed generation, renewable energy and global climate change. Sequel to Electricity Market Reform: An International Perspective in the same series published in 2006 Contributions from renowned scholars and practitioners on significant electricity market design and implementation issues Covers timely topics on the evolution of electricity market liberalization worldwide
Data vs. Methods: Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of Alternative Sample Selection Corrections for Missing College Entrance Exam Score Data

In 2007, Michigan began requiring all high school students to take the ACT college entrance exam. This natural experiment allows us to evaluate the performance of several parametric and semiparametric sample selection correction models. We apply each model to the censored, prepolicy test score data and compare the predicted values to the uncensored, post-policy distribution. We vary the set of model predictors to imitate the varying levels of data detail to which a researcher may have access. We find that predictive performance is sensitive to predictor choice but not correction model choice. All models perform poorly using student demographics and school- and district-level characteristics as predictors. However, all models perform well when including students’ prior and contemporaneous scores on other tests. Similarly, correction models using group-level data perform better with more finely disaggregated groups, but produce similar predictions under different functional form assumptions. Our findings are not explained by an absence of selection, the assumptions of the parametric models holding, or the data lacking sufficient variation to permit useful semiparametric estimation. We conclude that “data beat methods” in this setting: gains from using less restrictive econometric methods are small relative to gains from seeking richer or more disaggregated data.
MicroRNA-21 Regulates the Proliferation and Invasion in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Purpose: MicroRNAs are ∼22 nucleotide noncoding RNA molecules that posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression. The aim of this study was (a) to determine a role of microRNA-21 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and (b) to elucidate the regulation of the programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) gene by microRNA-21. Experimental Design: MicroRNA-21 expression was investigated in 20 matched normal esophageal epitheliums and esophageal squamous cell carcinomas and seven esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (TE6, TE8, TE10, TE11, TE12, TE14, KYSE30) by TaqMan quantitative real-time PCR and in situ hybridization. To evaluate the role of microRNA-21, cell proliferation and invasion were analyzed with anti–microRNA-21–transfected cells. In addition, the regulation of PDCD4 by microRNA-21 was elucidated to identify the mechanisms of this regulation. Results: Of 20 paired samples, 18 cancer tissues overexpressed microRNA-21 in comparison with matched normal epitheliums. Specifically, patients with lymph node metastasis or venous invasion showed significantly high expression of microRNA-21. In situ hybridization for microRNA-21 showed strong positive staining in paraffin-embedded esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues. All seven esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines also overexpressed microRNA-21, and anti–microRNA-21–transfected cells showed significant reduction in cellular proliferation and invasion. The PDCD4 protein levels in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells have an inverse correlation with microRNA-21 expression. Anti–microRNA-21–transfected cells increased PDCD4 protein expression without changing the PDCD4 mRNA level and increased a luciferase-reporter activity containing the PDCD4-3′ untranslated region construct. Conclusions: MicroRNA-21 targets PDCD4 at the posttranscriptional level and regulates cell proliferation and invasion in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. It may serve as a novel therapeutic target in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Mining frequent patterns from microarray data

The rapid development of computers and increasing amount of collected data made data mining a popular analysis tool. Data mining research is interrelated to many fields and one of the most important ones is bioinformatics. Among many techniques, mining association rules or frequent patterns is one of the most studied techniques in computer science and it is applicable to bioinformatics. Association analysis of gene expressions may be used as decision support mechanism for finding genes that are in same pathway. In this work, publicly available yeast microarray data has been analyzed using an efficient frequent pattern mining algorithm Matrix Apriori and frequently co-over-expressed genes have been identified.
An Extendable Galaxy Number Count Model

I review galaxy number count models and present ncmod, an extendable and general purpose model for comparing and interpreting the results of field galaxy survey data. I develop techniques and software for converting the results of a survey done in one filter into another filter for direct comparison with other surveys. Comparison of the data from surveys that differ greatly in wavelength coverage or sensitivity is of necessity model dependent, but comparison between similar surveys can be done in a relatively model‐independent way. I extrapolate existing number counts into the ultraviolet and thermal infrared. The model is used to predict the results of future space missions, including STIS and NICMOS on Hubble Space Telescope, Infrared Space Observatory, Space Infrared Telescope Facility, and Next Generation Space Telescope.
Information security risk assessment based on two stages decision model with grey synthetic measure

To solve the fuzziness and uncertainty from many aspects on information security risk assessment, this paper proposes the information security risk assessment approach based on two stages decision model with grey synthetic measure. Firstly, the assessment criteria weights are determined by means of the combination of Delphi method and the adjacent criterion comparison method, and the grades of assessment results are determined; secondly, unity grey clustering coefficients or decision coefficients with synthetic measure are computed by grey clustering theory; at last, the grey classes of objects are determined and objects are squenced by risk values. Through case study, this method solves the uncertainty in parameter values and other factors, reduces the subjectivity of assessment process, and provides a new thought to information security risk assessment.
Design and evaluation of state of the art rectifiers dedicated for a 46 kW E-ECS aerospace application with respect to power density and reliability

A major intention of the “More Electric Aircraft” concept (MEA) [1], is the use of power electronics instead of mechanical, hydraulical or pneumatical systems, which promises reduced weight, higher efficiency and less maintenance costs. This paper presents the design of rectifier topologies Active Power Factor Correction (APFC) and Autotransformer Rectifier Unit (ATRU) dedicated for a 46 kW electrical environmental control system (E-ECS) for aerospace application. The derived power-densities reveal, that the active solution offers less weight. However, due to the use of power semiconductors, the lifetime is reduced compared to the passive transformer. To optimize the lifetime, four different switches are evaluated, taking into account losses, junction temperatures, power cycles to failure and cosmic ray susceptibility.
eb 2 00 0 Dominos and the Gaussian free field

We define a scaling limit of the height function on the domino tiling model (dimer model) on simplyconnected regions in Z and show that it is the “massless free field”, a Gaussian process with independent coefficients when expanded in the eigenbasis of the Laplacian. Résumé On définit une “limite d’échelle” pour la fonction d’hauteur dans le modèle des dimères dans Z. Nous montrons que la limite est un “champ libre gaussien”, un processus stochastique gaussien dont les coefficients, dans la base des fonctions propres du laplacien, sont indépendentes. AMS classification: primary 82B20, secondary 60G15 keywords: dimer model, domino tiling, Gaussian free field.
A secure threshold secret sharing framework for database outsourcing

Due to advancement in cloud computing technology and significant growth in database technology, Database as a Service (DBaaS) has become the breakaway technology of the recent era. It is the paramount solution for managing and administering the outsourced databases. Though the users are availed through the database services, the security of databases being outsourced is not guaranteed as the database service provider can be deceitful. Therefore, implementing the security in outsourced databases is a grand challenge. In this paper, we have proposed a secure framework for achieving the confidentiality, integrity in outsourced databases using the customized secret sharing approach and polynomial interpolation. The completeness and correctness dimensions are considered for achieving the integrity. To the best of our findings, our framework is the first which provides security solutions to alphanumeric data, string, special symbols and any kind of database including NoSQL databases which support hash index. The multiple indexing in our research allows the user to search and process the query efficiently based on multiple searchable attributes.
Regime transplants in GDP growth forecasting: A recipe for better predictions?

Formal testing and estimation of nonlinear relations require a substantial number of observations which are typically lacking in annual models. In this paper, a novel two-step procedure is introduced to model nonlinearities in yearly asset-price based leading indicator models for growth. In the first step, quarterly data are explored to test for the presence of regime switches, the identif ication of transition variables and estimation of the accompanying thresholds. In the second step, we implement the quarterly thresholds in the annual indicator models. Results for the US and the Netherlands show that the annual forecasts improve compared to the linear model, despite the poor out-of-sample performance of the quarterly regime switching models.
Fiscal Discretion Destroys Monetary Commitment

We consider the interaction between monetary and fiscal policies, in one country and in a monetary union. In a Nash equilibrium, at least one of the outcomes (output and inflation) are more extreme than the ideal points of both policy authorities. We allow very general stochastic shocks to the parameters, and find the fully optimal monetary policy rule as a nonlinear function of these shocks. We find that the rule does no better than discretionary leadership of monetary policy in every realization of the shocks.
A CCG Fragment of Korean

Combinatory Categorial Grammar is a lexicalised formalism which is mildly context-sensitive. Recently Set Combinatory Categorial Grammar, a direct descendent of Combinatory Categorial Grammar was proposed to treat local scrambling adequately. In this paper, we briefly sketch Set Combinatory Categorial Grammar analyses of various Korean syntactic phenomena including coordination, extraction and multiple nominative construction.
Quantitative Management of Bond Portfolios

The need for quantitative management of bond portfolios becomes more critical in light of the recent global financial crisis and interest rate uncertainty. For example, when the U.S. Federal Reserve began scaling back its bond buying economic stimulus program in mid-2013, skittish investors quickly sold their bonds. That drove down bond prices drastically. However, in 2014, when investors expected that bond prices would continue to fall, prices moved up instead. Even as the Federal Reserve forecasted the return of higher interest rates in 2015, uncertainty about the timing and extent of rate changes has left many bond investors wondering: What is the best course of action when interest rates are so unpredictable? Thus, creating a diversified bond portfolio with appropriate levels of risk that performs reasonably well even when markets do not move as expected can help bond investors stay on course toward their investment goals. It can also offer potential protection against interest rate changes and other risks.
The birth of a dinosaur footprint: Subsurface 3D motion reconstruction and discrete element simulation reveal track ontogeny

Significance We reconstructed the 3D foot movements of guineafowl traversing a granular substrate from biplanar X-rays, and then incorporated those kinematics into a discrete element simulation. Digital track models permitted visualization of in vivo track formation at the surface and at virtual bedding planes for the first time. Application of these volumetric data to fossil dinosaur tracks uncovered the developmental origin of previously enigmatic features. A “track ontogeny” perspective helps integrate limb and substrate dynamics into the interpretation of track morphology, from which foot anatomy cannot be read directly. Locomotion over deformable substrates is a common occurrence in nature. Footprints represent sedimentary distortions that provide anatomical, functional, and behavioral insights into trackmaker biology. The interpretation of such evidence can be challenging, however, particularly for fossil tracks recovered at bedding planes below the originally exposed surface. Even in living animals, the complex dynamics that give rise to footprint morphology are obscured by both foot and sediment opacity, which conceals animal–substrate and substrate–substrate interactions. We used X-ray reconstruction of moving morphology (XROMM) to image and animate the hind limb skeleton of a chicken-like bird traversing a dry, granular material. Foot movement differed significantly from walking on solid ground; the longest toe penetrated to a depth of ∼5 cm, reaching an angle of 30° below horizontal before slipping backward on withdrawal. The 3D kinematic data were integrated into a validated substrate simulation using the discrete element method (DEM) to create a quantitative model of limb-induced substrate deformation. Simulation revealed that despite sediment collapse yielding poor quality tracks at the air–substrate interface, subsurface displacements maintain a high level of organization owing to grain–grain support. Splitting the substrate volume along “virtual bedding planes” exposed prints that more closely resembled the foot and could easily be mistaken for shallow tracks. DEM data elucidate how highly localized deformations associated with foot entry and exit generate specific features in the final tracks, a temporal sequence that we term “track ontogeny. ” This combination of methodologies fosters a synthesis between the surface/layer-based perspective prevalent in paleontology and the particle/volume-based perspective essential for a mechanistic understanding of sediment redistribution during track formation.
Flexible and efficient string similarity search with alignment-space transform

The string similarity search is the problem of finding similar strings in a given database. Throughout computer engineering, this problem has a number of applications, such as spelling correction, spam filters, and information retrieval. Among the various solutions to this problem, we focus on the distance-space transform, which uses well-known multidimensional spatial data structures such as kD-trees and R*-trees for indexing. This maps strings into k-dimensional vectors whose components are the distances from preselected reference objects (called pivots). In this paper, we further develop the distance-space transform into a more general filtering framework. Based on this framework, we also present an alignment-space transform as an extension of the distance-space transform. Through experiments, we demonstrate the search performance of our proposed method with respect to a variety of search range parameters and pivot selection strategies.
Affinity of Tomopenem (CS-023) for Penicillin-Binding Proteins in Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

ABSTRACT Tomopenem (formerly CS-023), a novel 1β-methylcarbapenem, exhibited high affinity for penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 2 in Staphylococcus aureus, PBP 2 in Escherichia coli, and PBPs 2 and 3 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which are considered major lethal targets. Morphologically, tomopenem induced spherical forms in E. coli and short filamentation with bulges in P. aeruginosa, which correlated with the drug's PBP profiles. The potential of resistance of these bacteria to tomopenem was comparable to that to imipenem.
Environmental gerontology : making meaningful places in old age

The environments in which people live out their later lives have a strong impact on their identity and opportunities for nourishing social interactions. This volume synthesizes contemporary research on residential environments and public spaces that enhance well being, and provides practical recommendations for the design of such beneficial community environments that encompass private and public spaces. With contributions from researchers in North America, Europe, and Asia, the text bridges the worlds of research and practice by translating the expanding body of environmental gerontology research into applied contexts. It is grounded in conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of current research on place attachment, environmental meaning, and community living in later life. Emphasis is on how to design residential spaces that facilitate the development of a sense of place or home, and investigation into the kinds of lifestyles such spaces foster and support. A major theme pervading the text is the juxtaposition of private and public space. The book also considers how emerging public policy agendas affect the development and management of environments for the elderly. With its strong interdisciplinary focus, Environmental Gerontology will be of interest to senior undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, practitioners and policy makers in environmental gerontology, community planning, occupational therapy, architecture and the design professions, social policy, and public health.
The C1q Family of Proteins: Insights into the Emerging Non-Traditional Functions

Research conducted over the past 20 years have helped us unravel not only the hidden structural and functional subtleties of human C1q, but also has catapulted the molecule from a mere recognition unit of the classical pathway to a well-recognized molecular sensor of damage-modified self or non-self antigens. Thus, C1q is involved in a rapidly expanding list of pathological disorders – including autoimmunity, trophoblast migration, preeclampsia, and cancer. The results of two recent reports are provided to underscore the critical role C1q plays in health and disease. First is the observation by Singh et al. (2011) showing that pregnant C1q−/− mice recapitulate the key features of human preeclampsia that correlate with increased fetal death. Treatment of the C1q−/− mice with pravastatin restored trophoblast invasiveness, placental blood flow, and angiogenic balance and, thus, prevented the onset of preeclampsia. Second is the report by Hong et al. (2009) which showed that C1q can induce apoptosis of prostate cancer cells by activating the tumor suppressor molecule WW-domain containing oxydoreductase (WWOX or WOX1) and destabilizing cell adhesion. Downregulation of C1q on the other hand, enhanced prostate hyperplasia and cancer formation due to failure of WOX1 activation. C1q belongs to a family of structurally and functionally related TNF-α-like family of proteins that may have arisen from a common ancestral gene. Therefore C1q not only shares the diverse functions with the tumor necrosis factor family of proteins, but also explains why C1q has retained some of its ancestral “cytokine-like” activities. This review is intended to highlight some of the structural and functional aspects of C1q by underscoring the growing list of its non-traditional functions.
Searching Pancho's Soul: An Intelligent Virtual Agent for Human Teams

Intelligent virtual agents have characteristics that allow increasing the computer's ability to engage and motivate students along their learning or training process. We are considered incorporate the particular behaviors of team roles defined by Belbin into the simulated agent Ltcalled PanchoGt that will join the human group with the intention of improving the team performance. It this paper we identify relations between the team roles defined by Belbin and the personality traits based into OCEAN model, as well as relations between each one of class of tasks proposed by McGrath and the first. Finally, we describe the cognitive architecture for emotional agents that will use for Pancho's architecture.
Data manipulation detection via permutation information theory quantifiers

Recent news cast doubts on London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) integrity. Given its economic importance and the delay with which authorities realize about this situation, we aim to find an objective method in order to detect departures in the LIBOR rate that from the expected behavior. We analyze several interest rates time series and we detect an anomalous behavior in LIBOR, specially during the period of the financial crisis of 2008. Our findings could be consistent with data manipulation.